Combine West Coast Roots with Southern Soul and you get the rich,
eclectic sound of Ashley Harris. Blessed with a beautiful, three octave voice,
Ashley has the unique gift of song interpretation few singers can match. If it
can be said that someone was destined to sing and perform, that would
perfectly describe Ashley.
Born and raised in Southern California, you would imagine Ashley to be
city girl. That is far from the rural, country life (yes, country) that she
enjoyed. Raised in a town known as “Canyon Country” Ashley spent her
early years nestled deep within a canyon where she lived on a ranch with
horses, pigs, goats, dogs, cats and occasional rattlesnakes! That’s right,
rattlesnakes! But that didn’t stop Ashley from venturing out into fields of
wild flowers and tall grass. Ashley learned at a young age to appreciate
nature and the peace and beauty it brings, along with the rugged and
sometimes unforgiving terrain. The long and short of it: Ashley is a
country girl at heart. “Country music combines all the elements of life I
enjoy most”, says Ashley, who’s focus centers around home, family, music,
and God. And you don’t have to know Ashley for very long to see these
values alive and well in her life today. Adding to the richness of Ashley’s
life perspective is her long time marriage to Richard Harris and the challenges and joys of raising their three
children Jacob, Nicole and Christian. And so it is with her new release
entitled “Unfinished Dreams” that Ashley is finally tasting the fruits of her
labors.
Music has always been a large part of Ashley’s life. She comes from a
musical family — The King Family to be exact. The King Sisters were
popular in the 40’s and 50’s during the Big Band era. Later in the 60’s, the
King Family emerged and became popular for their wholesome, family
oriented syndicated television show that ran for 10 years (from 1964-1974).
So it’s no wonder that Ashley is a natural entertainer. After all, it’s in her
blood. Blending influences such as Amy Grant, Martina McBride, Faith
Hill, Sheryl Crow, Alison Krauss and Sarah McLachlan has helped her
define her own unique style—and naturally, she was drawn to Nashville —
the melting pot of musical genres.
Ashley displayed her own talents at an early age, having performed her first
solo at age seven. She continued to sing in church, talent shows and school
plays. However coming from a performing family, Ashley’s parents knew
how unpredictable the music industry could be and encouraged her to pursue
her education. Ashley followed her parents’ disciplines and left California
to pursue college, later earning a degree in Behavioral Communications
from Arizona State University.
Ashley comes from the home of Don and Cheryl Driggs and has 4 sisters
and one brother. Ashley describes her mother as, “A loving mother, very
beautiful, educated and smart, and a talented singer and musician”. About
her father, Ashley says, “Dad was a little more shy about singing....but make
no doubt, he was a lover of all music, especially Country music”. Some of
Ashley’s favorite memories of her dad were from her early years sitting in
the living room by the fire while dad played his guitar. “I was fascinated by
it, but didn’t realize until later in life how important those moments really
were for me”. Ashley’s father had several vocations through the years,
starting with early fame as a teen star, to becoming a pilot and raising show
horses, to landing in retail sales. “He was a natural with people...he just had
a way of making everyone feel they were his best friend”. Dad partnered up
with a locally owned Western Wear store and worked his way up to
becoming a regional sales rep for Acme and Dan Post Boots. “I’ll never
smell leather again or wear a pair of boots without thinking of Dad”, says
Ashley, who lost her father suddenly in the summer of 2003. And so it is
fair to say that Ashley credits her father for instilling in her a love for
Country music. “Dad would play Country music while taking down
inventory of the boots, belts and hat samples he kept at his home office. I
didn’t realize at the time that he was laying the foundation for my future
career.
Inspired by watching her father and various studio musicians, Ashley
learned to play guitar, which is now her instrument of choice. While
learning to play, she discovered a new talent, a new freedom, and the
missing piece to performing live. Emerging talents did not stop there
however. Playing the guitar stirred the muse of songwriting. By her early
20's Ashley started recording her songs. By 2005 Ashley had released two
Inspirational CD’s: Change My Heart, (Brighter Productions, 2001) and The
Best Is Yet To Come, (Ghost Note Records, 2005) receiving praise from
critics for her honest voice, introspective lyrics and unforgettable melodies.
By 2008 Ashley released a Christmas EP (Ghost Note Records) broadening
her already world wide fan base.
Ashley’s 2009 release “Unfinished Dreams”, with Fine Line Records is the
culmination of both her personal life and musical background reflecting her
family values, organic/rootsy style and melodic vocals. “Writing for and
recording this record has been one of the most fulfilling endeavors of my
life”, says Ashley...and moving to the south opened the doorway for the
music to unfold.”
Ashley has such ‘Southern’ hospitality, one might find it hard to believe that
it was just a few years ago that she and her husband, Richard, ventured to the
Peach State to raise their own family. Ashley had never been to the south,
but upon arriving was overwhelmed with the beauty and small town feel.
“Coming to the south felt like walking into the Garden of Eden.”, says
Ashley. Ashley knew she was “home” the minute she arrived in Atlanta!
West Coast Roots with Southern SoulCombine West Coast Roots with Southern Soul and you get the rich, eclectic sound of Ashley Harris. Blessed with a beautiful, engaging voice, Ashley has the unique gift of song interpretation few singers can match. Born and raised in Southern California, Ashley’s musical roots trace back to the King Sisters, a popular musical group from the Big Band era of the 40’s and 50’s. Inspired by watching her father and various studio musicians, Ashley learned to play guitar - helping to fuel her growing talent as a performer. Playing the guitar also stirred the muse of songwriting, and by her early 20's Ashley started recording her songs. By 2008 Ashley had released two Inspirational CD’s: Change My Heart, (Brighter Productions, 2001) and The Best Is Yet To Come, (Ghost Note Records, 2005) earning praise from critics for her honest voice, introspective lyrics and unforgettable melodies. She also released a Christmas EP (Ghost Note Records) broadening her already world wide fan base. Ashley has such ‘Southern’ hospitality, one might find it hard to believe that it was just a few years ago that she and her husband, Richard, ventured to the Peach State to raise their own family. Ashley had never been to the south, but upon arriving was overwhelmed with the beauty and small town feel. “Coming to the south felt like walking into the Garden of Eden.”, says Ashley. Ashley knew she was “home” the minute she arrived in Atlanta! Once in Atlanta, Ashley felt the draw of Nashville, and began the two year process of writing material for her first Commercial Country project. Ashley’s 2009 release Unfinished Dreams, with Fine Line Records, is the culmination of both her personal life and musical background reflecting her family values, organic/rootsy style and melodic vocals. “Writing for and recording this record has been one of the most fulfilling endeavors of my life, says Ashley...and moving to the south opened the doorway for the music to unfold.” Blending influences such as Amy Grant, Martina McBride, Faith Hill, Sheryl Crow, Alison Krauss and Sarah McLachlan has helped Ashley define her own unique style. Fans of Ashley can hear the evolution of her sound from earlier recordings, to the personal, yet powerful vocal performances on Unfinished Dreams. |
Unfinished Dreams: Album Notes
About Unfinished Dreams, Ashley says, “I wanted a record that felt rootsy, soulful and energizing. It was absolutely amazing to work with so many gifted people. Everyone brought something unique to the project. There were no parameters to stay within, we all just got together and created the music the way we wanted to do.....it felt like everyone was “in the zone” and totally inspired.
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