Sweet Relief Musicians Fund celebrated the legacy of legendary folk singer Joan Baez on Saturday, Feb. 8 at the Masonic Auditorium in San Francisco.
Performers included Emmylou Harris, Rosanne Cash, Margo Price, Bonnie Raitt, Tom Morello, Joe Henry, Lucinda Williams, Taj Mahal and Baez herself. There were also appearances by Jackson Browne and the Glide Ensemble. Actress Monica Barbaro, who received an Oscar nomination for playing Baez in the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, was in attendance, as were Linda Ronstadt and local counterculture icon Wavy Gravy.
Aric Steinberg, executive director at Sweet Relief Musicians Fund said, “We’re thrilled to celebrate 30 years of Sweet Relief while honoring the great Joan Baez and her amazing career. Joan has supported our charity for many years, and it was a privilege to honor her alongside so many incredible artists.”
Sweet Relief Musicians Fund provides services and financial assistance for career musicians and music industry professionals. Grants are earmarked for medical and vital living expenses, including insurance premiums, prescriptions, medical treatment and operative procedures, housing costs, food costs, utilities, and other basic necessities.
100% of all donations to Sweet Relief for California fire relief are being distributed to victims. Sweet Relief is covering all fees.
Baez landed her first top 10 album on the Billboard 200 (Joan Baez in Concert) in November 1962, nearly three years before Dylan achieved that milestone with Bringing It All Back Home. Baez also appeared on the cover of TIME in November 1962. She received a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy in 2007 and a Kennedy Center Honor in .
