Joan Baez

Joan Baez was born in 1941 in Staten Island, New York. She is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician, and activist, known for her clear soprano voice, acoustic folk style, and lifelong commitment to civil rights, peace, nonviolence, and human rights. Her official biography confirms her January 9 birth date and long public career.

Her most important albums include Joan Baez (1960), Joan Baez, Vol. 2, Farewell, Angelina, Any Day Now, Blessed Are…, Gracias a la Vida, Diamonds & Rust, and Whistle Down the Wind. Her best-known songs include “Diamonds & Rust,” “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” “We Shall Overcome,” “There but for Fortune,” “Donna Donna,” “Farewell, Angelina,” and “Joe Hill.” Amazon Music and Deezer list many of these among her key albums and tracks.

Joan Baez is known as one of the defining voices of the 1960s folk revival and protest-song movement. She helped popularize traditional folk music, introduced wider audiences to Bob Dylan’s songs, performed at Woodstock, and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2017.