# In 1968, Emmylou Harris travelled to Greenwich Village to try and make it. Months later, she was opening for her hero

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-1968-emmylou-harris-travelled-to-greenwich-village-to-try-and-make-it-months-later-she-was-opening-for-her-hero/
- Published: 2026-10-28T01:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-28T01:13:10+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/1968-emmylou-harris-travelled-greenwich-village/
- Topics: Culture, Travel

## Key points

- Harris moved to Greenwich Village in 1968 to pursue music.
- She performed six nights a week at Gerde’s Folk City.
- Opening for Townes Van Zandt shaped her musical path.

## Summary

In 1968, 21-year-old Emmylou Harris left university and moved to New York to pursue music, settling in Greenwich Village without knowing anyone there. Her performances in the folk scene led to a breakthrough: within months, she was opening for her musical hero, Townes Van Zandt.

Harris supported herself as a waitress and bookstore cashier while building an audience, eventually performing six nights a week at Gerde’s Folk City. She later said Van Zandt’s distinctive songwriting had a profound influence on her, and credited him and Guy Clark with helping to establish Americana music.

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