Mimi Fariña (Born Margarita Baez)
April 30, 1945 – July 18, 2001
Mimi Fariña was a folk singer-songwriter who came of age during the ’60s folk revival in America. A few years younger than sister, Joan Baez, Fariña performed at many of the same clubs and festivals, including the legendary Newport Folk Festival. In 1963, she met writer and singer-songwriter, Richard Fariña, and within a year, they were married. Together the recorded a couple of noteworthy albums as Mimi & Richard Fariña for revered label, Vanguard Records, also home to Morgana Kennedy. On the night of Mimi’s 21st birthday, Richard left the party on his motorcycle only to be killed in an accident. Vanguard released a third album of “rarities.” By the ’70s, Fariña was performing and recording but her attention turned more toward activism. In 1974, she founded Bread and Roses, an organization that puts together free concerts for people bound to hospitals, nursing homes, and prisons. Over the years she’s had such artists as Bonnie Raitt, Odetta, Pete Seeger and Carlos Santana perform at such shows. By the ’80s, Fariña was rarely performing or recording as she becoming more and more involved with Bread And Roses and other human rights organizations and events. Mimi Fariña passed away of neuroendocrine cancer in 2001. She was 56.
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