Judy Collins

Originally a child prodigy on the piano, Judy Collins, took to the guitar pretty much at the same time she took to folk music. She was drawn by the poetry and radicle ideas circulating around the American Folk Revival of the early sixties. Picking up on the likes of Seeger and Guthrie she gravitated to Greenwich Village where she was further inspired by the likes of Phil Ochs and Tom Paxton.
As the 60s progressed, Collins also picked up on English folk artists, recording and naming an album after the Sandy Denny song, "Who Knows Where The Time Goes"
Over the years, she has been a prolific recorder of both her own songs as well as cover versions. Whilst she has not always remained true to folk music, occasionally drifting off into American songbook as well as gospel and showtunes, she has always remained true to her left field views. It's rumoured that the Clintons, Bill and Hilary, named their daughter Chelsea after her version of "Chelsea Village", it's fact that she was one of the performers at Bill's first presidential inauguration. Not a bad recommendation.