Joan Baez ( (|'baɛs| in Am. Spanish), born January 9, 1941 as
Joan Chandos Baez) is an
American folk singer, songwriter, musician, and activist whose contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest or social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 55 years, releasing over 30 albums. Fluent in
Spanish as well as in
English, she has also recorded songs in at least six other languages. She is regarded as a
folk singer, although her music has diversified since the
counterculture days of the 1960s and now encompasses everything from
folk rock and
pop to
country and
gospel music. Although a songwriter herself, Baez generally
interprets other composers' work, having recorded songs by
the Allman Brothers Band,
the Beatles,
Jackson Browne,
Leonard Cohen,
Woody Guthrie,
Violeta Parra,
The Rolling Stones,
Pete Seeger,
Paul Simon,
Stevie Wonder and many others. In recent years, she has found success interpreting songs of modern songwriters such as
Ryan Adams,
Josh Ritter,
Steve Earle and
Natalie Merchant. Her recordings include many
topical songs and material dealing with
social issues.