Joan Baez

American Singer, Songwriter, Guitarist, Activist • Born January 9, 1941 • Folk Rock

Fast Facts

• Born January 9, 1941 in Staten Island, NY.
• Albert Baez, her father, was born in Mexico, was raised in Brooklyn, New York, and got his PhD in math and physics at Stanford University. 
• Joan’s mother, Joan Chandos Baez, was born in Scotland and influenced her daughters’ moral compass.
• 1957 was Joan’s first demonstration of civil disobedience when she remained in her classroom and refused to participate in her Palo Alto high school’s air-raid drill.
• Became interested in folk music at coffeehouses in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and frequently performed at Club 47.
• Her 1960 performance at the Newport Folk Festival solidified her status in the folk music scene.
• Took a stand against racial injustice, toured colleges in Southern United States and only played for non-discrimination audiences
• Credited with helping launch the career of Bob Dylan, with whom she wrote songs, performed, and had a relationship with.
• Helped open the western United States chapter of Amnesty International.
• Among her many demonstrations, she sang “We Shall Overcome” at the March on Washington, joined the Selma to Montgomery, Alabama march, and protested the United States’ participation in the Vietnam War.
• Recipient of dozens of awards, including BBC2 Folk Awards’ Lifetime Achievement Award; National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Lifetime Achievement Award; Amnesty International’s Ambassador of Conscience Award; ASCAP’s Centennial Award; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; and Kennedy Center Honors.