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Angela Maria "Ani" DiFranco (; born September 23, 1970) is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter. She has released more than 20 albums. DiFranco's music has been classified as folk rock and alternative rock, although it has additional influences from punk,
funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...
, hip hop and jazz. She has released all her albums on her own record label,
Righteous Babe Righteous Babe Records is an American independent record label that was created by folk singer Ani DiFranco in 1990 to release her own songs in lieu of being beholden to a mainstream record company. History Righteous Babe Records was originally c ...
. DiFranco supports many social and political movements by performing benefit concerts, appearing on benefit albums and speaking at rallies. Through the Righteous Babe Foundation, DiFranco has backed grassroots cultural and political organizations supporting causes including abortion rights and LGBT visibility. She counts American folk singer and songwriter Pete Seeger among her mentors. DiFranco released a memoir, ''No Walls and the Recurring Dream'', on May 7, 2019, via Viking Books and made The New York Times Best Seller list.


Early life and education

DiFranco was born in Buffalo, New York, on September 23, 1970, the daughter of Elizabeth (Ross) and Dante Americo DiFranco, who had met while attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her father was of Italian descent, and her mother was from Montreal. DiFranco started playing
Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developme ...
covers at local bars and
busking Street performance or busking is the act of performing in public places for gratuities. In many countries, the rewards are generally in the form of money but other gratuities such as food, drink or gifts may be given. Street performance is pr ...
with her guitar teacher, Michael Meldrum, at the age of nine. By 14 she was writing her own songs. She played them at bars and coffee houses throughout her teens. DiFranco graduated from the
Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts The Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts (BAVPA) is a magnet performing arts high school and part of Buffalo, New York's public school system. It serves grades 5-12 and requires students to apply in the field of their desired major conc ...
high school at 16 and began attending classes at Buffalo State College. She was living by herself, having moved out of her mother's apartment after she became an
emancipated minor Emancipation of minors is a legal mechanism by which a minor before attaining the age of majority is freed from control by their parents or guardians, and the parents or guardians are freed from responsibility for their child. Minors are norm ...
when she was 15.


Career

DiFranco started her own record company, Righteous Babe Records, in 1989 at age 19. She released her self-titled debut album in the winter of 1990, shortly after relocating to New York City. There, she took poetry classes at The New School, where she met poet Sekou Sundiata, who was to become a friend and mentor. She toured steadily for the next 15 years, pausing only to record albums. Appearances at Canadian folk festivals and increasingly larger venues in the U.S. reflected her increasing popularity on the North American folk and roots scene. Throughout the early and mid-1990s DiFranco toured solo and also as a duo with Canadian drummer Andy Stochansky. In September 1995, DiFranco participated in a concert at the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...
in Cleveland Ohio, inaugurating the opening of the Woody Guthrie Archives in New York City. She later released a CD on Righteous Babe of the concert ''Til We Outnumber Em'' featuring artists such as DiFranco,
Billy Bragg Stephen William Bragg (born 20 December 1957) is an English singer-songwriter and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, with lyrics that mostly span political or romantic themes. His music is ...
, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Arlo Guthrie,
Indigo Girls Indigo Girls are an American folk rock music duo from Atlanta, Georgia, United States, consisting of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. The two met in elementary school and began performing together as high school students in Decatur, Georgia, part o ...
, Dave Pirner, Tim Robbins, and
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...
with 100 percent of proceeds going to the Woody Guthrie Foundation and Archives and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum educational department. In 1996, bassist
Sara Lee Sara may refer to: Arts, media and entertainment Film and television * Sara (1992 film), ''Sara'' (1992 film), 1992 Iranian film by Dariush Merhjui * Sara (1997 film), ''Sara'' (1997 film), 1997 Polish film starring Bogusław Linda * Sara (2010 ...
joined the touring group, whose live rapport is showcased on the 1997 album ''
Living in Clip ''Living in Clip'' is a live album by singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco, released in 1997. The title is from a comment made by live sound engineer Larry Berger, indicating that the amplifiers weren't merely being overdriven into clipping occasiona ...
''. DiFranco would later release Lee's solo album ''Make It Beautiful'' on Righteous Babe. In 1998, Stochansky left to pursue a solo career as a singer-songwriter. A new touring ensemble consisting of Jason Mercer on bass, Julie Wolf on keyboards, and Daren Hahn on drums, augmented at times by a horn section, accompanied DiFranco on tour between 1998 and 2002. The 1990s were a period of heightened exposure for DiFranco, as she continued playing ever larger venues around the world and attracted international attention of the press, including cover stories in ''Spin'', ''Ms.'', and ''Magnet'', among others, as well as appearances on MTV and VH1. Her playfully ironic cover of the Bacharach/David song " Wishin' and Hopin'" appeared under the opening titles of the film '' My Best Friend's Wedding''. She guest starred on a 1998 episode of the
Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...
sitcom '' King of the Hill'', as the voice of Peggy's feminist guitar teacher, Emily. Beginning in 1999, Righteous Babe Records began releasing albums by other artists including Sara Lee, Sekou Sundiata, Arto Lindsay,
Bitch and Animal Bitch and Animal, a duo consisting of musicians Bitch and Animal Prufrock, were a queercore band that performed from 1995 to 2004. They became established while touring as an opening act for Ani DiFranco, and later launched their own highly succes ...
, That One Guy, Utah Phillips,
Hamell on Trial Edward James "Ed" Hamell, performing as Hamell on Trial, is an American punk rock, anti-folk, spoken word musician, described by Righteous Babe Records as "loud, fast music informed by politics, passion, energy and intelligence, played by a guy ...
, Andrew Bird,
Kurt Swinghammer Kurt Swinghammer is a Canadian singer-songwriter and visual artist based in Toronto."Canadian pop finds its own way to rock". ''Toronto Star'', 30 June 1989. He has released 13 full-length albums of original songs and as a session musician appea ...
, Buddy Wakefield, Anaïs Mitchell and Nona Hendryx. On September 11, 2001, DiFranco was in Manhattan and later penned the poem "Self Evident" about the experience. The poem was featured in the book ''It's a Free Country: Personal Freedom in America After September 11''. The poem's title also became the name of DiFranco's first book of poetry released exclusively in Italy by Minimum Fax. It was later also featured in ''Verses'', a book of her poetry published in the U.S. by Seven Stories press. DiFranco has written and performed many spoken-word pieces throughout her career and was showcased as a poet on the HBO series ''Def Poetry'' in 2005. Since her 2005 release ''Knuckle Down'' (co-produced by Joe Henry) DiFranco's touring band and recordings have featured bass player
Todd Sickafoose Todd Sickafoose is an American jazz and rock musician, composer, and producer/engineer from San Francisco, California. He is best known for playing acoustic bass and keyboards with Ani DiFranco but has also led his own group, Todd Sickafoose's Ti ...
and in turns other musicians such as
Allison Miller Allison Miller is an American actress. She is best known for playing Michelle Benjamin on the NBC series '' Kings'', Skye Tate on the Fox series '' Terra Nova'', and Carrie on the NBC series ''Go On''. She starred as Laura Larson on the Syfy tel ...
, Andy Borger, Herlin Riley, and Terence Higgins on drums and Mike Dillon on percussion and vibes. On September 11, 2007, she released the first retrospective of her career, a two-disc compilation entitled '' Canon'' and simultaneously a retrospective collection of poetry book ''Verses''. On September 30, 2008, she released ''
Red Letter Year ''Red Letter Year'' is the 16th studio album by singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco, released on September 30, 2008. Says DiFranco about the album: “When I listen to my new record, I hear a very relaxed me, which I think has been absent in a lot o ...
''. In 2009, DiFranco appeared at Pete Seeger's 90th birthday celebration at Madison Square Garden, debuting her revamped version of the 1930s labor anthem "
Which Side Are You On? "Which Side Are You On?" is a song written in 1931 by activist Florence Reece, who was the wife of Sam Reece, a union organizer for the United Mine Workers in Harlan County, Kentucky. Background In 1931, the miners and the mine owners in sout ...
" in a duet with Bruce Cockburn and also duetting with Kris Kristofferson on the folk classic "There's a Hole in the Bucket". DiFranco released an album on January 17, 2012, ''
¿Which Side Are You On? ''¿Which Side Are You On?'' is the 17th studio album by singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco, released on January 17, 2012. The title track is a revised version of the 1931 Florence Reece song "Which Side Are You On?" which was popularized by Pete S ...
''. It includes collaborations with Pete Seeger,
Ivan Neville Ivan Neville (born August 19, 1959) is an American multi-instrumentalist musician, singer, and songwriter. He is the son of Aaron Neville and nephew to members of The Neville Brothers. Career He has released four solo (music), solo albums and ha ...
, Cyril Neville, Skerik, Adam Levy, Righteous Babe recording artist Anaïs Mitchell,
CC Adcock C. C. Adcock (born Charles Clinton Adcock, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and blues rock musician, noted for his cajun, zydeco, electric blues and swamp pop-influenced sound and for his efforts to preserve and promote swamp ...
, and a host of New Orleans-based horn players known for their work in such outfits as Galactic,
Bonerama Bonerama is a brass funk rock band from New Orleans. Bonerama was formed in 1998 by trombone players Mark Mullins and Craig Klein, who, from 1990
, and Rebirth Brass Band. In 2014, she released her eighteenth album, ''
Allergic to Water ''Allergic to Water'' is the 18th studio album by singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco, released on November 4, 2014. Critical reception The album has a score of 71 out of 100 from Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggr ...
''. In 2017, she released her nineteenth, '' Binary''. On May 7, 2019, DiFranco released a memoir, ''No Walls and the Recurring Dream'', via Viking Books. It is described as a "coming-of-age story". In 2021, DiFranco released the album ''Revolutionary Love'' which was largely inspired by
Valarie Kaur Valarie Kaur (born February 14, 1981) is an American activist, documentary filmmaker, lawyer, educator, and faith leader. She is the founder of the Revolutionary Love Project. Kaur's debut book, ''See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revol ...
's book ''See No Stranger.''


Personal life

DiFranco came out as
bisexual Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whi ...
in her twenties, and has written songs about love and sex with women and men. She addressed the controversy about her sexuality in the song "In or Out" on the album ''
Imperfectly ''Imperfectly'' is the third studio album by singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco, released in 1992 (see 1992 in music). Track listing Personnel *Ani DiFranco – guitar, vocals, production *Andy Stochansky – drums, percussion *Geoff Perry – bas ...
'' (1992). However, in 2015 she told the blog GoPride.com that she was ""not so queer anymore, but definitely a woman-centered woman and just a human rights-centered artist." In a 2019 interview with ''Jezebel'', she stated that she preferred the term "queer" because "bisexual" "always sounded very medical, like something you do to a frog in 9th grade science or something", and further added that "the irony is I’m pretty fuckin’
hetero Heterosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction or sexual behavior between people of the opposite sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, heterosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to ...
, which is unfortunate for me because many of my deepest connections are with women. But, naw, I just like what’s in boys’ pants better.". In 1998, she married her sound engineer Andrew Gilchrist in a Unitarian Universalist service in Canada. DiFranco and Gilchrist divorced in 2003. In 1990, she wrote "Lost Woman Song", which was inspired by her abortions at ages eighteen and twenty. DiFranco's father died in the summer of 2004. In July 2005, DiFranco developed tendinitis and took a nine-month hiatus from touring. In January 2007 DiFranco gave birth to her first child, a daughter, at her Buffalo home. She married the child's father, Mike Napolitano, also her regular producer, in 2009. In an interview on September 13, 2012, DiFranco mentioned that she was pregnant with her second child. In April 2013, she gave birth to her second child, a son. DiFranco has resided in the Bywater, New Orleans, neighborhood since 2008. DiFranco has described herself as an
atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...
. On the subject of religion, DiFranco has stated: DiFranco has spoken critically of
cancel culture Cancel culture, or rarely also known as call-out culture, is a phrase contemporary to the late 2010s and early 2020s used to refer to a form of ostracism in which someone is thrust out of social or professional circles—whether it be online, on ...
, saying it is "just gonna get us nowhere" and "The human family can't divorce each other". DiFranco herself has received criticism for planning a 2013 songwriting retreat at Nottoway, a former slave plantation, and wrote that she " ympathizedwith both sides" regarding the controversial trans-exclusionary policies of the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival.


Critical reception

DiFranco has been a critical success for much of her career, with a career album average of 72 on Metacritic. ''Living in Clip'', DiFranco's 1998 double live album, is the only one to achieve gold record status to date. DiFranco was praised by '' The Buffalo News'' in 2006 as "Buffalo's leading lady of rock music". Starting in 2003, DiFranco was nominated four consecutive times for
Best Recording Package The Grammy Award for Best Recording Package is one of a series of Grammy Awards presented for the visual look of an album. It is presented to the art director of the winning album, not to the performer(s), unless the performer is also the art dire ...
at the
Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
, winning in
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
for '' Evolve''. On July 21, 2006, DiFranco received the Woman of Courage Award at the National Organization for Women (NOW) Conference and Young Feminist Summit in Albany, New York. DiFranco was one of the first musicians to receive the award, given each year to a woman who has set herself apart by her contributions to the feminist movement. In 2009, DiFranco received the Woody Guthrie Award for being a voice of positive social change.


Music


Style

DiFranco's guitar playing is often characterized by a signature
staccato Staccato (; Italian for "detached") is a form of musical articulation. In modern notation, it signifies a note of shortened duration, separated from the note that may follow by silence. It has been described by theorists and has appeared in music ...
style, rapid fingerpicking and many alternate tunings. She delivers many of her lines in a speaking style notable for its rhythmic variation. Her lyrics, which often include alliteration, metaphor, word play and a more or less gentle
irony Irony (), in its broadest sense, is the juxtaposition of what on the surface appears to be the case and what is actually the case or to be expected; it is an important rhetorical device and literary technique. Irony can be categorized into ...
, have also received praise for their sophistication. Although DiFranco's music has been classified as both folk rock and alternative rock, she has reached across genres since her earliest albums incorporating first punk, then funk, hiphop, and jazz influences. While primarily an acoustic guitarist she has used a variety of
instruments Instrument may refer to: Science and technology * Flight instruments, the devices used to measure the speed, altitude, and pertinent flight angles of various kinds of aircraft * Laboratory equipment, the measuring tools used in a scientific lab ...
and styles:
brass instrument A brass instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips. Brass instruments are also called labrosones or labrophones, from Latin a ...
ation was prevalent in 1998's '' Little Plastic Castle''; a simple walking bass in her 1997 cover of Hal David and
Burt Bacharach Burt Freeman Bacharach ( ; born May 12, 1928) is an American composer, songwriter, record producer and pianist who composed hundreds of pop songs from the late 1950s through the 1980s, many in collaboration with lyricist Hal David. A six-time Gra ...
's " Wishin' and Hopin' ";
strings String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...
on the 1997 live album ''
Living in Clip ''Living in Clip'' is a live album by singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco, released in 1997. The title is from a comment made by live sound engineer Larry Berger, indicating that the amplifiers weren't merely being overdriven into clipping occasiona ...
'' and 2004's ''
Knuckle Down ''Knuckle Down'' is the 14th studio album by singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco. It is the first album where DiFranco has collaborated with a producer; Joe Henry. The record is also her first studio album to feature a string section. It is considered ...
''; and electronics and synthesizers in 1999's ''To the Teeth'' and 2006's '' Reprieve''. DiFranco has stated that "folk music is not an acoustic guitar â€“ that's not where the heart of it is. I use the word 'folk' in reference to punk music and
rap music Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
. It's an attitude, it's an awareness of one's heritage, and it's a community. It's subcorporate music that gives voice to different communities and their struggle against authority."


Musical collaborations, cover versions, and samples

DiFranco has collaborated with a wide range of artists. In 1997, she appeared on Canadian songwriter Bruce Cockburn's ''Charity of Night'' album. In 1998, she produced fellow folksinger Dan Bern's album ''
Fifty Eggs ''Fifty Eggs'' is musician Dan Bern's second studio album, and follow up to Dan Bern (album), his self-titled debut. It was produced by Ani DiFranco and released in 1998. Track listing All tracks composed by Dan Bern #"Tiger Woods" #"One Thing ...
''. She developed a deep association with folksinger and social activist Utah Phillips throughout the mid-1990s, sharing her stage and her audience with the older musician until his death in 2008 and resulting in two collaborative albums: ''
The Past Didn't Go Anywhere ''The Past Didn't Go Anywhere'' is an album by American folksinger Utah Phillips and American singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco, released October 15, 1996, on DiFranco's label, Righteous Babe Records. On the album Phillips is recorded telling sto ...
'' (1996) and '' Fellow Workers'' (1999, with liner notes by Howard Zinn). ''The Past'' is built around Phillips's storytelling, an important part of his art that had not previously been documented on recordings; on the album, DiFranco provides musical settings for his speaking voice. The followup, ''Fellow Workers'', was recorded live in Daniel Lanois's Kingsway Studio in New Orleans and features Phillips fronting DiFranco's touring band for a collection of songs and stories. Prince recorded two songs with DiFranco in 1999, "Providence" on her ''To the Teeth'' album, and "Eye Love U, But Eye Don't Trust U Anymore" on Prince's ''
Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic ''Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic'' is the twenty-third studio album by American recording artist Prince, who was at the time going by the unpronounceable "Love Symbol" (as shown on the album cover). Released on November 9, 1999 by NPG Records and A ...
'' album. Funk and soul jazz musician Maceo Parker and rapper Corey Parker have both appeared on DiFranco's albums and featured appearances by her on theirs. Parker and Di Franco toured together in 1999. She has appeared on several compilations of the songs of Pete Seeger and frequented his Hudson Clearwater Revival Festival. In 2001, she appeared on Brazilian artist Lenine's album ''Falange Canibal''. In 2002, her rendition of Greg Brown's "The Poet Game" appeared on ''Going Driftless: An Artist's Tribute to Greg Brown''. Also in 2002 she recorded a duet with Jackie Chan of the Irving Gordon song "
Unforgettable Unforgettable may refer to: Film * ''Unforgettable'' (1996 film), a thriller starring Ray Liotta * ''Unforgettable'' (2014 film), a Bollywood film * ''Unforgettable'' (2016 film), a South Korean film * ''Unforgettable'' (2017 film), an America ...
" for a record of unlikely collaborations, ''When Pigs Fly: Songs You Never Thought You'd Hear''. In 2005, she appeared on Dar Williams' record ''My Better Self'', duetting on William's cover of
Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philo ...
's "Comfortably Numb". She performed with Cyndi Lauper on "Sisters of Avalon" a track from Lauper's 2005 ''
The Body Acoustic ''The Body Acoustic'' is the ninth studio album released by American singer Cyndi Lauper in 2005. It consists of ten previously released songs which have been re-recorded and re-arranged acoustically, as well as two new songs. The album title is ...
'' album. In 2006, she produced
Hamell on Trial Edward James "Ed" Hamell, performing as Hamell on Trial, is an American punk rock, anti-folk, spoken word musician, described by Righteous Babe Records as "loud, fast music informed by politics, passion, energy and intelligence, played by a guy ...
's album ''Songs for Parents Who Enjoy Drugs''. In 2008, she appeared on
Todd Sickafoose Todd Sickafoose is an American jazz and rock musician, composer, and producer/engineer from San Francisco, California. He is best known for playing acoustic bass and keyboards with Ani DiFranco but has also led his own group, Todd Sickafoose's Ti ...
's album ''Tiny Resisters''. In 2010, she co-produced a track with Margaret Cho called "Captain Cameltoe" for the comedian's ''Cho Dependant'' album. In 2011, she appeared on Rob Wasserman's album ''Note of Hope'', an exploration of the writings of Woody Guthrie with musical accompaniment, though the track in which she appeared, "Voice", was actually recorded 13 years earlier. Also in 2011 she duetted with Greg Dulli on the Twilight Singers record ''Dynamite Steps''. Other artists have covered and sampled DiFranco's work throughout the years. Her spoken word poem "Self Evident" was covered by Public Enemy founder
Chuck D Carlton Douglas Ridenhour (born August 1, 1960), known professionally as Chuck D, is an American rapper, best known as the leader and frontman of the hip hop group Public Enemy, which he co-founded in 1985 with Flavor Flav. Chuck D helped creat ...
's group called Impossebulls. Alana Davis had some commercial success with DiFranco's song "
32 Flavors "32 Flavors" is a song written and performed by Ani DiFranco. This song appears on her sixth studio album ''Not a Pretty Girl'', released in 1995. A variation of the song is featured on the movie soundtrack of the 1999 Canadian romantic comedy ''B ...
". Samples from the track "Coming Up" were used by
DJ Spooky Paul Dennis Miller (born September 6, 1970), known professionally as DJ Spooky, That Subliminal Kid, is an American electronic and experimental hip hop musician whose work is often called by critics "illbient" or "trip hop". He is a turntabli ...
in his album ''Live Without Dead Time'', produced for AdBusters Magazine in 2003. In 2010, DiFranco played Persephone on Anaïs Mitchell's album Hadestown. DiFranco was approached by Zoe Boekbinder to work on their ''Prison Music Project'', an album of collaborations between incarcerated and formerly incarcerated writers and musicians on the outside. DiFranco co-produced the project with Boekbinder and co-wrote and performed "Nowhere but Barstow and Prison." The album ''Long Time Gone'' was released on Righteous Babe Records in 2020 after ten years in the making.


Lyrical content

Although much of DiFranco's material is autobiographical, it is often also strongly political. Many of her songs are concerned with contemporary social issues such as racism, sexism, sexual abuse,
homophobia Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitude (psychology), attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who are identified or perceived as being lesbian, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, h ...
, reproductive rights, poverty, and war. In 2008, she donated a song to Aid Still Required's CD to assist with the restoration of the devastation done to Southeast Asia from the
2004 tsunami An earthquake and a tsunami, known as the Boxing Day Tsunami and, by the scientific community, the Sumatra–Andaman earthquake, occurred at 07:58:53 local time (UTC+7) on 26 December 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of northern Suma ...
. The combination of personal and political is partially responsible for DiFranco's early popularity among politically active college students, particularly those of the left wing, some of whom set up fan pages on the
web Web most often refers to: * Spider web, a silken structure created by the animal * World Wide Web or the Web, an Internet-based hypertext system Web, WEB, or the Web may also refer to: Computing * WEB, a literate programming system created by ...
to document DiFranco's career as early as 1994. DiFranco's rapid rise in popularity in the mid-1990s was fueled mostly by personal contact and word of mouth rather than
mainstream media In journalism, mainstream media (MSM) is a term and abbreviation used to refer collectively to the various large mass news media that influence many people and both reflect and shape prevailing currents of thought.Chomsky, Noam, ''"What makes mai ...
.


Label independence

Ani cites her anti-corporate ethos for the main reason she decided to start her own label. This has allowed her a considerable degree of creative freedom over the years, including, for example, providing all instrumentals and vocals and recording the album herself at her home on an analog 8-track reel to reel, and handling much of the artwork and packaging design for her 2004 album ''
Educated Guess A guess (or an act of guessing) is a swift conclusion drawn from data directly at hand, and held as probable or tentative, while the person making the guess (the guesser) admittedly lacks material for a greater degree of certainty. A guess is als ...
''. She has referenced this independence from major labels in song more than once, including "The Million You Never Made" (''
Not a Pretty Girl ''Not a Pretty Girl'' is the sixth studio album released by singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco on her own record label, Righteous Babe Records. It was released July 18, 1995. The album extended the folk singer's early formula of acoustic guitar an ...
''), which discusses the act of turning down a lucrative contract, "The Next Big Thing" (''
Not So Soft ''Not So Soft'' is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco, released in 1991. Track listing Personnel * Ani DiFranco – vocals, Steel-string guitar, acoustic guitar, congas, sound effects, production, arrangement, ...
''), which describes an imagined meeting with a label head-hunter who evaluates the singer based on her looks, and "Napoleon" ('' Dilate''), which sympathizes sarcastically with an unnamed friend who did sign with a label. The business grew organically starting in 1990 with the first cassette tape. Connections were made when women in colleges started duplicating and sharing tapes. Offers to play at colleges started coming in and her popularity grew largely by word of mouth and through women's groups or organizations. Zango and Goldenrod, two music distributors specializing in women's music, started carrying DiFranco's music. In general they sold music to independent music stores and women's book stores. In 1995, Righteous Babe Records signed with
Koch International Koch Entertainment was an American record label and a distributor of film, television, and music. It was purchased by Canadian entertainment company Entertainment One in 2005. History First years The company began in 1975 as part of Koch Intern ...
for DiFranco's release of ''Not a Pretty Girl''. Her records could then be found in large and small record stores alike. DiFranco has occasionally joined with Prince in discussing publicly the problems associated with major record companies. Righteous Babe Records employs a number of people in her hometown of Buffalo. In a 1997 open letter to '' Ms.'' magazine she expressed displeasure that what she considers a way to ensure her own artistic freedom was seen by others solely in terms of its financial success.


Activism

From the earliest days of her career, DiFranco has lent her voice and her name to a broad range of social movements, performing benefit concerts, appearing on benefit albums, speaking at rallies, and offering info table space to organizations at her concerts and the virtual equivalent on her website, among other methods and actions. In 1999, she created her own not-for-profit organization; as the Buffalo News has reported, "Through the Righteous Babe Foundation, DiFranco has backed various grassroots cultural and political organizations, supporting causes ranging from abortion rights to gay visibility." During the
first Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...
, DiFranco participated in the anti-war movement. In early 1993 she played Pete Seeger's Clearwater Folk Festival for the first time. In 1998, she was a featured performer in the Dead Man Walking benefit concert series raising money for Sister
Helen Prejean Helen Prejean ( ; born April 21, 1939) is a Catholic religious sister and a leading American advocate for the abolition of the death penalty. She is known for her best-selling book, '' Dead Man Walking'' (1993), based on her experiences with t ...
's "Not in Our Name" anti-death penalty organization. DiFranco's commitment to opposing the death penalty is longstanding; she has also been a long time supporter of the Southern Center for Human Rights. During the
2000 U.S. presidential election The 2000 United States presidential election was the 54th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 7, 2000. Republican candidate George W. Bush, the governor of Texas and eldest son of the 41st president, George H. W. Bush ...
, she actively supported and voted for
Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence. Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation ...
candidate Ralph Nader, though in an open letter she made clear that if she lived in a swing state, she would vote for
Al Gore Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. Gore was the Democratic Part ...
to prevent
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
from being elected. In 2004, DiFranco visited Burma in order to learn about the Burmese resistance movement and the country's fight for democracy. During her travels she met with then-detained resistance leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Her song "In The Way" was later featured on '' For the Lady'', a benefit CD that donated all proceeds to the United States Campaign for Burma. During the 2004 presidential primaries, she supported liberal, anti-war Democrat
Dennis Kucinich Dennis John Kucinich (; born October 8, 1946) is an American politician. A U.S. Representative from Ohio from 1997 to 2013, he was also a candidate for the Democratic nomination for president of the United States in 2004 and 2008. He ran for ...
, who appeared on stage with her during several of her concerts. After the primary season ended, and John Kerry was the clear Democratic candidate, DiFranco launched a "Vote Dammit!" tour of swing states encouraging audience members to vote. In 2005, she lobbied Congress against the proliferation of nuclear power in general and the placement of nuclear waste dumps on Indian land in particular. In 2008, she again backed Kucinich in his bid for the presidency. In 2002, Righteous Babe Records established the "Aiding Buffalo's Children" program in conjunction with members of the local community to raise funds for Buffalo's public school system. To kick off the program, DiFranco donated "a day's pay"—the performance fee from her concert that year at Shea's Performing Arts Center— to ABC and challenged her fans to do the same. Aiding Buffalo's Children has since been folded into the Community Foundation of Greater Buffalo, contributing to a variety of charitable funds. In 2005, when
Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
devastated DiFranco's newly adopted home town of New Orleans, she collected donations from fans around the world through The Righteous Babe Store website for the Katrina Piano Fund, helping musicians replace instruments lost in the hurricane, raising over $47,500 for the cause. In 2010, after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, she performed at the "For Our Coast" benefit concert joining Marianne Faithfull, C. C. Adcock and others at the Acadiana Center for the Arts Theater in Lafayette, raising money for Gulf Aid Acadiana, and the Gulf Aid show with
Lenny Kravitz Leonard Albert Kravitz (born May 26, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter. His style incorporates elements of rock, blues, soul, R&B, funk, jazz, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, pop and folk. Kravitz won the Grammy Award for Best Male Roc ...
, Mos Def, and others at Mardi Gras World River City in New Orleans, both shows raising money to help protect the wetlands, clean up the coast and to assist the fishermen and their families affected by the spill. DiFranco also sits on the board for
The Roots of Music Roots of Music, Inc. is a non-profit educational organization based in Orleans Parish, New Orleans, Louisiana. The organization operates an after-school program which provides academic tutoring and music mentoring for at-risk middle school stude ...
, founded by Rebirth Brass Band drummer
Derrick Tabb Derrick Tabb (born May 27, 1975) is an American musician, a long-standing member of the Rebirth Brass Band and a co-founder of The Roots of Music, a non-profit organization that sponsors an after-school academic and music program for children i ...
. The organization provides free marching band instruction to children in the New Orleans area in addition to academic tutoring and mentoring. DiFranco joined about 500,000 people at the March for Women's Lives in DC in April 2004. As an honored guest she marched in the front row for the three-mile route, along with Margaret Cho,
Janeane Garofalo Janeane Marie Garofalo ( ; born September 28, 1964) is an American comedian, actress, and former co-host on the now-defunct Air America Radio's ''The Majority Report''. Garofalo began her career as a stand-up comedian and became a cast member on ...
, Whoopi Goldberg, Gloria Steinem and others. Later in the day, Ani played a few songs on the main stage in front of the Capitol, including "Your Next Bold Move". Scot Fisher, formerly Righteous Babe label president and DiFranco's manager for many years, has been a longtime advocate of the preservation movement in Buffalo. In 1999, he and DiFranco purchased a decaying church on the verge of demolition in downtown Buffalo and began the lengthy process of restoring it. In 2006, the building opened its doors again, first briefly as "The Church" and then as "Babeville," housing two concert venues, the record label's business office, and Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center. DiFranco is also a member of the Toronto-based charity Artists Against Racism for which she participated in a radio PSA.


Awards and nominations


Discography


Studio albums

*''
Ani DiFranco Angela Maria "Ani" DiFranco (; born September 23, 1970) is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter. She has released more than 20 albums. DiFranco's music has been classified as folk rock and alternative rock, although it has additional influe ...
'' (1990) *''
Not So Soft ''Not So Soft'' is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco, released in 1991. Track listing Personnel * Ani DiFranco – vocals, Steel-string guitar, acoustic guitar, congas, sound effects, production, arrangement, ...
'' (1991) *''
Imperfectly ''Imperfectly'' is the third studio album by singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco, released in 1992 (see 1992 in music). Track listing Personnel *Ani DiFranco – guitar, vocals, production *Andy Stochansky – drums, percussion *Geoff Perry – bas ...
'' (1992) *'' Puddle Dive'' (1993) *'' Out of Range'' (1994) *''
Not a Pretty Girl ''Not a Pretty Girl'' is the sixth studio album released by singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco on her own record label, Righteous Babe Records. It was released July 18, 1995. The album extended the folk singer's early formula of acoustic guitar an ...
'' (1995) *'' Dilate'' (1996) *'' Little Plastic Castle'' (1998) *''
Up Up Up Up Up Up ''Up Up Up Up Up Up'' is the ninth album by singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco, released in 1999 on Righteous Babe Records (see 1999 in music). "Angry Anymore" was released to radio, but did not Record chart, chart. Its promotional single featured ...
'' (1999) *'' To the Teeth'' (1999) *'' Revelling/Reckoning'' (2001) *'' Evolve'' (2003) *''
Educated Guess A guess (or an act of guessing) is a swift conclusion drawn from data directly at hand, and held as probable or tentative, while the person making the guess (the guesser) admittedly lacks material for a greater degree of certainty. A guess is als ...
'' (2004) *''
Knuckle Down ''Knuckle Down'' is the 14th studio album by singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco. It is the first album where DiFranco has collaborated with a producer; Joe Henry. The record is also her first studio album to feature a string section. It is considered ...
'' (2005) *'' Reprieve'' (2006) *''
Red Letter Year ''Red Letter Year'' is the 16th studio album by singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco, released on September 30, 2008. Says DiFranco about the album: “When I listen to my new record, I hear a very relaxed me, which I think has been absent in a lot o ...
'' (2008) *''
¿Which Side Are You On? ''¿Which Side Are You On?'' is the 17th studio album by singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco, released on January 17, 2012. The title track is a revised version of the 1931 Florence Reece song "Which Side Are You On?" which was popularized by Pete S ...
'' (2012) *''
Allergic to Water ''Allergic to Water'' is the 18th studio album by singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco, released on November 4, 2014. Critical reception The album has a score of 71 out of 100 from Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggr ...
'' (2014) *'' Binary'' (2017) *''Revolutionary Love'' (2021)


With Utah Phillips

*''
The Past Didn't Go Anywhere ''The Past Didn't Go Anywhere'' is an album by American folksinger Utah Phillips and American singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco, released October 15, 1996, on DiFranco's label, Righteous Babe Records. On the album Phillips is recorded telling sto ...
'' (1996) *'' Fellow Workers'' (1999)


Live albums

* 1994 – '' An Acoustic Evening With'' * 1994 – ''
Women in (E)motion ''Women In (E)motion'' is an Import CD release by Ani DiFranco from 1994. The set was recorded live at Schauburg in Bremen, Germany, on July 8, 1994, for the Women In (E)motion Festival, Women In (E)motion festival series on Radio Bremen and rel ...
'' (German Release) * 1997 – ''
Living in Clip ''Living in Clip'' is a live album by singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco, released in 1997. The title is from a comment made by live sound engineer Larry Berger, indicating that the amplifiers weren't merely being overdriven into clipping occasiona ...
'' * 2002 – '' So Much Shouting, So Much Laughter'' * 2004 – ''
Atlanta – 10.9.03 Angela Maria "Ani" DiFranco (; born September 23, 1970) is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter. She has released more than 20 albums. DiFranco's music has been classified as folk rock and alternative rock, although it has additional influe ...
'' (Official Bootleg series #1) * 2004 – ''Sacramento – 10.25.03'' (Official Bootleg series #1) * 2004 – ''Portland – 4.7.04'' (Official Bootleg series #1) * 2005 – ''Boston – 11.16.03'' (Official Bootleg series #1) * 2005 – ''Chicago – 1.17.04'' (Official Bootleg series #1) * 2005 – ''Madison – 1.25.04'' (Official Bootleg series #1) * 2005 – ''Rome – 11.15.04'' (Official Bootleg series #1) * 2006 – '' Carnegie Hall – 4.6.02'' (Official Bootleg series No. 1 – available in stores) * 2007 – ''Boston – 11.10.06'' (Official Bootleg series #1) * 2008 – ''Hamburg – 10.18.07'' (Official Bootleg series #1) * 2009 – '' Saratoga, CA – 9.18.06'' (Official Bootleg series #1) * 2009 – '' Chicago – 9.22.07'' (Official Bootleg series #1) * 2010 – ''Live at Bull Moose Music'' (Limited edition) * 2012 – ''Buffalo – April 22, 2012'' (Official Bootleg series #2) * 2013 – ''London – October 29, 2008'' (Official Bootleg series #2) * 2014 – ''Ridgefield, CT – November 18, 2009'' (Official Bootleg series #2) * 2014 – ''Harrisburg, PA – January 23, 2008'' (Official Bootleg series #2) * 2015 – ''New York, NY – March 30, 1995'' (Official Bootleg series #2) * 2016 – ''Glenside, PA – November 11, 2012'' (Official Bootleg series #2) * 2016 – ''Melbourne, FL – January 19, 2016'' (Official Bootleg series #2) * 2018 – ''Charlottesville, VA 5.12.18'' (Official Bootleg series #3) * 2019 – ''Woodstock, NY 6-16-2019'' (Official Bootleg series #3) * 2020 – ''Keene, NH 11-16-2019'' (Official Bootleg series #3)


EPs

* 1996 – '' More Joy, Less Shame'' * 1999 – ''
Little Plastic Remixes ''Little Plastic Remixes'' (1999) is the second EP released by Ani DiFranco. It consists of three remixes (all by DiFranco herself) of songs from her 1998 album ''Little Plastic Castle'' and one live track from her 1993 album ''Puddle Dive''. Thi ...
'' (limited distribution) * 2000 – ''
Swing Set A swing is a seat, often found at playgrounds for children, at a circus for acrobats, or on a porch for relaxing, although they may also be items of indoor furniture, such as the Latin American hammock or the Indian oonjal. The seat of a swing ...
'' * 2016 – '' Play God''


Videos

* 2002 – ''Render: Spanning Time with Ani DiFranco'' * 2004 – ''Trust'' * 2008 – ''Live at Babeville''


Compilations

* 1993 – '' Like I Said: Songs 1990–91'' * 1995 – ''Live from Mountain Stage, Vol. 8'' – "Buildings & Bridges (live)" * 1996 – ''Women's Work'' – "Cradle and All (live)" * 1996 – ''Women: Live from Mountain Stage''- "Egos Like Hairdos (live)" * 1997 – ''Divine Divas: A World of Women's Voices''- "Amazing Grace" * 1998 – ''Live at World Café Vol. 6''- "Buildings & Bridges (live)" * 1998 – ''Modern Day Storytellers'' – "Buildings & Bridges" * 1998 – ''Rare on Air Vol. 4'' (KCRW) – "Gravel (live)" * 1998 – ''Where Have All the Flowers Gone: Songs of Pete Seeger'' – "My Name is Lisa Kalvelage" * 1998 – ''Women of Spirit''- "Done Wrong" * 1999 – ''Respect: A Century of Women in Music''- "32 Flavors" * 2000 – ''Badlands: A Tribute to Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska''- "Used Cars" * 2000 – ''Best of Hard Rock Café Live'' – "Little Plastic Castle (live)" * 2000 – Til We Outnumber 'Em'' – Performed " Do Re Mi" solo and "Ramblin' Round" with
Indigo Girls Indigo Girls are an American folk rock music duo from Atlanta, Georgia, United States, consisting of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. The two met in elementary school and began performing together as high school students in Decatur, Georgia, part o ...
; Producer * 2001 – ''Live @ The World Café Vol. 10'' – "32 Flavors" * 2001 – ''Best of Sessions at West 54th'' – "32 Flavors" * 2002 – ''Gascd'' – "Your Next Bold Move" * 2002 – ''Going Driftless: An Artist Tribute to Greg Brown''- "The Poet Game" * 2002 – ''When Pigs Fly: Songs You Never Thought You'd Hear'' – "
Unforgettable Unforgettable may refer to: Film * ''Unforgettable'' (1996 film), a thriller starring Ray Liotta * ''Unforgettable'' (2014 film), a Bollywood film * ''Unforgettable'' (2016 film), a South Korean film * ''Unforgettable'' (2017 film), an America ...
" w/ Jackie Chan * 2003 – ''Peace Not War'' – "Self Evident" * 2004 – ''Peace Not War Vol. 2'' – "Animal" * 2004 – '' For the Lady'' – "In the Way" * 2005 – '' Bonnaroo Music Festival 2004'' (CD & DVD) – "Evolve (live)" * 2006 – ''Music Is Hope''- "Napoleon (remix)" * 2006 – ''Dead Man Walking: Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture'' – "Crime for Crime", "Fuel", "Up Up Up Up Up Up" * 2007 – '' Canon'' * 2007 – ''Sowing the Seed: The 10th Anniversary Appleseed Recordings'' – "Waist Deep in the Big Muddy" * 2007 – ''Cool as Folk: Cambridge Folk Festival'' – "Cradle and All (live)" * 2009 – ''Singing Through the Hard Times: A Utah Phillips Celebration'' – "The International" * 2011 – ''Note of Hope: A Celebration of Woody Guthrie'' – "Voice" * 2011 – '' Every Mother Counts'' – "Present/Infant" (Remix) * 2012 – ''
Occupy This Album ''Occupy This Album: 99 Songs for the 99 Percent'' is a four-disc compilation box set released in May 2012 through the record label Music for Occupy. The album concept, and initial production was initiated by Executive Producer Jason Samel. Jason S ...
'' – "Which Side Are You On? (a capella)" * 2019 – '' No Walls Mixtape'' * 2020 – ''Prison Music Project'': ''Long Time Gone -'' "Nowhere but Barstow and Prison"


As producer

* 1998 — Dan Bern — ''
Fifty Eggs ''Fifty Eggs'' is musician Dan Bern's second studio album, and follow up to Dan Bern (album), his self-titled debut. It was produced by Ani DiFranco and released in 1998. Track listing All tracks composed by Dan Bern #"Tiger Woods" #"One Thing ...
'' * 2010 — Margaret Cho — '' Cho Dependent'' — co-producer on "Captain Cameltoe" * 2017 – Peter Mulvey – ''Are You Listening?'' * 2020 – ''Prison Music Project: Long Time Gone''


Other contributions

* 1989 – ''Demo tape'' (unreleased) * 2001 – John Gorka – ''The Company You Keep'' – backing vocals on "Oh Abraham" * 2006 – Jason Karaban – ''Doomed to Make Choices'' * 2006 – Twilight Singers – ''
Powder Burns ''Powder Burns'' is the fourth album by Greg Dulli's The Twilight Singers (not counting Dulli's solo album ''Amber Headlights''). It was released on May 15, 2006 via One Little Indian Records on CD and double 12" vinyl. ''Powder Burns'' was par ...
'' – Featured on "Bonnie Brae," "Candy Cane Crawl," and "Powder Burns" * 2008 –
Dr. John Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. (November 20, 1941 – June 6, 2019), better known by his stage name Dr. John, was an American singer and songwriter. His music encompassed New Orleans blues, jazz, funk, and R&B. Active as a session musician from t ...
– ''The City That Care Forgot'' – Contributed backing vocals to the title track. * 2009 – Jason Karaban – ''Sobriety Kills'' * 2010 – Anaïs Mitchell – '' Hadestown'' * 2010 –
Preservation Hall Jazz Band The Preservation Hall Jazz Band is a New Orleans jazz band founded in New Orleans by tuba player Allan Jaffe in the early 1960s. The band derives its name from Preservation Hall in the French Quarter. In 2005, the Hall's doors were closed for a p ...
– ''Preservation: An Album to Benefit Preservation Hall & The Preservation Hall Music Outreach Program'' – Featured on "Freight Train" * 2011 – Twilight Singers – ''
Dynamite Steps ''Dynamite Steps'' is the fifth full-length album by Greg Dulli's The Twilight Singers. It was released on February 14, 2011, worldwide, and a day later in the United States via Sub Pop on CD and double 12" white-colored vinyl. The Sub Pop pre- ...
'' – Featured on "Blackbird and the Fox" *2016 — Ryan Harvey — Featured on "Old Man Trump" *2019 — Rising Appalachia — ''Leylines —'' Featured on "Speak Out" *2021 —
Pieta Brown Pieta Brown (born 1973) is a critically acclaimed American artist, musician, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter who has released eight albums and five EPs. She has performed with artists such as Mark Knopfler, John Prine, Amo ...
— Featured on "We Are Not Machines"


Poetry

* 2004 – ''Self-evident: poesie e disegni'' * 2007 – ''Verses''


References


External links

*
The Righteous Babe homepage
* *
Ani DiFranco
at '' Rolling Stone'' *
Ani DiFranco featured in award-winning documentary film
{{DEFAULTSORT:Difranco, Ani 1970 births American activists 20th-century American women guitarists 20th-century atheists 20th-century LGBT people 21st-century American bass guitarists 21st-century American composers 21st-century American singers 21st-century American women guitarists 21st-century American women singers 21st-century atheists 21st-century LGBT people 21st-century women composers Activists from New York (state) American abortion-rights activists American acoustic guitarists American anti–death penalty activists American atheists American contraltos American folk guitarists American folk rock musicians American folk singers American gun control activists American people of Canadian descent American people of Italian descent American rock songwriters American street performers American women activists American women rock singers American women singer-songwriters Anti-corporate activists Atheist feminists Bisexual feminists Bisexual musicians Bisexual women Buffalo State College alumni Feminist musicians Grammy Award winners Guitarists from New York (state) LGBT composers LGBT people from New York (state) LGBT rights activists from the United States LGBT singers from the United States LGBT songwriters Living people Musicians from Buffalo, New York The New School alumni Righteous Babe Records artists Singer-songwriters from New York (state) Women bass guitarists