Roy Harper (born 12 June 1941) is an English folk/rock singer-songwriter and guitarist who has been a professional musician since 1964. He has released a large catalogue of albums (21 studio albums and 10 live albums) most of which are available on his record label Science Friction.

Musically, American blues musician Leadbelly and folk singer Woody Guthrie were his earliest influences,^[1] and whilst in his teens, jazz musician Miles Davis. Harper was also exposed to classical music in his childhood and has pointed to the influence of Jean Sibelius’ Karelia Suite. Lyrical influences include the 19th century Romantics (especially Percy Shelley), and John Keats poem Endymion. Harper has also cited the Beat poets as being highly influential, particularly Jack Kerouac.As a musician, Harper is known for his distinctive fingerstyle playing and lengthy, lyrical, complex compositions, a result of his love of jazz and Keats.
His influence has been acknowledged by many musicians including Jimmy Page and Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin (who named the song “Hats Off to (Roy) Harper” after him), Pete Townshend of The Who, Kate Bush, Pink Floyd (who invited him to sing guest lead vocals on their song “Have a Cigar”), and Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull; who stated Harper was his “…primary influence as an acoustic guitarist and songwriter.”
More recently, Harper’s influence has reached across the Atlantic and been acknowledged by Seattle-based acoustic band Fleet Foxes and Californian harpist Joanna Newsom, with whom he has also toured. In 2011, Harper turned 70 and performed a celebratory concert at London’s Royal Festival Hall. (Wikipedia)

Roy Harper (Nasc 12/6/41) é um cantor,compositor e guitarrista inglês que é músico profissional desde 1964. Ele tem um grande número de albuns lançados (21 de estúdio e 10 ao vivo) a maior parte em seu próprio selo, Science Fiction (não distribuído no Brasil). Suas primeiras influências musicais foram o blues man americano Leadbelly e o cantor de folk Woody Guthrie, além de Miles Davis. Harper também teve formação em música clássica, sofrendo influência de Jean Sibellius. Sua formação poética inclui de poetas românticos, como John Keats até os baets como Jack Kerouac. Como músico ele é conhecido por seu estilo que influenciou importantes músicos como Jimmy Page e Robert Plant, do Led Zeppelin, que deram o nome a uma música de ” Hats Off to (Roy) Harper” , Pete Townshend do The Who, Kate Bush, Pink Floyd ( que o convidou para cantar os vocais da sua canção “Have a Cigar” e Ian Anderson, do Jethro Tull, que afirmou que Harper era sua “…influência primária como guitarrista acústico e compositor.” Mais recentemente a sua influência cruzou o Atantico e foi reconhecida pelos Fleet-Foxes e a harpista californiana Joanna Newsom, com quem ele fez uma turnê.

Discography

Studio albums

• 1966 – Sophisticated Beggar
• 1967 – Come Out Fighting Ghengis Smith
• 1969 – Folkjokeopus
• 1970 – Flat Baroque and Berserk
• 1971 – Stormcock
• 1973 – Lifemask
• 1974 – Valentine
• 1975 – HQ (US title: When an Old Cricketer Leaves the Crease)
• 1977 – Bullinamingvase (US title: One of Those Days in England)
• 1980 – The Unknown Soldier
• 1982 – Work of Heart
• 1984 – Born in Captivity
• 1985 – Whatever Happened to Jugula? (with Jimmy Page)
• 1988 – Descendants of Smith
• 1988 – Loony on the Bus
• 1990 – Once
• 1992 – Death or Glory?
• 1994 – Commercial Breaks (previously unreleased album from 1977; 9 of its 12 tracks are available on Loony on the Bus)
• 1994 – Garden of Uranium (reissue of Descendants of Smith)
• 1997 – Poems, Speeches, Thoughts and Doodles (A collection of spoken tracks with occasional instrumentation)
• 1998 – The Dream Society
• 2000 – The Green Man

Live albums

• 1974 – Flashes from the Archives of Oblivion
• 1984 – Live at the Red Lion, Birmingham (Volume I & II Limited edition cassette)
• 1985 – Live at the Red Lion, Birmingham (Volume III Limited edition cassette)
• 1986 – In Between Every Line
• 1992 – Born in Captivity II (Limited edition cassette)
• 1993 – Unhinged (Edited version of Born in Captivity II)
• 1996 – Live At Les Cousins
• 1997 – The BBC Tapes – Volume II (In Concert 1974)
• 1997 – The BBC Tapes – Volume IV (In Concert 1975)
• 1997 – The BBC Tapes – Volume VI (In Concert 1978 with Andy Roberts)
• 2001 – Royal Festival Hall Live – June 10th 2001

Compilations

• 1978 – Harper 1970–1975
• 1994 – An Introduction to …..
• 1997 – Song of the Ages (3-CD collection of Roy Harper interviews)
• 1997 – The BBC Tapes – Volume I (1969–1973)
• 1997 – The BBC Tapes – Volume III (BBC Sessions 1974)
• 1997 – The BBC Tapes – Volume V (BBC Sessions 1975 – 1978)
• 2001 – Hats Off (compilation of collaborative tracks)
• 2001 – East of the Sun (compilation of love songs)
• 2002 – Today Is Yesterday (compilation of demo, unreleased and rare material from 1964–1967)
• 2005 – Counter Culture (double disc compilation)
• 2007 – From Occident to Orient (compilation and initially, only released in Japan whilst Harper toured there)
• 2011 – Songs of Love and Loss (two volume compilation of love songs)

Bootlegs

• 1992 – Heavy Crazy (Live in London 1974) (incomplete bootleg CD of The BBC Tapes – Volume II (In Concert 1974))