Railing Facts About Joan Baez, The Firebrand With The Voice Of An Angel
Is There Anything Joan Baez Can't Do?
Some may say that folk singer Joan Baez is a woman who “doth protest too much”. She has, after all, gotten herself involved in almost every conflict in the last half-century.
But Baez is the real deal, as she has bravely gone to prison and visited dangerous, war-torn countries—all in the name of making the world a better place.
Oh yeah, she also has the voice of an angel.
1. She Was Surrounded By Religion And Science
Joan Baez was born on January 9, 1941, in Staten Island, New York. She had a priest and a minister as grandfathers, and her father was a scientist who co-invented the X-ray microscope.
With so much science and religion in the Baez household, it’s a surprise that Baez would eventually find her way to a career in music.
But before music, there was something else that caught Baez’s attention.
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2. She Faced Prejudice
At this time in US history, having a Mexican background presented certain problems. There was a lot of prejudice, and this angered Baez and her family. When the Baez family became Quakers, they were even more conscious of social problems.
You see, Quakers is a religious group that focuses on three things: equal treatment for all people, always telling the truth, and pacifism.
Baez was getting ready to fight the good fight.
3. She Stayed Seated
While in high school in California, Baez found one of her first acts of protest. While in her Palo Alto High School classroom, there was an air raid drill. Of course, the instruction was to leave the school as quickly as possible. Baez didn’t move quickly—in fact, she didn’t move at all. Baez was disturbing the order of things, and now it was time to discover music.
4. She Learned Only Four Chords
Baez found music early in her life—and it came in the form of a physical gift. A family friend presented her with a ukulele. Baez quickly learned four chords and then stopped.
Those four chords were all she needed to play the music of her choice: rhythm and blues. But there was opposition from an unlikely place.
