Emmylou Harris Siblings: Get to Know Walter Rutland Harris Jr.

Emmylou Harris, born on April 2, 1947, in Birmingham, Alabama, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, bandleader, and activist.

Known for her crystalline voice and eclectic musical style, she has seamlessly blended folk, country, rock, and Americana, earning her the title “the queen of country rock.”

Raised in a military family, Harris spent her childhood in North Carolina and Woodbridge, Virginia, where she graduated as valedictorian from Gar-Field Senior High School.

Her early passion for music led her to drop out of college to pursue a career as a folk singer in New York City’s Greenwich Village.

Discovered by Gram Parsons in the early 1970s, she found her calling in country rock, a genre she helped define.

Harris’s career is marked by her ability to interpret songs with emotional depth, her songwriting prowess, and her collaborations with artists like Bob Dylan, Dolly Parton, and Neil Young.

Siblings

Emmylou has one sibling, an older brother named Walter Rutland Harris Jr.

Born to Walter “Buck” Harris, a Marine Corps officer, and Eugenia Murchison Harris, a wartime military wife, the Harris family was deeply rooted in military life, which shaped their frequent relocations during Emmylou’s childhood.

However, little public information exists about Walter Rutland Harris Jr.’s personal or professional life, as Emmylou’s prominence in the music industry has largely overshadowed details about her family.

Career

Harris’s musical journey began in the 1960s when she performed folk songs in Greenwich Village coffeehouses.

Her 1969 debut album, Gliding Bird, was a modest start, but her career took a pivotal turn when she was discovered by Gram Parsons, who invited her to sing harmony on his solo albums GP (1973) and Grievous Angel (1974).

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Parsons’s mentorship introduced her to country rock, a fusion of traditional country and rock that became her signature.

After Parsons’s tragic death in 1973, Harris signed with Reprise–Warner Bros. and released her breakthrough album, Pieces of the Sky (1975), featuring the hit “If I Could Only Win Your Love” and her poignant tribute to Parsons, “Boulder to Birmingham.”

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, albums like Elite Hotel (1975), Luxury Liner (1977), and Blue Kentucky Girl (1979) solidified her status, blending classic country with rock influences to appeal to diverse audiences.

Her 1985 album The Ballad of Sally Rose, a semi-autobiographical work, showcased her songwriting, while her 1987 collaboration Trio with Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt became a commercial triumph, selling over four million copies.

In the 1990s, Harris explored alternative sounds with Wrecking Ball (1995), a critically acclaimed album produced by Daniel Lanois.

Her later works, including Hard Bargain (2011) and Old Yellow Moon (2013) with Rodney Crowell, continued to reflect her versatility.

Harris’s collaborations span a wide range of artists, from Johnny Cash to Ryan Adams, cementing her reputation as a sought-after harmony vocalist and duet partner.

Accolades

Harris has won 14 Grammy Awards, including Best Female Country Vocal Performance for The Connection (2005) and Best Americana Album for Old Yellow Moon (2014).

Her work on the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack (2000) contributed to a Grammy for Album of the Year.

Harris has also received three Country Music Association Awards, five International Bluegrass Music Association Awards, and four Americana Music Honors & Awards.

In 2008, she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, recognizing her profound impact on the genre.

The Academy of Country Music honored her with the Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award in 2011, and in 2018, she received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Beyond music, Harris’s activism, including her work with the Concert for a Landmine-Free World and advocacy for animal rights, has further elevated her legacy.

Her influence continues to resonate, with Rolling Stone ranking her at number 79 on its list of the “200 Greatest Singers of All Time” in 2023.