Holly Near

Radical lesbian activist and Vietnam War protester Holly Near has been a respected voice in the women's folk movement -- and the women's movement itself -- since the early 1970s. As a TV, movie, and perennial TV-movie actress, Near spent a lot of time in the public eye, but it was her staunch liberalism and uncompromising approach to music for which she has always been most recognized. In the '80s she released some less political material, but remained active on the benefit circuit. The '90s saw Near returning to her outspoken style of two decades before, and she's remained a widely recognized and loved artist within the genre.