UNC Greensboro today announced that one of the greatest living country singer-songwriters, Emmylou Harris, will perform at UNCG Auditorium on Jan. 24 at 7:30 p.m. as part of UNCG’s University Concert and Lecture Series. Tickets are now available for purchase online.
Before becoming a 14-time Grammy-winner, and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner, and decades before being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, Harris was a student who held a drama scholarship in the Department of Drama and Speech at UNCG.
As a singer, she performed at Tate Street’s Red Door Café, in the current spot of Leon’s hair salon. UNCG audiences also saw her perform in Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” at Taylor Theatre.
“Emmylou Harris is in a class by herself,” said UNCG Chancellor Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr. “Her talent is remarkable, and she continues to push the boundaries of musical performance and composition. We are proud to welcome her back home to UNCG, and we know that she will put on a great show for our community.”
Her collaborations are legendary; Harris worked with Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, Lucinda Williams, Delbert McClinton, Neil Young, Townes Van Zandt, Johnny Cash, Ricky Skaggs, Dolly Parton, Jimi Hendrix, and Rodney Crowell, just to name a few.
Her 1995 album, “Wrecking Ball,” was hailed as an experimental alternative rock-country triumph and showcased a number of contemporary songwriters.
In 2000, “Red Dirt Girl,” made up almost entirely of Harris’ own compositions, was No. 3 on the Billboard country album charts and won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album.
With her current band, The Red Dirt Boys, Harris continues to sing and perform worldwide.
Tickets to the Jan. 24 show can be purchased online.
Read more about Harris and her time at UNCG in this Campus Weekly article.
Photography by Veronique Rolland
