Thanks once again Frank!..and Happy Birthday Holly! Holly Near is 65 years old today. Near is a singer-songwriter, actor, teacher and activist for social change. After starting high school in 1963, Near began singing with the Freedom Singers, a folk group modeled on The Weavers. In 1968, she enrolled in the Theatre Arts program at UCLA; that year, she attended her first Vietnam War peace vigil and joined Another Mother for Peace. Nears professional career began in 1969 with a part on the television show The Mod Squad, which was followed by appearances in other shows, such as Room 222, All in the Family and The Partridge Family. She also appeared in films such as Kurt Vonneguts Slaughterhouse-Five and Minnie and Moskowitz. She was briefly a member of the musical comedy troupe, First National Nothing, and appeared on the troupes only album, If You Sit Real Still and Hold My Hand, You Will Hear Absolutely Nothing (Columbia Records - LP C 30006). In 1970, Near was a cast member of the Broadway musical, Hair. Following the Kent State shootings in May of that year, the entire cast staged a silent vigil in protest. The song, It Could Have Been Me (which was released on A Live Album, 1974), was her heartfelt response to the shootings. In 1971, she joined the FTA (Free The Army) Tour, an anti-Vietnam War road show of music, comedy and plays, organized by antiwar activist Fred Gardner and actors Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland. In 1972, Near founded an independent record label called Redwood Records (now defunct) to produce and promote music by politically conscious artists from around the world.” During her long career in folk and protest music, Holly Near has worked with a wide array of musicians, including Ronnie Gilbert, Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, Mercedes Sosa, Bernice Johnson Reagon, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Meg (Shambhavi) Christian, Cris Williamson, Linda Tillery, Joan Baez, Phil Ochs, Harry Belafonte, as well as the Chilean exile group Inti-Illimani. Near has been recognized many times for her work for social change, including honors from the ACLU, the National Lawyers Guild, the National Organization for Women, NARAS, Ms. Magazine (Woman of the Year), and the Legends of Womens Music Award. Near continues an active tour schedule. She is still active as a performer and composer, and now issues CDs through her website that include tracks from her out-of-print albums. Here, Near performs “Singing For Our Lives” at the March for Women’s Lives.
Posted on: Fri, 06 Jun 2014 10:58:14 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015