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Holly Near (born June 6, 1949 in Ukiah, California) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, teacher, and activist for social change. After starting high school in 1963, Holly Near began singing with the Freedom Singers, a folk group modeled on The Weavers. In 1968, she enrolled in the Theatre Arts program at UCLA; that year, she attended her first Vietnam War peace vigil and joined Another Mother for Peace. Holly Near's professional career began in 1969 with a part on the television show, The Mod Squad, which was followed by appearances in other shows, such as Room 222, All in the... MORE

Holly Near (born June 6, 1949 in Ukiah, California) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, teacher, and activist for social change. After starting high school in 1963, Holly Near began singing with the Freedom Singers, a folk group modeled on The Weavers. In 1968, she enrolled in the Theatre Arts program at UCLA; that year, she attended her first Vietnam War peace vigil and joined Another Mother for Peace. Holly Near's professional career began in 1969 with a part on the television show, The Mod Squad, which was followed by appearances in other shows, such as Room 222, All in the Family, and The Partridge Family. She also appeared in films such as Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five, and Minnie and Moskowitz. She also displayed her full frontal form while playing the chubby sexual predator Fran in The Magic Garden of Stanley Sweetheart (1970). She was briefly a member of the musical comedy troupe, "First National Nothing", and appeared on the troupe's only album, If You Sit Real Still and Hold My Hand, You Will Hear Absolutely Nothing (Columbia Records - LP C 30006). In 1970, Near was a cast member of the Broadway musical Hair. Following the Kent State shootings in May of that LESS