01/09/2023
Happy 82nd birthday to legendary American folk singer, songwriter and activist Joan Baez! During her over 60 years of performing, Baez has released over 30 albums, including her 2018 album "Whistle Down the Wind" which was nominated for that year's Grammy Award for Best Folk Album. Her first three albums, "Joan Baez" (1960), "Joan Baez Vol. 2" (1961), and "Joan Baez in Concert" (1962) were chart toppers that went gold; her hit songs included "Diamonds & Rust" and covers of Phil Ochs' "There but for Fortune" and The Band's "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down." Baez also helped to bring fellow musical legend Bob Dylan, a relative unknown at the time, to the public's attention by inviting him to perform duets with her on stage, including at the influential Newport Folk Festival in 1963.
In addition to her tremendous contributions to music, Baez also has a long-standing reputation as an activist for human rights, environmental, peace and civil rights causes. She was very active in the U.S. Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and participated in many civil rights marches and rallies, including the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom during which Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his historic "I Have a Dream" speech. In the mid- to late-60s, she became deeply involved in the peace movement during the Vietnam War period. Baez also played a major role in the establishment of US division of Amnesty International and took a year off from music in 1972 to organize its expansion to the West Coast. In recent decades, Baez has continued to be actively involved in a wide range of social issues while recording numerous albums and performing widely. Her music remains an inspiration to many as it has been for over two generations.
You can learn more about her latest Grammy-nominated album "Whistle Down the Wind" at https://amzn.to/2LZh0UJ
To introduce your children to the stories of more female artists and musicians, visit our “Creative Arts” book section at http://amgrl.co/2ibkDIQ
For inspiring true stories of girls and women who have worked to make positive change in the world, visit our ‘Activist Biography’ section at http://amgrl.co/2miHQM0
If you’d like to cultivate an interest in the arts in your children, check out our blog post, "Growing Creativity: Arts and Crafts Toys for Mighty Girls" at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=10465
And, for books to encourage Mighty Girl of all ages to go after their dreams this year, visit our blog post, "Big Dreams for a New Year: 50 Books to Inspire Your Mighty Girl in 2023," at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=10834
