Emmylou Harris is unquestionably the first lady of the country. Her angelic vocals connected the countercultural folk world of Joan Baez and Bob Dylan to the more classical scene later presided over by Dolly Parton. Harris was both a music fan and a legend, with an eclectic taste that encompassed many genres. However, Neil Young stands out as a clear favorite.
Harris is a central figure in a distinct era and scene. After leaving drama school to slum it with the Beatniks, she joined the Greenwich folk scene, which included Dylan, Leonard Cohen, and others. But she always had something unique. Harris, unlike Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez, was a more straightforward country singer.
But it was the distinct and sweet country vocal that drew attention. Most notably, it piqued the interest of Gram Parsons, the country-rock pioneer behind the Flying Burrito Brothers and The Byrds. Harris was discovered by Parsons, who took her under his wing and reintroduced her to the music industry, which she had nearly abandoned in the early 1970s.
Neil Young, another singer who was heavily influenced by Bob Dylan and the scene he was creating, moved around the same world, combining country, folk, and rock. One of Young’s bands, Buffalo Springfield, in particular, cemented his place in the Californian counter-culture scene that Gram Parsons had established. It was only a matter of time before Harris and Young crossed paths.
When they finally did, Young quickly became one of Harris’ favorite artists. When it came to their musical ethos, the two appeared to agree. During her Desert Island Discs interview, in which she selected ‘Emperor of Wyoming‘ as an essential track, she stated, “Music is right up there with food and water. I believe it speaks to them on a primal level.”
She recognizes this belief in Young as well. Harris described the musician as “one of the great voices. Both literally and figuratively, of rock and roll, American music, and world music. He has never stopped, as he says, following the muse.” “Everything goes into the music.” While touring together in 2003, Harris added, “Neil Young has always inspired me.”
When asked for her top tracks of all time for the BBC, Young seemed like an obvious choice. She went on to say, “Neil Young has always been an artist that I can just close my eyes and pick any of his records when I want to listen to something.”
The two legends have supported each other’s careers since they met. They formed an enduring friendship based on mutual respect and a love of music. Harris was asked to sing with Young on The Last Waltz, The Band’s final album, in 1978. Then, in 1995, Young sang on Harris’ album Wrecking Ball. The pair reunited in 2003 to tour together, and both remain huge fans of one another.
