Joni Harms knows what she is singing about. The singer, songwriter and musician has definitely put
"the western back in the country" by infusing her songs and music with her real-life ranching experiences. Joni, a seasoned performer, has recorded with both Jimmy Bowen's Universal label (a co-venture with MCA Records) and with Warner Brothers Records. Country and Western music enthusiasts and concertgoers throughout the United States, Europe, and Australia admire – through her music – both her personal experiences and her love for ranching, rodeo, and the western way of life.
Her albums, which include That's Faith, Let's Put the Western Back in the Country,
I Want to Sing for You, Whatever It Takes, Thoughts of You,
Hometown Girl, After All, Christmas in the Country; and, her children's album,
Are We There Yet, define Joni's dedication to the traditional values of the West.
Joni's dedication to the Western genre is influenced by her admiration for many great Country and Western artists including Patsy Montana, Tex Ritter, Gene Autry, Marty Robbins, and Emmylou Harris. Her pure Western style has garnered Joni numerous awards including the 2002 Academy of Western Artists coveted Entertainer of the Year Award, and the 2003 Western Music Association's Female Vocalist of the Year and Song of the Year awards. The accolades and the late Chris LeDoux's recording of one of Joni's signature songs,
Cowboy Up, are testimonies to her skill as a songwriter and musician.
Whether playing on her own or with her band, Harm’s Way – including band
leader Mitchell Brown from Nashville, TN on bass and vocal; Kevin Kathey from
Nashville, TN on drums; Jason Barlow, from Portland, OR on fiddle, guitar and
vocals – folks are always delighted with Joni’s own special brand of music.
Joni’s appeal is not limited to Country or Western music aficionados. Not
only is she a frequent guest of the famed Grand Ole Opry, Joni (and her band)
have lit up the stages at New York City's Carnegie Hall, performing art centers,
music halls, blue grass festivals, galas, and round-ups, just to name a few.
Joni has also performed on numerous occasions at the National Cowboy Poetry
Gathering, Monterey Cowboy Poetry and Music Festival, Santa Clarita Cowboy
Festival, Pigeon Forge "Saddle Up" Cowboy Festival, Spirit of the West Cowboy
Gathering, the National Finals Rodeo, and the Miss Rodeo America Pageant. Joni
Harms’ songs touch the hearts of any audience wherever she performs.
Joni lives in Oregon with her family on a ranch that was homesteaded by her
great, great grandfather in 1870. Together they raise Quarter Horses and
Christmas trees.