Judy Collins

Judy Collins, born Judith Marjorie Collins on May 1, 1939, in Seattle and raised in Denver, Colorado, is an American singer-songwriter renowned for her crystalline soprano voice and her gift for reinterpreting other writers' songs. Trained in classical piano as a child, she turned to guitar and folk music in her teens under the influence of Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, launching a career that would span the folk revival of the 1960s and evolve into a broader mix of contemporary, pop and show-tune material.

Collins became one of the defining voices of the American folk movement, celebrated for definitive recordings of «Both Sides Now» (written by Joni Mitchell), «Send in the Clowns» (a Stephen Sondheim composition that became her signature hit), and the traditional hymn «Amazing Grace». Her interpretive skill extended to material like «Someday Soon», «Bread and Roses», «I Know Where I'm Going» and «The Cruel Mother», cementing her reputation as an artist who could illuminate songs written by others as powerfully as any songwriter performing their own work.

Beyond music, Collins was deeply engaged in the political and social movements of her era, supporting the Youth International Party and traveling to Chicago in 1968 to back Yippie demonstrations at the Democratic National Convention. She later testified in support of the Chicago Seven alongside figures like Norman Mailer and Jesse Jackson, and has remained active in children's advocacy and social causes throughout a recording career spanning more than three dozen albums.