Harper began his musical career when he co-founded the Coolies in the 1980s.[3] He subsequently founded the band Ottoman Empire in the 1990s. At one point, its members included Daniel Pearl.[4] During the 1990s, he also released two albums (one solo and one with his brother, Mark) on his own label, Casino Music.[5] In 2012, his children's book Are You Sure That Was a Rabbit? was published.[6]
With Mike Nelson, Harper co-founded Fellini's Pizza in 1982,[3] and co-founded La Fonda Latina, a restaurant that frequently is located next to Fellini's.[7] He later founded the frozen yogurt chain Three on the Tree in the summer of 2010.[8][9] He also founded the barbecue chain The Greater Good, which opened its first location in Tucker, Georgia in 2012.[4]
