Actor and director Jason Butler Harner recently shared with NME the first song he remembers hearing, the first album he bought, and the artist that makes him cry. According to Harner, the first song he remembers hearing was “The Big Payback” by James Brown. Growing up in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Harner’s father was a musician who played with soul, funk, and rock and roll bands. He would play James Brown around the house, and Harner vividly remembers learning to dance to songs like “The Big Payback”.
Harner’s dad played with Al Green for a little bit. Regarding growing up in a musical home, Harner says that he is the black sheep of the family because his two brothers and his sister are all musicians. When asked about his first album, he says that it was “Mama Said Knock You Out” by LL Cool J. He remembers when CDs were new and going to the store to buy it. Harner did not have a CD player in his bedroom, so he had to listen to it in the living room.
His parents were interested in his choice of the album. As for the first gig he went to, Harner said that he went to many of his father’s concerts, but it was mostly outdoor stuff due to his father’s work schedule. Harner remembers listening to his dad’s band practice in the basement and breaking his washing machine. The artist that makes Harner dance is David Bowie. He was able to get to know Bowie when he lived in New York.
Then, Harner mentioned Louis Armstrong’s “It’s A Wonderful World” as the song he does at karaoke and Nick Drake as the artist that makes him cry. Harner says that he loves jazz, and this song has a character so far removed from him. Lastly, Harner mentioned that there are a few songs that make him cry by Nick Drake, but he’d rather not say which because he played one of them at his mother’s funeral
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