Judy Collins

ABOUT this week’s guest:

This week I am truly honored to bring you the story and life soundtrack of a living legend. A multi-grammy winning singer, songwriter, activist, and author who has been performing and recording since the early 60’s. Six decades into her career, she remains a vibrant and creative force. She is an inspiration and an icon. Her voice rings clear and true as ever. We are talking about Judy Collins. She was the woman who kickstarted the careers of Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, and many others by recording their songs and making them hits, and her passion for discovering the next great song still burns bright. The last decade has seen her make her highest billboard 200 chart debut, and her first grammy nomination in forty years for the album Silver Skies Blue with Ari Hest; and since we last spoke with Judy in 2022, her most recent album Spellbound was also nominated for a Grammy in 2023 - an especially meaningful achievement for her first album of all original material. Spellbound was her 55th album and her 6th in 6 years, and its songs document her life story, including growing up in Colorado, her love life, the Greenwich Village folk scene, and her experiences with substance abuse. Judy has always maintained an intense tour schedule, so it felt like big news to hear that Judy Collins has announced her farewell tour, billed as the "Sweet Judy Blue Eyes" tour, featuring special guests on select dates this summer, with a bunch of warm up dates this spring. Judy's 87th birthday is May 1st, and as she heads out for one last tour, I wanted to celebrate her inspiring life, career, music, and activism, by bringing Judy Collins back into the Sheroes spotlight, and go to the Sheroes archives for this special episode: Judy Collins Mixtape Memoir.