Judith Marjorie Collins (born May 1, 1939) is an American singer-songwriter and musician with a career spanning nearly seven decades. An
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
-nominated documentary director and a
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
-winning recording artist, she is known for her eclectic tastes in the material she records (which has included
folk music
Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be ca ...
,
country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
,
show tunes,
pop music
Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom.S. Frith, W. Straw, and J. Street, eds, ''iarchive:cambridgecompani00frit, The Cambridge Companion to Pop ...
,
rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...
and
standards), for her
social activism, and for the clarity of her voice.
Her discography consists of 36 studio albums, nine live albums, numerous compilation albums, four holiday albums, and 21
singles.
Collins' debut studio album, ''
A Maid of Constant Sorrow'', was released in 1961 and consisted of traditional
folk songs
Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has be ...
. She had her first charting single with "Hard Lovin' Loser" (No. 97) from her fifth studio album ''
In My Life
"In My Life" is a song by the English Rock music, rock band the Beatles, released on their 1965 studio album, ''Rubber Soul''. Credited to the Lennon–McCartney songwriting partnership, the song is one of only a few in which there is dispute ...
'' (1966), but it was the
lead single from her sixth studio album ''
Wildflowers'' (1967), "
Both Sides, Now" – written by
Joni Mitchell
Roberta Joan Mitchell (née Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and painter. As one of the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitch ...
– that gave her international prominence. The single reached No. 8 on the
''Billboard'' Pop Singles chart and won Collins her first
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
for
Best Folk Performance.
She enjoyed further success with her recordings of "
Someday Soon", "
Chelsea Morning" (also written by Mitchell), "
Amazing Grace
"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn written in 1772 and published in 1779 by English Anglican clergyman and poet John Newton (1725–1807). It is possibly the most sung and most recorded hymn in the world, and especially popular in the Unit ...
", "
Turn! Turn! Turn!", and "Cook with Honey".
Collins experienced the biggest success of her career with her recording of
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March22, 1930November26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. Regarded as one of the most important figures in 20th-century musical theater, he is credited with reinventing the American musical. He received Lis ...
's "
Send in the Clowns" from her tenth studio album ''
Judith'' (1975). The single peaked at No. 36 on the ''Billboard'' Pop Singles chart in 1975 and then again in 1977 at No. 19, spending 27 non-consecutive weeks on the chart and earning her a Grammy Award nomination for
Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female, as well as a Grammy Award for Sondheim for
Song of the Year. ''Judith'' also became her best-selling studio album; it was certified
Gold
Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
by the
RIAA
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
in 1975 for sales of over 500,000 copies and
Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...
in 1996 for sales of over 1,000,000 copies.
In 2017, Collins' rendition of the song "
Amazing Grace
"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn written in 1772 and published in 1779 by English Anglican clergyman and poet John Newton (1725–1807). It is possibly the most sung and most recorded hymn in the world, and especially popular in the Unit ...
" was selected for preservation in the
National Recording Registry by the
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...
as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
That same year, she received a Grammy Award nomination for
Best Folk Album
The Grammy Award for Best Folk Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for releasing albums in the Folk music, folk genre. Honors ...
for ''
Silver Skies Blue'' with
Ari Hest. In 2019 at the age of 80, she scored her first No. 1 album on an American ''Billboard'' chart with ''
Winter Stories'', a duet album with Norwegian singer, songwriter, and guitarist
Jonas Fjeld featuring
Chatham County Line. In 2022, she released her first studio album of all original material, titled ''
Spellbound'', and it earned her another Grammy nomination for Best Folk Album.
Early life
Collins was born the eldest of five siblings in
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
where she lived for the first ten years of her life. Her father, Chuck Collins (a
blind singer, pianist, and radio show host) took a job in
Denver
Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...
in 1949 and the family moved there. Her grandfather on her father's side was Irish.
Judy Collins contracted
polio
Poliomyelitis ( ), commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 75% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe ...
at the age of 11 and spent two months in isolation in a hospital. She grew up listening to the
traditional Irish music
Irish traditional music (also known as Irish trad, Irish folk music, and other variants) is a Music genre, genre of folk music that developed in Ireland.
In ''A History of Irish Music'' (1905), W. H. Grattan Flood wrote that, in Gaelic Irela ...
her father sang. She did not know what folk music was when she was young. She said, "I just thought it was probably
Rodgers and Hart. Those were the songs he (her father) sang on the radio. I didn't understand until I discovered
''The Gypsy Rover'' and
''Barbara Allen'' when I was 15. I didn't realize I had been singing ''
Danny Boy'' all of that time... ''Danny Boy'' was a folk song.
Career
Beginnings

Collins studied classical piano with
Antonia Brico, making her public debut at age 13 performing
Mozart's Concerto for Two Pianos. She also played
Chopin,
Debussy
Achille Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionism in music, Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influe ...
, and
Rachmaninoff as a child. Brico took a dim view of her developing interest in folk music, which led her to the difficult decision to discontinue her piano lessons. Years later, after she became known internationally, she invited Brico to one of her concerts in Denver. When they met after the performance, Brico took both of Collins' hands into hers, looked wistfully at her fingers and said, "Little Judy—you really could have gone places." Still later, she discovered that Brico herself had made a living when she was younger playing
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
and
ragtime
Ragtime, also spelled rag-time or rag time, is a musical style that had its peak from the 1890s to 1910s. Its cardinal trait is its Syncopation, syncopated or "ragged" rhythm. Ragtime was popularized during the early 20th century by composers ...
piano (''Singing Lessons'', pp. 71–72).
In her early life, Collins met many professional musicians through her father.
It was the music of
Woody Guthrie
Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (; July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967) was an American singer, songwriter, and composer widely considered to be one of the most significant figures in American folk music. His work focused on themes of American Left, A ...
and
Pete Seeger
Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and social activist. He was a fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s and had a string of hit records in the early 1950s as a member of The Weav ...
and the
traditional songs of the
folk revival of the early 1960s, however, that kindled Collins' interest and awoke in her a love for
lyrics
Lyrics are words that make up a song, usually consisting of verses and choruses. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist. The words to an extended musical composition such as an opera are, however, usually known as a "libretto" and their writer, ...
. Three years after her debut as a piano
prodigy, she was playing guitar. Her first public appearances as a folk artist after her graduation from Denver's East High School were at Michael's Pub in
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule city in Boulder County, Colorado, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 108,250 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the most ...
and the folk club Exodus in Denver. Her music became popular at the
University of Connecticut
The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university system with its main campus in Storrs, Connecticut, United States. It was founded in 1881 as the Storrs Agricultural School, named after two benefactors. In 1893, ...
, where her husband taught. She performed at parties and for the campus radio station along with
David Grisman and Tom Azarian.
1960s
Collins eventually made her way to
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, or simply the Village, is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street (Manhattan), 14th Street to the north, Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the s ...
,
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
where she played in clubs like Gerde's Folk City until she signed with
Elektra Records
Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the ...
, a label she was associated with for 35 years. In 1961, she released her debut studio album, ''
A Maid of Constant Sorrow'', at age 22.
At first, Collins sang traditional folk songs or songs written by others–in particular the protest songwriters of the time, such as
Tom Paxton
Thomas Richard Paxton (born October 31, 1937) is an American folk singer-songwriter whose career spans more than sixty years. In 2009, Paxton received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. ,
Phil Ochs, and
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
. She recorded her own versions of important songs from the period, such as Dylan's "
Mr. Tambourine Man" and
Pete Seeger
Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and social activist. He was a fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s and had a string of hit records in the early 1950s as a member of The Weav ...
's "
Turn! Turn! Turn!". She was also instrumental in bringing little-known musicians to a wider public. For example, she recorded songs by Canadian poet
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian songwriter, singer, poet, and novelist. Themes commonly explored throughout his work include faith and mortality, isolation and depression, betrayal and redemption, soc ...
, who became a close friend over the years. She also recorded songs by singer-songwriters such as
Eric Andersen,
Fred Neil,
Ian Tyson,
Joni Mitchell
Roberta Joan Mitchell (née Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and painter. As one of the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitch ...
,
Randy Newman
Randall Stuart Newman (born November 28, 1943) is an American singer, songwriter, arranger, pianist, composer, conductor and orchestrator. He is known for his non-rhotic Southern American English, Southern-accented singing style, early America ...
,
Robin Williamson, and
Richard Fariña long before they gained national acclaim.

Collins' first few studio albums consisted of straightforward guitar-based folk songs, but with her fifth studio album ''
In My Life
"In My Life" is a song by the English Rock music, rock band the Beatles, released on their 1965 studio album, ''Rubber Soul''. Credited to the Lennon–McCartney songwriting partnership, the song is one of only a few in which there is dispute ...
'' (1966), she began branching out to include works from such diverse sources as
the Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
,
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian songwriter, singer, poet, and novelist. Themes commonly explored throughout his work include faith and mortality, isolation and depression, betrayal and redemption, soc ...
,
Jacques Brel, and
Kurt Weill.
[ Mark Abramson produced and Joshua Rifkin arranged the album, adding lush ]orchestration
Orchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra (or, more loosely, for any musical ensemble, such as a concert band) or of adapting music composed for another medium for an orchestra. Also called "instrumentation", orch ...
to many of the numbers. The album was a major departure for a folk artist and set the course for Collins' subsequent work over the next decade.
With her sixth studio album '' Wildflowers'' (1967), also produced by Abramson and arranged by Rifkin, Collins began to record her own compositions, beginning with "Since You Asked". The album also provided her with a major hit and a Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
in Mitchell's " Both Sides, Now", which in December 1968 reached No. 8 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, later (February 1970) reaching No. 14 on the UK Singles Chart.
Collins' seventh studio album ''Who Knows Where the Time Goes
"Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" is a song written by the England, English folk-rock singer and songwriter Sandy Denny.
History
Denny recorded a first demo of the song in 1966. It was the second song she ever completed. She again recorded the so ...
'' (1968) was produced by David Anderle, and featured back-up guitar by Stephen Stills (of Crosby, Stills & Nash), with whom she was romantically involved at the time. (She was the inspiration for Stills's CSN classic " Suite: Judy Blue Eyes".) ''Time Goes'' had a mellow country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
sound and included Ian Tyson's " Someday Soon" and the title track, written by the UK singer-songwriter Sandy Denny
Alexandra Elene MacLean Denny (6 January 1947 – 21 April 1978) was an English singer-songwriter who was lead singer of the British folk rock band Fairport Convention. She has been described as " guably the pre-eminent British folk-rock sin ...
. The album also featured Collins' composition "My Father" and one of the first covers of Leonard Cohen's " Bird on the Wire".
Two of Collins' songs (" Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" composed by Sandy Denny and "Albatross") were featured in the 1968 film '' The Subject Was Roses''.
1970s
By the 1970s, Collins had a solid reputation as an art song
An art song is a Western world, Western vocal music Musical composition, composition, usually written for one voice with piano accompaniment, and usually in the classical music, classical art music tradition. By extension, the term "art song" is ...
singer and folksinger and had begun to stand out for her own compositions. She was also known for her broad range of material: her songs from this period include the traditional Christian hymn
A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' d ...
"Amazing Grace
"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn written in 1772 and published in 1779 by English Anglican clergyman and poet John Newton (1725–1807). It is possibly the most sung and most recorded hymn in the world, and especially popular in the Unit ...
", the Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March22, 1930November26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. Regarded as one of the most important figures in 20th-century musical theater, he is credited with reinventing the American musical. He received Lis ...
Broadway ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...
" Send in the Clowns" (both of which were top 20 hits as singles in both the U.S. and the U.K.), a recording of Joan Baez
Joan Chandos Baez (, ; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing mo ...
's " A Song for David", and her own compositions, such as "Born to the Breed".
In 1971, Collins issued her second live album, ''Living
Living or The Living may refer to:
Common meanings
*Life, a condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic objects and dead organisms
** Living species, one that is not extinct
*Personal life, the course of an individual human's life
* ...
'', and the compilation album '' Colors of the Day: The Best of Judy Collins'' followed a year later. Collins' ninth studio album '' True Stories and Other Dreams'' (1973) found her in a contemplative mood, featuring an original song about a friend who took his own life ("Song for Martin") and another about the life of Argentine Marxist
Marxism is a political philosophy and method of socioeconomic analysis. It uses a dialectical and materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to analyse class relations, social conflic ...
revolutionary Che Guevara
Ernesto "Che" Guevara (14th May 1928 – 9 October 1967) was an Argentines, Argentine Communist revolution, Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, Guerrilla warfare, guerrilla leader, diplomat, and Military theory, military theorist. A majo ...
("Che"). For her tenth studio album '' Judith'' (1975), she collaborated with producer Arif Mardin, who gave the album a sophisticated sound. ''Judith'' produced her biggest hit single with her mournful version of Stephen Sondheim's " Send in the Clowns", and it would become her best-selling record, eventually going platinum.
As Collins stepped up to a higher level of stardom, the longtime activist put political themes at the forefront of her eleventh studio album '' Bread and Roses'' (1976). Political statements like the title song, originally a poem by James Oppenheim commonly associated with a 1912 garment workers strike in Lawrence, Massachusetts
Lawrence is a city located in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, on the Merrimack River. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 89,143. Surrounding communities include Methuen, Massachusetts, Methuen ...
, were balanced with such pop compositions as Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...
's "Come Down in Time", but the album failed to achieve the commercial success of ''Judith''. Following the release of the album, Collins underwent treatment for damaged vocal cords, and after years of struggling with alcoholism, she sought medical help to give up drinking. Her compilation album '' So Early in the Spring... The First 15 Years'' (1977) sold modestly.
Collins guest starred on ''The Muppet Show
''The Muppet Show'' is a variety sketch comedy television series created by Jim Henson and starring the Muppets. It is presented as a variety show, featuring recurring sketches and musical numbers interspersed with ongoing plot-lines with ru ...
'' in an episode broadcast in January 1978, singing " Leather-Winged Bat", " There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly", " Do-Re-Mi", and "Send in the Clowns". She also appeared several times on ''Sesame Street
''Sesame Street'' is an American educational television, educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation, and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Worksh ...
'', where she performed "Fishermen's Song" with a chorus of Anything Muppet fishermen, sang a trio with Biff and Sully using the word "yes", and even starred in a modern musical fairy tale skit called "The Sad Princess". In 1979, she returned to music with her twelfth studio album '' Hard Times for Lovers'', a pop-oriented album in the same vein as ''Judith''; she gained some extra publicity with the cover sleeve photograph of her in the nude.
1980s
'' Running for My Life'' (1980) and '' Times of Our Lives'' (1982) were well-crafted exercises in adult pop and soft rock, but as tastes changed, Collins' sales were on the decline. '' Home Again'' (1984) found her exploring some new musical avenues, including a synth-based cover of Yaz's "Only You" and a duet with country star T. G. Sheppard on the title cut. While the "Home Again" single was a minor hit, the album was not, and after 23 years, Collins and Elektra parted ways. She performed the music for the 1983 animated television special '' The Magic of Herself the Elf'', as well as the theme song of the Rankin/Bass Productions
Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment (founded and formerly known as Videocraft International, Ltd. and Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc.) was an American production company located in New York City. It was known for its seasonal television specials, ...
television film '' The Wind in the Willows''.
Collins traveled to England in 1985 and struck a one-off deal with Telstar Records to record the studio album ''Amazing Grace
"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn written in 1772 and published in 1779 by English Anglican clergyman and poet John Newton (1725–1807). It is possibly the most sung and most recorded hymn in the world, and especially popular in the Unit ...
'', in which she re-recorded several of her better-known songs with an inspirational bent. In 1987, she signed with the independent Gold Castle label, and her first studio album for them, '' Trust Your Heart'', which collected seven tracks from ''Amazing Grace'' and added three new selections. That same year, she released her first memoir, ''Trust Your Heart''.
In 1989, Collins released two albums: a live disc titled ''Sanity and Grace'', and a collaboration with clarinetist Richard Stoltzman, ''Innervoices''.
1990s
In 1990, Collins released her eighteenth studio album '' Fires of Eden'' on . The album spawned one single – "Fires of Eden", written by Kit Hain and Mark Goldenberg. The single peaked at No. 31 on ''Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
s Adult Contemporary
Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...
chart. At the time of its release, Collins performed it live on several occasions, including on ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show was the third installment of ''The Tonight Show''. Hosted by Johnny Carson, it aired from October 1, 1962 to May 22, 1992, replacing ''T ...
'' and '' The Joan Rivers Show''. A music video
A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...
promoting it and featuring her was also released. Later, Cher
Cher ( ; born Cheryl Sarkisian, May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Goddess of Pop", she is known for her Androgyny, androgynous contralto voice, Music an ...
recorded "Fires of Eden" for her 1991 studio album '' Love Hurts''. Other songs from ''Fires of Eden'' include "The Blizzard", "Home Before Dark", and a cover of the Hollies song – " The Air That I Breathe". That same year saw the release of a pair of children's albums, ''Baby's Morningtime'' and ''Baby's Bedtime''. Collins performed at President Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...
's first inauguration in 1993, singing "Amazing Grace
"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn written in 1772 and published in 1779 by English Anglican clergyman and poet John Newton (1725–1807). It is possibly the most sung and most recorded hymn in the world, and especially popular in the Unit ...
" and " Chelsea Morning". (The Clintons have stated that they named their daughter, Chelsea, after her recording of the song.)
For her next studio album, Collins turned to a project that was both personal and familiar, a set of Bob Dylan covers titled ''Judy Sings Dylan... Just Like a Woman''. Released in 1993, the album was a commercial success and reminded fans she was still active and in fine voice. In 1994, she issued her first Christmas album, ''Come Rejoice! A Judy Collins Christmas''. It would prove to be the first in a series, with other holiday releases soon following, the first being the live album ''Christmas at the Biltmore Estate'' in 1997, followed by ''All on a Wintry Night'' in 2000. Collins combined her interests in music and literature for her next project. In 1995, she published a novel, ''Shameless'', that took place against the backdrop of the music business; she also released an album of the same name that served as the soundtrack.
In 1998, Collins published her third book, ''Singing Lessons: A Memoir of Love'', ''Loss, Hope and Healing,'' which focused on her struggles with alcoholism, depression, and the emotional trauma of her son's death. In 1999, she released ''Classic Broadway'', a collection of vintage show tunes. That same year, she and her manager Katherine DePaul founded Wildflower Records.
2000s–2020s
Collins maintained a busy release schedule via Wildflower, issuing numerous live albums and reissues as well as new material such as 2005's '' Portrait of an American Girl'', 2010's ''Paradise'', and 2011's ''Bohemian'', all of which focused on her continued strength as an interpretive vocalist. In 2006, she sang " This Little Light of Mine" in a commercial for Eliot Spitzer. In 2007, she released her own covers collection of Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
songs, entitled '' Judy Collins Sings Lennon and McCartney''. Various artists, including Shawn Colvin, Rufus Wainwright, and Chrissie Hynde, covered Collins's compositions for the tribute album '' Born to the Breed'' in 2008. In the same year, she received an honorary doctorate from Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute is a private university with its main campus in Brooklyn, New York. It has an additional campus in Manhattan and an extension campus in Utica, New York at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute. The institute was founded in 18 ...
. The tribute albums ''Tom Thumb's Blues: A Tribute to Judy Collins'' and ''Born to the Breed: A Tribute to Judy Collins'' appeared in 2000 and 2008, respectively.
In 2010, Collins sang "The Weight of the World" at the Newport Folk Festival, a song by Amy Speace. Another memoir from Collins, ''Sweet Judy Blue Eyes: My Life in Music'', appeared the following year and put its focus on her career as an artist. In July 2012, she appeared as a guest artist on the Australian SBS television programme ''RocKwiz
''RocKwiz'' is an Australian television live music trivia quiz show, focused on rock music and featuring different guest artist musicians who perform live in each episode. The show was co-created by Brian Nankervis, Peter Bain-Hogg, and Ken C ...
''. She paid homage to some of her favorite songwriters as well as her favorite vocalists with the 2015 album ''Strangers Again'', which featured duets with Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor and activist. He was one of the main figures of the outlaw country subgenre that developed in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restr ...
, Jackson Browne
Clyde Jackson Browne (born October 9, 1948) is an American rock musician, singer, songwriter, and political activist who has sold over 30 million albums in the United States.
Emerging as a teenage songwriter in mid-1960s Los Angeles, he had his ...
, Jeff Bridges
Jeffrey Leon Bridges (born December 4, 1949) is an American actor. He is known for his Leading actor, leading man roles in film and television. In a career spanning over seven decades, he has received List of awards and nominations received by ...
, and Glen Hansard
Glen James Hansard (born 21 April 1970) is an Irish singer-songwriter and musician. Since 1990, he has been the frontman of the Irish rock band The Frames, with whom he has released six studio albums, four of which have charted in the top ten o ...
. The album also included a track with singer-songwriter Ari Hest. Collins and Hest joined forces again in 2016 for a full studio album titled '' Silver Skies Blue'', which later earned them a Grammy Award nomination for Best Folk Album
The Grammy Award for Best Folk Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for releasing albums in the Folk music, folk genre. Honors ...
.
In 2017, Collins returned to the work of the songwriter who gave her " Send in the Clowns" with ''A Love Letter to Stephen Sondheim'', and the same year, she and her longtime friend, Stephen Stills, collaborated on an album, '' Everybody Knows''. In addition to the two albums, she bared her soul in another book, ''Cravings: How I Conquered Food,'' where she opened up about her difficult relationship with food and her years of dealing with eating disorder
An eating disorder is a mental disorder defined by abnormal eating behaviors that adversely affect a person's health, physical or mental health, mental health. These behaviors may include eating too much food or too little food. Types of eatin ...
s. In 2019, she released the album '' Winter Stories'', a collaboration with Norwegian singer Jonas Fjeld and the North Carolina
North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
country-folk quartet Chatham County Line. In 2022, she released her first studio album of all original material, entitled '' Spellbound''.
Collins joined the judging panel for the 7th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th Annual Independent Music Awards.
Activism
Like many other folk singers of her generation, Collins was drawn to social activism. Her political idealism led her to compose a ballad, ''Che,'' in honor of the 1960s Marxist
Marxism is a political philosophy and method of socioeconomic analysis. It uses a dialectical and materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to analyse class relations, social conflic ...
revolutionary Che Guevara
Ernesto "Che" Guevara (14th May 1928 – 9 October 1967) was an Argentines, Argentine Communist revolution, Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, Guerrilla warfare, guerrilla leader, diplomat, and Military theory, military theorist. A majo ...
. Collins sympathized with the Yippie movement and was friendly with its leaders, Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin. On March 17, 1968, she went to Hoffman's press conference at the Americana Hotel in New York to announce the party's formation. In 1969, she testified in Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
in support of the Chicago Seven; during her testimony, she began singing Pete Seeger
Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and social activist. He was a fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s and had a string of hit records in the early 1950s as a member of The Weav ...
's " Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" and was admonished by prosecutor Tom Foran and judge Julius Hoffman.
In 1971, Collins signed her name to a '' Ms''. campaign, "We Have Had Abortions", which called for an end to "archaic laws" regarding abortion
Abortion is the early termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. Abortions that occur without intervention are known as miscarriages or "spontaneous abortions", and occur in roughly 30–40% of all pregnan ...
rights; the campaign encouraged women to share their stories and take action. In 1982, she wrote the song "Mama Mama" about a mother of five and her ambivalence over her decision to abort an unintended pregnancy. In the late 1990s, she was a representative for UNICEF
UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...
and campaigns on behalf of the abolition of landmines
A land mine, or landmine, is an explosive weapon often concealed under or camouflaged on the ground, and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets as they pass over or near it. Land mines are divided into two types: anti-tank mines, whic ...
. Later songs include "River of Gold" about the environment and "My Name is Maria" about DREAMers, who are mostly undocumented students and youth.
Personal life
Collins has been married twice. She was married to Peter Taylor in 1958 and they had her only child, Clark C. Taylor, who was born the same year. The marriage ended in divorce in 1965. In April 1996, she married industrial designer Louis Nelson, whom she had been seeing since April 1978. They lived in New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. Nelson died of cancer in 2024.
In 1962, shortly after her debut at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...
, Collins was diagnosed with tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...
and was in a sanatorium for six months recuperating. She is the subject of the Stephen Stills composition " Suite: Judy Blue Eyes", which appeared on the 1969 eponymous debut studio album of Crosby, Stills & Nash.
Collins suffered from bulimia nervosa
Bulimia nervosa, also known simply as bulimia, is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating (eating large quantities of food in a short period of time, often feeling out of control) followed by compensatory behaviors, such as self-indu ...
after she quit smoking in the 1970s. "I went straight from the cigarettes into an eating disorder
An eating disorder is a mental disorder defined by abnormal eating behaviors that adversely affect a person's health, physical or mental health, mental health. These behaviors may include eating too much food or too little food. Types of eatin ...
", she told ''People
The term "the people" refers to the public or Common people, common mass of people of a polity. As such it is a concept of human rights law, international law as well as constitutional law, particularly used for claims of popular sovereignty. I ...
'' magazine in 1992. "I started throwing up. I didn't know anything about bulimia, certainly not that it is an addiction or that it would get worse. My feelings about myself, even though I had been able to give up smoking and lose 20 pounds, were of increasing despair."
She wrote at length of her years of addiction to alcohol, the damage it did to her personal and musical life and how it contributed to her feelings of depression. She admits that although she tried other drugs in the 1960s, alcohol had always been her drug of first choice just as it had been for her father. She entered a rehabilitation program in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
in 1978 and has maintained her sobriety ever since, even through such traumatic events as the death of her only child, Clark, by suicide in 1992 at age 33 after a long bout with clinical depression and substance abuse. Since then, she has also become an activist for suicide prevention.
Collins is a member of the Episcopal Church. In 2000, she cancelled a planned appearance and concert at the Episcopal Church's General Convention in protest of the Church's positions regarding gay rights.
Awards and recognition
Academy Awards
*In 2003, ''Antonia: A Portrait of the Woman'' was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the United States Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...
and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry
The National Film Registry (NFR) is the United States National Film Preservation Board's (NFPB) collection of films selected for preservation (library and archival science), preservation, each selected for its cultural, historical, and aestheti ...
.
Grammy Awards
* Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March22, 1930November26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. Regarded as one of the most important figures in 20th-century musical theater, he is credited with reinventing the American musical. He received Lis ...
won the 1976 Grammy Award for Song of the Year
The Grammy Award for Song of the Year is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. The Song of the Year award is one of the four most prestigious categories at ...
based on the popularity of Collins' performance of " Send in the Clowns" on her album '' Judith''.
Other awards
* For her activism and musical abilities, the Americana Music Association presented Collins with the "Spirit of Americana"/Free Speech Lifetime Achievement Award at their 2005 Honors & Awards ceremony.
* She was inducted into the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame in 2006
* She was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts Degree from Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute is a private university with its main campus in Brooklyn, New York. It has an additional campus in Manhattan and an extension campus in Utica, New York at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute. The institute was founded in 18 ...
in May 2009
* In 2009, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.
* Her rendition of "Amazing Grace
"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn written in 1772 and published in 1779 by English Anglican clergyman and poet John Newton (1725–1807). It is possibly the most sung and most recorded hymn in the world, and especially popular in the Unit ...
" was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...
as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" in 2017.
* She received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement
The American Academy of Achievement, colloquially known as the Academy of Achievement, is a nonprofit educational organization that recognizes some of the highest-achieving people in diverse fields and gives them the opportunity to meet one ano ...
in 2019.
* Collins received the International Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2023 UK Americana Awards.
Discography
Charted albums
Charted singles
Filmography
*'' The Doctors'' (1982) Judith Howard
*''Guiding Light
''Guiding Light'' (known as ''The Guiding Light'' before 1975) is an American radio and television soap opera. ''Guiding Light'' aired on CBS for 57 years between June 30, 1952, and September 18, 2009, overlapping a 19-year broadcast on radio ...
'' (1982) as herself
*''Baby's Bedtime'' (1992)
*''Baby's Morningtime'' (1992)
*'' Junior'' (1994), the operator of a spa for pregnant women
*'' Christy (TV series)'' (1994–1995), recurring role as "Aunt Hattie McHone"
*''Christmas at the Biltmore Estate'' (1998)
*'' A Town Has Turned to Dust'' (1998), telefilm based on a 1958 Rod Serling
Rodman Edward Serling (December 25, 1924 – June 28, 1975) was an American screenwriter and television producer best known for his live television dramas of the 1950s and his Anthology series, anthology television series ''The Twilight Zone (1 ...
story
*''The Best of Judy Collins'' (1999)
*''Intimate Portrait: Judy Collins'' (2000)
*''Judy Collins Live at Wolf Trap'' (2003)
*''Wildflower Festival'' (2003) (DVD with guest artists Eric Andersen, Arlo Guthrie
Arlo Davy Guthrie (born July 10, 1947) is an American folk music, folk singer-songwriter. He is known for singing protest song, songs of protest against social injustice, and storytelling while performing songs, following the tradition of his fa ...
, and Tom Rush)
*'' Girls'' (2013), series 2, episode 8: "It's Back"
* ''Danny Says'' (2016)
Bibliography
*''Trust Your Heart'' (1987)
*''Amazing Grace'' (1991)
*''Shameless'' (1995)
*''Singing Lessons'' (1998)
*''Sanity and Grace: A Journey of Suicide, Survival and Strength'' (2003)
*''The Seven T's: Finding Hope and Healing in the Wake of Tragedy'' (2007)
*''Sweet Judy Blue Eyes: My Life in Music'' (2011)
*''Cravings: How I Conquered Food'' (2017)
Certifications
The years given are the years the albums and singles were released, and not necessarily the years in which they achieved their peak.
U.S. ''Billboard'' Top 40 Albums
* 1967 – '' Wildflowers'' (No. 5)
* 1968 – ''Who Knows Where the Time Goes
"Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" is a song written by the England, English folk-rock singer and songwriter Sandy Denny.
History
Denny recorded a first demo of the song in 1966. It was the second song she ever completed. She again recorded the so ...
'' (No. 28)
* 1969 – ''Recollections'' (No. 29)
* 1970 – '' Whales & Nightingales'' (No. 15)
* 1972 – '' Colors of the Day: The Best of Judy Collins'' (No. 37)
* 1972 – '' True Stories and Other Dreams'' (No. 27)
* 1975 – '' Judith'' (No. 17)
* 1976 – '' Bread and Roses'' (No. 25)
U.S. ''Billboard'' Top 40 'Pop' Singles
* 1968 – " Both Sides, Now" (No. 8)
* 1971 – "Amazing Grace
"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn written in 1772 and published in 1779 by English Anglican clergyman and poet John Newton (1725–1807). It is possibly the most sung and most recorded hymn in the world, and especially popular in the Unit ...
" (No. 15)
* 1970 – "Cook with Honey" (No. 32)
* 1975 – " Send In the Clowns" (No. 19)
U.S. ''Billboard'' Top 40 'Adult Contemporary' Singles
* 1968 – " Both Sides, Now" (No. 3)
* 1969 – " Someday Soon" (No. 37)
* 1969 – " Chelsea Morning" (No. 25)
* 1969 – " Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)" (No. 28)
* 1971 – "Amazing Grace
"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn written in 1772 and published in 1779 by English Anglican clergyman and poet John Newton (1725–1807). It is possibly the most sung and most recorded hymn in the world, and especially popular in the Unit ...
" (No. 5)
* 1971 – "Open the Door (Song for Judith)" (No. 23)
* 1973 – "Cook with Honey" (No. 10)
* 1975 – " Send In the Clowns" (No. 8)
* 1979 – "Hard Times for Lovers" (No. 16)
* 1990 – "Fires of Eden" (No. 31)
Albums and singles certifications
See also
* List of peace activists
This list of peace activists includes people who have proactively advocated Diplomacy, diplomatic, philosophical, and non-military resolution of major territorial or ideological disputes through nonviolent means and methods. Peace activists usua ...
Notes
References
External links
*
Audio interview with Judy Collins
Audio interview, Minnesota Public Radio 7 April 2009
*
*
*
Judy Collins profile (#549)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Collins, Judy
1939 births
Living people
American acoustic guitarists
American country singer-songwriters
American Episcopalians
American women country singers
American women singer-songwriters
American folk guitarists
American folk singers
American political music artists
American sopranos
American women pianists
American people of Irish descent
Grammy Award winners
Nautilus Book Award winners
American anti–Vietnam War activists
Yippies
Elektra Records artists
Geffen Records artists
MCA Records artists
Atlantic Records artists
Cleopatra Records artists
Singers from Denver
Singer-songwriters from Washington (state)
Singers from Seattle
Guitarists from Colorado
Guitarists from Washington (state)
20th-century American women guitarists
20th-century American guitarists
21st-century American women guitarists
21st-century American guitarists
20th-century American composers
20th-century American pianists
21st-century American pianists
20th-century American women singers
21st-century American women singers
20th-century American women composers
21st-century American women composers
20th-century American singer-songwriters
21st-century American singer-songwriters
Singer-songwriters from Colorado
East High School (Denver, Colorado) alumni