Ani DiFranco (/ni/; produced Angela Maria DiFranco; September 23, 1970) is an American singer, guitarist, multi instrumentalist, poet and songwriter. She’s released more than 20 records and is broadly considered a feminist icon.
Although DiFranco’s music continues to be classified as both folk rock and alternative rock, she’s achieved through music genres since her earliest records integrating first punk, afterward funk, hip hop, and jazz influences. She was among the very first independent musicians to make her very own record label (Righteous Babe), a move which has given her major creative independence. She continues to excite her fan base with intelligent lyrics, excellent guitar riffs, amazing voice, and touch fashion.
Through the Righteous Babe Foundation, DiFranco has backed various grassroots cultural and political organizations, supporting causes which range from abortion rights to homosexual presence.
DiFranco is a critical success for much of her career, though not a commercial one by major label standards, having a career record average of 72 on Metacritic. Living in Clip, DiFranco’s 1998 double live album, is alone to attain gold record status to date. DiFranco continues to be commended by the Buffalo News as the “Buffalo’s leading lady of rock music”. Beginning in 2003, DiFranco was nominated four successive times for Best Recording Package in the Grammy Awards, winning in 2004, for Evolve.
Elizabeth Ross DiFranco, Dante Americo DiFranco, 32 Flavors, Both Hands, Untouchable Face, Dublin 8, Ireland, London, United Kingdom
Nicknames
Ani DeFranco , AniDiFranco , Ani Difranco , Ani di Franco , Angela Marie Difranco , DiFranco, Ani
Awards
Grammy Award for Best Recording Package
Nominations
Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance
Movies
Ani DiFranco: Trust, Render: Spanning Time with Ani DiFranco, Ani Difranco: Live At Babeville, The Best of Sessions at West 54th: Vol. 1, Radical Harmonies, Dead Man Walking: The Concert, Bi the Way, Dublin 8, Ireland, London, United Kingdom
Star Sign
Libra
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Quote
1
When I showed up shave-headed and army-booted and pierced in places people were talking about, I can't tell you how welcoming they were. There was, of course, the sort of stodgy folk-Nazis within the community, but the dudes who really knew what was up looked through the different uniform and style and said, 'Here is somebody young doing the work. 'Welcome, and bring your teenagers with you'. It was a real embracing environment for me. I got to learn from the masters.
2
My songs are the one place where I won't mince my words. One on one, I have a lot of fear and inhibition. I think this is why I am so bold in my songs. It is my one place that I have carved out to do that, be that. They have gotten me and a lot of other people into a lot of trouble over the years. My guitar has this truth serum in it, and lo! the people that wander into my canon.
3
All decent people, male and female, are feminists. The only people who are not feminists are those who believe that women are inherently inferior or undeserving of the respect and opportunity afforded men. Either you are a feminist or you are a sexist/misogynist. There is no box marked "other".
4
Who has turned feminism into a dirty word? One of the things that bugs the s**t out of me is the fact that we can't even use the word "feminist" these days. It's been made taboo by a conservative media. The feminist movement in this country is one of the most powerful human liberation movements the planet has seen... so, to let this sort of conservative culture steal the feminist history from our consciousness and steal the respect from the people who fought and died so we could have such liberty is a travesty.
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Fact
1
Her mother, who is from Montreal, is of Scottish and English ancestry. Her father, a native of Erie, Pennsylvania, was the son of Italian immigrants.
2
Gave birth to their daughter, Petah Lucia, weighting 7 lbs, 8 oz, on January 20, 2007.
3
Released her 14th album of all-original material on January 25, 2005. The CD contains 12 songs and is titled "Knuckle Down."
Bought a church in downtown Buffalo to make as a recording studio.
6
Released her 13th studio album of all-original material, titled "Educated Guess," on January 20, 2004.
7
Ranked #90 on VH1's 100 Greatest Women of Rock N Roll
8
Her first name is pronounced, 'ahn-knee,' not Annie, as in Little Orphan Annie.
9
Released her 12th studio album, titled 'Evolve' on March 11, 2003. As with all her albums, it was distributed by her own record label, Righteous Babe Records.
10
Lists 'Danielle LoPresti''s "Dear Mr. Penis Head" (1999) as one of her favorite recent albums. LoPresti has often been compared to Ms. Difranco.
Her albums 'Not a Pretty Girl' (1995), 'Dilate' (1996), and 'Little Plastic Castles' (1998) were among the more critically lauded releases of the 1990s.
13
Recent releases on her Righteous Babe Records include 'Sara Lee (III)'s "Make it Beautiful" and 'Bitch & Animal''s "Eternally Hard".
14
Is a committed feminist, and did not her take husband's name in marriage.
15
Has played at benefits for convicted cop-murderer Mumia abu-Jamal and the Green Party.