The life and work of Emmylou Harris was celebrated in grand style at a

tribute concert in Washington featuring a galaxy of folk and country stars

alongside the iconic American singer-songwriter herself.
Kris Kristofferson, Sheryl Crow, Alison Krauss, Steve Earle, Martina McBride

and Mary Chapin Carpenter were just a few of nearly two dozen recording

artists who took turns at the 3,700-seat Constitution Hall to salute Harris,

who watched from a side balcony when she wasn't on stage herself.
"Those of you who are of my generation may remember that show, 'This is Your

Life'," said the 67-year-old winner of 13 Grammy awards as she joined her

fellow entertainers for the closing number, her signature tune "Boulder to

Birmingham."
"Well, this has been a big chunk of my life... I'm blessed to have so many

friends. I must have been somebody good in a past life."
Filmed and recorded for future broadcast and DVD release, the 3-1/2 hour

show -- featuring 29 songs -- spanned Harris's four decades in music, during

which she recorded some 40 albums.
Rodney Crowell, with whom Harris recorded last year's Grammy-winning album

"Old Yellow Moon," delivered what he remembered to be the first song he ever

heard her sing live, in a Washington folk club in 1974 -- the George Jones

ballad "You're Still on My Mind."
Earle, whose two numbers included a duet with Lee Ann Womack, said it was

every songwriter's dream to have Harris record one of their songs -- "and

I've had two."
Fittingly for an artist famous for enduring vocal collaborations, songs in

harmony featured prominently throughout the evening, no more so than when

Conor Oberst, Patty Griffin and Shawn Colvin came together for a Dylanesque

rendition of "The Pearl."
Gospel legend Mavis Staples' performance of "Will the Circle be Unbroken"

acknowledged Harris's rich background in American roots music, but some of

the most impressive songs of the night came for a new generation of

Americana artists.
California indie folk duo Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan, who as the Milk

Carton Kids got together just three years ago, received a robust standing

ovation with their cover of "Michelangelo" off Harris's 2000 hit country

album "Red Dirt Girl."
"I guess she wanted you to know that she knows of some bands that you

haven't heard of before," said Ryan, who praised the ability of the silver-

haired Harris to stay relevant in the midst of radical change in the music

business.
Source: AFP