| Anne Harris | |
| Birth Date: | 1966 2, mf=yes |
| Birth Place: | Yellow Springs, Ohio, U.S. |
| Instrument: | Vocals, violin, mandolin, ukulele, tambourine |
| Genre: | Pop rock, country, Hawaiian music |
| Occupation: | Singer, songwriter, violinist, recording artist, actress |
| Years Active: | 1997–present |
| Label: | Rugged Road Records |
| Associated Acts: | Jack's Big Music Show, Cathy Richardson, Otis Taylor |
| Website: | www.anneharris.com |
Anne Harris (born February 2, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, violinist, recording artist and actress based in Chicago, Illinois.[1] [2] She has independently produced and released six studio albums on her record label, Rugged Road Records: Anne Harris (2001), Open Your Doors (2003), Wine and Poetry (2005),[3] Gravity and Faith (2008), Come Hither (2015) and Roots (2019). A live album, Live at the Acorn Theater, was released in 2008.[4] Her music has been described by various writers as incorporating a variety of influences, including traditional Celtic music, American folk-rock,[5] Afrobeat,[1] soul, and chamber music. For lack of a specific genre label, her work has been dubbed "conscious music" which refers to music and lyrics that have some basis in a spiritual, humanist philosophy.[3]
Harris grew up in Yellow Springs, Ohio, home of Antioch College. The earthy, liberal and progressive environment of her hometown remains an influence in her songwriting to this day.[1] She began studying classical violin at the age of eight and eventually attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor where she earned a degree from the School of Music. After college, Harris moved to Chicago and worked as an actor in theater and commercials for a few years before returning to music around 1997.[3] She worked for a while with a number of local Chicago bands, notably Poi Dog Pondering, building a strong reputation for her instrumental talent. Over time she began writing and performing her own music.[6]
Along with her recorded work, Harris has performed at the North by Northeast music festival in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, has sung the U.S. National Anthem at a Chicago Cubs baseball game[2] and was awarded "Album Artwork of the Year" honors at the 2006 DIY Music Festival in Los Angeles for her Wine and Poetry CD packaging.[3]
Harris continues to play violin with other notable national artists. From 2009 into 2018, she toured and recorded with trance-blues innovator and 2009 Blues Music Award winner, Otis Taylor.[7] [8] [9] She also has appeared with Cathy Richardson in several formations - as a duo, in the Cathy Richardson Band, and in Jefferson Starship.[10] [11]
She has served an elected term on the Board of Governors of the Chicago Chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.[12]
Harris also appeared as the character "Prudence" on three episodes of Jack's Big Music Show, a music oriented children's television program on Noggin (now the Nick Jr. Channel).[13]