Folk singer and songwriter Joan Baez began recording in 1960, quickly releasing her first three albums, all of which went gold and remained on the charts for two years. Using her distinctive vibrato voice to convey songs about social issues, she became known as an activist in support of many causes and protesting the war in Vietnam. She celebrated 50 years in the business in 2009 at the fiftieth Newport Folk Festival, where her first performance took place in 1959.
