Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

NEAR, Holly

(b 6 June 1949, Ukiah CA) Singer, songwriter, actress. She sang in public from childhood, worked in films and TV as a teenager, had a a leading role in rock musical Hair.

With an excellent voice and inspired by seeing Ronnie Gilbert with the Weavers as a child, she took up an independent stance with mostly original material, refused to bother with major labels and all that that entails, forming her own Redwood label and recording Hang In There '73, Live Album '74, You Can Know All I Am '76 and Imagine My Surprise '79, with vocal and instrumental help from Jeff Langley, also from Ukiah. These sold respectably well by word-of-mouth, won awards and respect from the independent label industry, followed by Fire In The Rain, Speed Of Light, Journeys and Watch Out!, Lifeline (with Gilbert), Harp (with Gilbert, Arlo Guthrie, Pete Seeger), Don't Hold Back '87 (with Bonnie Raitt, Kenny Loggins), Sky Dances '89. Gilbert sang one of Near's songs at the last Weavers concert.

Near toured, preferring smaller venues; did benefits (i.e. for WAVAW, Women Against Violence Against Women), contributed to 'survival' album Out Of The Darkness on the Fire on the Mountain label, as did Sweet Honey in the Rock, whose album on Redwood won an award (see their entry).