Biography

Born and raised in Jackson in the heart of Mississippi, Zac Harmon is a true extension of the music that came from the city’s historic Farish Street district, the home of blues legend Elmore James. A guitarist, organist, singer, and songwriter, Harmon's distinctive style combines the best of old-school soul-blues artists like Z.Z. Hill and Dorothy Moore with modern lyrics and themes that allow the blues to breathe in the new millennium. His live performances combine elements of everything that influenced him: soul-blues, gospel, reggae, and modern blues-rock. Harmon played guitar for Hill and Moore, as well as Sam Myers and McKinley Mitchell, when they passed through on their regional tours, and he finally moved to L.A. in the early '80s to take a real shot at this music business. He began as a session musician, and then established himself as a writer and producer as well. He wrote songs for the likes of Evelyn "Champagne" King, Freddie Jackson, the Whispers, K-Ci & Jo Jo, and the O'Jays, and produced songs for reggae band Black Uhuru's Mystical Truth album, which received a Grammy nomination in 1994. Harmon recorded and released his first blues project, Live at Babe and Ricky's Inn, a powerful slice of electric Mississippi blues, in 2002, following it with The Blues According to Zacariah in 2005. A European release, Shot in the Kill Zone, recorded live at the Lionel Hampton Room in Paris, appeared in 2008. Signing with the Northern Blues label, Harmon released From the Root in 2009. Each of these releases does a fine job of showcasing his brilliant originals, songs that break new lyrical ground and step away from tired old blues (and country music) themes. Ever busy, Harmon next branched out into acting, and he landed a prominent role in the 2010 independent feature film Black and Blue. As a songwriter, singer, guitarist, bandleader, producer, and impresario, Harmon has embodied all that blues music can become in the second decade of the new millennium. ~ Richard J. Skelly & Steve Leggett, Rovi