Emmylou Harris on Hellman and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass
The singer talks about the power of music and her friendship with the festival's founder
When Emmylou Harris played the first Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in 2001, Warren Hellman, the festival's founder, didn't make much of an impression on her. "I'm sure we met very briefly, but it was a one-day festival," she said.
But Harris made a big impression on Hellman. That year, she was touring with a New Orleans-style rhythm section, exploring genres of music different from the country and roots music of her early career. When it became clear that her performance wasn't bluegrass, per se, Hellman added the word "Hardly" to the festival's name, "Strictly Bluegrass."
Over the past decade, Harris has been one of the annual event's most dedicated performers: each year, she closes the Golden Gate Park affair that now spans four days.
The Bay Citizen sat down with Harris on Wednesday after she sang at Hellman's memorial service. Hellman, a financier, philanthropist and bluegrass musician who was also the founder and chairman of The Bay Citizen, died Sunday at 77 from complications of treatment for leukemia.
Harris spoke passionately about her friend and his love of music. Her answers have been edited and condensed.
The Bay Citizen: Tell me about your friendship with Warren.
Emmylou Harris: As my friendship with Warren progressed, I realized how much bluegrass music meant to him. I never stopped doing bluegrass, but I really tried to focus on it, and put on that hat, whenever I played the festival, for Warren. It wasn't just a gig. It was more than that.
Over the years, he invited me to do different things and my mother and I would meet him and his wife, Chris. I loved, loved hanging out with the two of them.
What a remarkable life, what a remarkable man. Just seems like it's such a short life, but, boy, he packed in a lot of life.
TBC: What are your favorite things about Hardly Strictly?
Harris: Warren is a great host — everybody is treated equally, but in a great way. It's for the people, but it really celebrates musicians. So many people want to play it, because it's like going to music camp, you get to see a lot of friends who you don't get to see because you're always on the road — and then you get to see performers that you may love, but have never gotten to see. You get to sit in with different folks.
And the idea that it's free — it's an amazing gift to the people who hear the music and the people who play the music. I don't know of any other festival like this, at least not in this country.
The setting that Warren offered, in Golden Gate Park, in San Francisco, one of the great cities of the world, free to the public — and the dogs! God, I love the people and their dogs.
It's almost what Woodstock tried to be. The culmination of the joy of music with the better angels of our nature, and the healing and inspiring power of music.
Warren was someone who was capable of making extremely large gestures and he did it very well.
Harris: That's always hard to explain. I didn't really grow up with it either; I grew up with folk music and of course through folk music, you go through the Monroe and the Carter family. It's a music that can really — it's your chakras — either you get it or you don't. It's not for everybody, it's strong stuff. It's not watered down. We call it a "washed in the blood" sound that's not for everybody.
That doesn't mean that you can't love opera or anything else, but there's something in the music that is very primal.
TBC: What did you think when Warren became a musician?
Harris: Well, I always knew that he loved the banjo. That was the story around town. But it was great that he actually got up on stage, he was always very self-deprecating about that. He knew he wasn't the greatest musician in the world, but he also understood that music is more about passion than virtuosity.
TBC: Touring meant a lot to him.
Harris: He loved it. See, I know how much fun it is to go out with a band, and I'm so glad that for all he gave to other people, he got to know the camaderie, the jokes, and how fun it is. I'm glad that he got to have that ride.
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