Joan Baez

Joan Baez stands as the archetypal folk singer. Possessed of a stunningly pure soprano, the eye-catching 18-year-old captivated the folk world with her first appearance at the 1959 Newport Folk Festival. A year later, she made her recording debut and solidified her standing as the great raven-haired hope for the burgeoning new folk revival.

Joan Baez quickly moved on from the traditional tunes that provided the foundation of her early repertoire, introducing her audience to the songs of Bob Dylan and other emerging singer/songwriters. Though she went on to explore country-rock, art song, and pop arrangements, two things remained constant throughout her career: that stunningly beautiful voice and a powerful social conscience.

Joan Baez is now recognized as one of the great matriarchs of popular music. She may be celebrated as a trailblazer by the likes of Dar Williams (with whom she duets on "You've Aged Well") and Kate & Anna McGarrigle (who partner with Baez on the traditional "Willie Moore"), but Baez remains a vital artist in the autumn of her career.

A star from the time the 19-year-old took the stage at the 1959 Newport Folk Festival, Joan Baez lived up to her promise as the great hope of '60s folk, and then moved on. Exploring a number of styles and championing less-acclaimed songwriters (most notably her onetime lover, Bob Dylan — Mr. Voice of a Generation to her Miss Voice of a Generation), she changed with the times, but remained true to the ideals that informed her early work, as her essential recordings amply attest.