I first heard Joan in the early sixties but I was too young to really appreciate it. An older girl down our street (Daphne Pesco) was a bit of a Beatnik. She used to dress in black polo-necks and play Joan Baez.
Those early albums were mainly traditional Folk songs. They were OK and I guess her success propelled the Greenwich Village scene into something a lot bigger.
But for me, it was when she discovered Dylan that she flourished. She recognised his talent and promoted him at her gigs. In many ways, she was the reason he became so successful so quickly.
I love some of those covers she did of Dylan’s songs.
Then there was all that political activism. I like people who are prepared to stand for things.
So today I’ll be playing my Joan Baez: