American folk singer, songwriter, and activist born January 9, 1941, in Staten Island, New York. Among the most influential folk performers of the 1960s, with a soprano voice and a six-decade-plus catalog spanning English folk ballads, American protest songs, Latin American material, and original compositions.
Released over 30 studio albums starting with Joan Baez (1960). Best-known recordings include "Diamonds & Rust" (1975), her cover of "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" (1971), and her interpretations of Bob Dylan material. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017. Retired from touring in 2019.