In the 1960s, it felt like everything in America was upside down: The country was at war with Vietnam. Old people and young people weren't getting along. Women were fighting with men for equal rights. It was a time of social change—even revolution.
Folk singer Joan Baez understood the feeling of the '60s. She took that understanding and put it into words and music.
Joan was born on Staten Island, New York. Her father was Mexican and her mother was Scottish. She got her start playing songs in coffee houses. In 1960, Joan made her first album. Then her career really took off. People loved her pure, rich voice.
But Joan needed to do more than sing. In 1965, when the Vietnam War began, she helped lead the protest.
Joan's politics got her into trouble. One time, she planned to play a concert in Washington's Constitution Hall. But the people who were against her politics would not let her. Joan would not be discouraged. She gave her concert anyway—right in front of the Washington Monument, where everyone could hear her! More than 30,000 fans filled the Washington Mall to hear her sing.
In 1969, Joan starred in the Woodstock Music Festival, celebrating “Peace, Love, and Music.” It turned into the most famous concert in American history. This time, half a million people showed up to see Joan and other great musicians. Her music was her message.
