Joan Baez

USA, 1959–2019

American folk singer, known for a clear soprano and for her association with the civil rights and anti-war movements, in which she performed and campaigned from the early 1960s.

MusicRoots documents 4 artists who influenced Joan Baez and 4 artists Joan Baez influenced in turn. Every connection cites a published source.

Who influenced Joan Baez?

• Odetta — Odetta was the direct inspiration for Baez when she was starting out.
• Pete Seeger — Seeger introduced Baez to the world of folk and protest song at the dawn of her career.
• Woody Guthrie — Guthrie is the foundation of the protest-song tradition that Baez continued and developed.
• Lead Belly — Lead Belly was one of the first voices that opened Baez to the depth of folk music.

Which artists did Joan Baez influence?

• Simon & Garfunkel — Baez opened the audience for serious folk and created the space Simon & Garfunkel could inhabit.
• Jefferson Airplane — Baez helped establish the San Francisco folk scene from which Jefferson Airplane grew.
• The Mamas & the Papas — Joan Baez paved the way for female voices in serious folk music, which Cass Elliot followed.
• Mika — Part of what Mika grew up listening to, before the pop.