Farina, Mimi

▪ 2002

Mimi Margharita Baez 

      American folk singer and social activist (b. April 30, 1945, Stanford, Calif.—d. July 18, 2001, Mill Valley, Calif.), was the younger sister of folk singer Joan Baez and was also a well-known performer in her own right. With her first husband, Richard Fariña, she made two popular albums in the mid-1960s, Reflections in a Crystal Wind and Celebrations for a Grey Day. After her husband's death in a motorcycle accident in 1966, she continued to make recordings, including Take Heart (1971), a duo album with Tom Jans. Fariña was also known as the founder of Bread & Roses, a charity that organized musical shows for audiences in nursing homes, hospitals, homeless and drug rehabilitation centres, and correctional facilities.

* * *

▪ American folk singer and social activist

original name  Margarita Mimi Baez 

born April 30, 1945, Stanford, Calif., U.S.

died July 18, 2001, Mill Valley, Calif.

      American folk singer and social activist who, with her first husband, Richard Fariña (Fariña, Richard), helped revitalize folk music in the 1960s. She was the younger sister of folk singer Joan Baez (Baez, Joan).

      Mimi and Richard Fariña were married in 1963, and the two began performing together. The duo released two popular albums, Celebrations for a Grey Day (1965) and Reflections in a Crystal Wind (1966). After Richard's death in a motorcycle accident in 1966, she continued to make recordings, including Take Heart (1971), a duo album with Tom Jans. In 1974 she founded Bread & Roses, a charity that organizes musical shows for audiences in nursing homes, hospitals, homeless and drug rehabilitation centres, and correctional facilities. Her final recording was a solo effort simply titled Solo (1985). While it contained some original material, half of the tracks had been previously recorded by Mimi or her sister Joan.

* * *