Ben Harrison

Author, Musician, Playwright

What makes Ben Harrison’s writing so enjoyable is that, at his core, he is a barroom guitar player/singer/entertainer who somehow manages to blend history, musical theater, Key West, country music and humor into unusual stories that are mostly true.

Ben has been a guest on The Howard Stern Show, This American Life, Dr. Demento, The Dick Cavett Show and more. Winner of the Adeline Turner Award for Outstanding Performing Artist, he has recorded ten studio albums and is currently working on his fourth full-length theatre musical. He is the author of Undying Love, the true story of a faux doctor who unearths Elena (a former patient) from the Key West Cemetery, and keeps her in his home for seven years. Film rights for the story have been optioned by Danny Elfman. Ben’s other books are: Official Visit (all about baseball), Charlie Jones (set in south Texas) and The Rooster Who Loved the Violin (a children’s book).

Ben’s recent memoir, Sailing Down the Mountain, is about building a 38-foot sailboat in Costa Rica—now the prototype for the legendary Cabo Rico 38’—that eventually led him and his wife, Helen, to Key West, Florida in 1979. The book chronicles their story through journal entries, historical commentary, song lyrics, and candidly recaptured memories. Ben now lives in Key West, where he and Helen (a renowned sculptor) own Harrison Gallery, which will celebrate its 35th anniversary in 2021.