This timeline is a work in progress that we'll keep adding to. If we've left out a significant event, please let us know. But hopefully it will offer you some sense of the body of work done by Holly Near. Holly first sang in public when she was 8 years old - well over 50 years ago... and she never stopped. This timeline, along with the photo gallery, reminds us of some of this amazing career. Enjoy.
Timeline
Holly Near, 1949 -
| 1949 | Holly born into a family that encourages creativity. |
| 1955 | Having made friends with Native American children at grammar school, begins to witness racism for the first time. |
| 1958 | Sings in a talent contest in Ukiah, at a Veterans of Foreign Wars talent competition. |
| 1959 | Sings at Talmage Mental Hospital - an experience that shapes young Holly's consciousness of mental illness, as well as how many of the programs in mental hospitals and prisons are under-funded |
| 1961 | While at the Perry-Mansfield music camp in Colorado is exposed to a variety of other cultures for first time |
| 1964 | Starts high school in Ukiah, California. Joins a student committee dedicated to changing the dress code. |
| 1965 | Near family gets a TV. News footage of the civil rights movement very influencial on young Holly. |
| Sings with a high school folk group called The Freedom Singers, unaware of the original Freedom Singers in the Civil Rights Movement. | |
| 1966 | Protests the military recruiters on campus at Ukiah High School |
| 1967 | Wins Bank of America Achievement Award in the field of Fine Arts |
| Starts school at UCLA. Auditions for theater arts program singing Pirate Jenny from Three Penny Opera | |
| 1968 | Plays lead in Guys and Dolls at UCLA, gets laryngitis, discovers she has nodules on vocal chords |
| Goes into several weeks of silence to heal vocal chords, works with a voice teacher in Philadelphia who suggests Holly study to be an opera singer. Holly declines. | |
| Back in LA, Holly works with Another Mother For Peace in Beverly Hills, along side her sister, Timothy Near. | |
| Holly and Timothy sing in a few prisons. Very challenging. | |
| Gets job in her first film, Angel, Angel Down We Go | |
| 1969 | Lives in Venice, California. Continues working in film and TV - Partridge Family, Mod Squad. Tries to balance Hollywood life and racial strife in Venice. |
| 1970 | Lands spot In Broadway cast of Hair. Cast does silent vigil in response to Kent State massacre. |
| Returns to California to do a film, The Magic Garden of Stanley Sweetheart. Holly tells a friend, "Women's lib is OK for women who need it." Lives long enough to laugh at that remark. | |
| 1971 | Attends a meeting with her sister Timothy, put on by Hollywood people who want to oppose the war – EIPJ – Entertainment Industry for Peace and Justice. |
Auditions for Free the Army; cast includes Michael Alaimo |
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| Touring in Pacific with FTA inspires her to write over a dozen songs, many of which will be on her first solo recording, Hang In There. | |
| 1972 | Works as receptionist for Pentagon Papers trial. |
| Is approached by Tom Hayden to participate in the Indochina Peace Campaign and becomes a founding member | |
| Writes her first feminist song, ""It's More Important To Me" | |
| Lands role in the film, "Slaughterhouse Five" |
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| 1973 | Starts Redwood Records to support the release of first album, "Hang In There" |
| 1974 | Tours US with Jeff Langley, singing at union halls, churches, prisons, and universities. |
| Releases A Live Album, dedicated to Ronnie Gilbert. Goes to Vietnam with Jeff as guest of Vietnamese Musicians Union. | |
| 1975 | Sings in Building Women show in L.A. with Lily Tomlin, Meg Christian, Cris Williamson, Margie Adam, and the Alice Stone's Ladies Society Orchestra. |
| Does support work with United Farm Workers | |
| 1976 | Records the album, "You Can Know All I Am" |
| Participates in the "Women on Wheels" tour of California. Sister, Timothy, signs songs at concerts, introducing American Sign Language for the first time to many hearing audiences and instrumental in developing access for hearing-impaired | |
| Comes out publicly as a lesbian at 1st Michigan Womyn's Music Festival. | |
Begins working with American Sign Language interpreter, Susan Freundlich |
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| 1977 | Takes a women's peace delegation to Hiroshima that includes Bernice Reagon and Amy Horowitz |
| 1978 | Writes Singing for Our Lives for Harvey Milk memorial. |
| 1979 | Plans 26-city tour for a Nuclear Free Future - then hears news of Three Mile Island disaster |
| Sings at National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights | |
| Redwood releases Sweet Honey in the Rock's B'lieve I'll Run On... a first coalition effort | |
| Receives Bay Area Music Award (Bammie) 1979 Best Independent Label Album, “Imagine My Surprise.” An unusual achievement, this being an out lesbian recording. | |
| 1980 | Sings with Ronnie Gilbert (of The Weavers) for the first time, as seen in the film Wasn't That A Time! |
| 1981 | Speaks on art and politics at National Mobilization for Survival Conference |
| Goes on tour to save Womens' Studies programs People magazine runs a story on Holly and she becomes, perhaps, the first out lesbian to be interviewed in a popular "supermarket" magazine |
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| Releases Fire in the Rain |
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| 1982 | Sings at huge June 12th anti-nuke rally, 1 million people gather in Central Park |
| Creates and performs a show with her sisters called "The Near Sisters" bringing theatre and dance back into Holly's work | |
| Does 50-city tour: "Be Disarming-Challenge the Nuclear Mentality." Sings to 200,000 at Artists for Disarmament rally in W. Germany. | |
| 6th album released, "Speed of Light" | |
| 1983 | Sings in Brussels for International Women's Day |
| National tour and live album Lifeline with Ronnie Gilbert | |
| Forms Redwood Records Cultural and Educational Fund | |
| Receives Detroit City Council Testimonial Resolution honoring Holly Near. Receives City and County of San Francisco Certificates of Honor | |
"Journeys Down Under" tour in late '83, organized by Margret RoadKnight's Honky Tonk Angels for concerts in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide in Australia During that tour Holly also arranged and recorded back up vocals for Judy Small on her recording of the song "Bridget Evans" |
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| 1984 | Does National "Defeat Reagan Tour" with Ronnie Gilbert |
| Releases 9th album "Watch Out" with John McCutcheon and Trapezoid. | |
| Goes on national tour and records live album Sing to Me The Dream with Inti Illimani | |
| Tours with Arlo, Ronnie and Pete; releases live album HARP | |
| Receives NAIRD (National Association of Independent Recording Distributors) Indie Award for "Lifeline," the album with Ronnie Gilbert | |
| Receives LACAAW (Los Angeles Commission on Assults Against Women) Humanitarian Award | |
| Presented with the Key to the City of Fresno | |
| Receives the 1984 Cable Car Award: Outstanding achievement by a recording artist, Holly Near “Journeys” | |
| Peace Music Festival in Ecuador with Pete Seeger, Leon Gieco, Holly Near, Inti Illimani, Silvio Rodriguez, Sweet Honey In The Rock, Grupo Raiz, and many others | |
| 1985 | Nominated Ms. Magazine 1985 Woman of the Year "For fulfilling and expanding our ideals of excellence" |
MCs and sings at first annual Redwood Records Festival. |
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| 1986 | Performs for Margaret Randall Defense Fund |
| Sings at a benefit for the Sanctuary Movement with Jackson Browne and Mandy Patinkin in Washington, DC | |
| Named The Women's Foundation "Woman of Note" for her outstanding Achievements in Music | |
| Receives City and County of San Francisco Certificates of Honor | |
| Releases "Singing With You" album with Ronnie Gilbert | |
| 1987 | Receives Sixth Annual Woman's Building Vesta Award |
| Presented with the Lesbian Rights Award by the Southern California Women For Understanding. | |
| Presented with the California Senate Lesbian Rights Award | |
| Receives National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights Award of Distinction | |
| 1988 | Wins 1988 Cable Car Award, Outstanding Recording Artist for “Don’t Hold Back” |
| 1989 | Receives Indie Award in the category of Women’s Music for “SkyDances” |
| July 7, 1989 declared Holly Near day by Art Agnos, Mayor of San Francisco | |
| Receives World College West honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. | |
| 1990 | Releases "Singer In The Storm" |
| 1991 | Receives “Hot Wire” Readers’ Choice Award for outstanding contributions to Women’s Music and Culture |
| 1993 | Presented with the Unity Award by the The National Conference Fairfield Region |
| Performs her one woman show, "Fire in The Rain" at the San Jose Rep, Mark Taper Forum in LA, and then off-Broadway in New York, at the Union Square Theatre | |
| NAIRD (National Association of Independent Recording Distributors) Award 1993 Honorable Mention to Redwood Records for Musical Highlights from the play “Fire in the Rain” by Holly Near in the category of Soundtrack/Cast Recording | |
| Receives Bay Area Theater Critics Circle, Outstanding Achievement Award 1993, for "Fire in the Rain, Singer in the Storm" | |
| 1994 | American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California ACLU celebrates Freedom of Information and honors Holly Near for the tremendous commitment shown toward fighting for equality and justice for others |
| Receives Los Angeles Commission on Assaults Against Women (LACAAW) 1994 Humanitarian Award | |
| 1996 | Awarded Gala Choruses 1996 Legacy Award, in recognition of unique contributions to the Lesbian and Gay Choral Movement |
| Releases "This Train Still Runs" with Ronnie Gilbert | |
| 1997 | NARAS Governor’s Award to Redwood Records 1997 For outstanding contributions to the cultural fabric of the community. Their vision and struggle to create a better world has enriched all our lives. |
| Releases "With A Song In My Heart" | |
| 1999 | Awarded Ukiah High School Alumni Association Distinguished Graduate Class of 1967. |
| 2000 | Receives The Legends of Women's Music Award (Lesbians of Achievement, Vision, and Action) |
| Releases "Simply Love: The Women's Music Collection" | |
| Releases "Edge" | |
| 2001 | Awarded the Women in the Arts, Inc Jeanine C Rae Culture Award For the Advancement of Women's Culture |
| Releases "Early Warnings" and "HARP: A Time to Sing" | |
| 2002 | Participates in Women of Voice and Vision, Scripps College, celebrating their 75th Anniversary |
| Releases "And Still We Sing: The Outspoken Collection" | |
| Releases "Crushed: The Love Song Collection" | |
| Releases "Lifeline Extended" | |
| 2003 | Releases "Cris & Holly" with Cris Williamson |
| Participates in Vagina Monologues gala event in Florida Presents at the National Women’s History Project’s conference at Smith College Participates in "The Ohio Conversation," a discussion of political song and responsible citizenship with Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon, Harry Belafonte, and Pete Seeger |
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| 2004 | Releases "Show Up" |
| Travels to Juarez, Mexico with Eve Ensler, Jane Fonda, Sally Fields, Christine Lahti, and noted Mexican performers to protest the uninvestigated killings of hundreds of young women Sits witness to the testimony of women reporting rape and other violence against women in Toledo, OH |
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| 2005 | Nominated as one of the "1000 Women for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005" - congraulated by City Council of Oakland |
| Speaks to employees at Intel’s Albuquerque, NM facility about tolerance and diversity Delivers the prestigious Ware Lecture for the Unitarian Universalist General Assembly |
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| 2006 | Participates in Legends of Women's Music-part of the 2006 Gay Games in Chicago, with Teresa Trull, Barbara Higbie, Nedra Johnson, and MC Vickie Shaw. |
| 2007 | Presented with the Key to the City of Chico, California |
| Invited to sing Hay Una Mujer Decaparecida at Villa Grimaldi in Santiago, Chile; the villa, an infamous prison of torture and death, is now a peace park - emma's revolution sing with Holly Reunites with Inti Illimani for concert in Chile |
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| 2008 | Re-releases "Sing To Me The Dream" |
| Meets with Mohawk and European-American women to invite spiritual healing | |
| January 12, 2008: School of the Americsa protest at Los Angeles State Historic Park with Fr. Roy Bourgeois, Martin Sheen, and many other activists | |
| March 11: Spoke at Sonoma State at the class room of Don Romesburg on subject of gender | |
| 2009 | Releases "We Came To Sing" with Emma's Revolution |
| 2010 | Sings at 35th Anniversary of The Michigan Womyns Music Festival |
| In Chile for 8.8 magnitude earthquake on Feb 27 | |