Collins, Judy (1939-…), is a popular American folk singer and composer who gained fame for supporting feminist and liberal political causes. Collins is also known for assisting young composers in their careers. She gave early exposure to the work of songwriters Jacques Brel, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Phil Ochs, and Gordon Lightfoot.
Judith Marjorie Collins was born on May 1, 1939, in Seattle. Her family moved to Denver, Colorado, when she was 9. Collins studied piano as a child and teen-ager before turning to the guitar when she was 16. She began singing in Denver clubs in 1959 and made her first recordings in the early 1960’s. She made her concert debuts in Chicago and New York City in 1964 and soon established herself as one of the finest singers in folk music. Critics praised her clear, sweet voice and her skill at accompanying herself on the guitar and piano. She also drew praise for her broad repertoire, which ranged from familiar songs to the work of rising new composers.
Collins’s first hit recording was Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now” (1968). Her other popular recordings include the traditional hymn “Amazing Grace” (1970) and Stephen Sondheim’s “Send in the Clowns” (1975). Her many compositions include “Albatross” (1968), “My Father” (1968), “Secret Garden” (1972), and “Born to the Breed” (1975). Collins wrote three volumes of autobiography—Trust Your Heart (1987), Singing Lessons (1998), and Sweet Judy Blue Eyes (2011)—and a memoir about her son’s death called Sanity and Grace: A Journey of Suicide, Survival and Strength (2003).
