Julie Felix
A radiant folk singer who became a defining voice of the 1960s British music scene and a lifelong champion of peace and protest.
1938–2020 (age 82)·American musician·Birthday: June 14·The Silent Generation
Biography
Julie Felix arrived in Britain from California in the early 1960s with a guitar and a powerful, clear voice, quickly becoming a fixture of the burgeoning folk club circuit. Her breakthrough came on television, where her own BBC series, 'Once More with Felix,' made her a household name. She stood out not just for her musical talent—interpreting songs by Dylan and Cohen alongside her own material—but for her calm, centered presence and unwavering political conscience. Felix was a committed activist, performing at anti-war rallies and for CND throughout her life. Her career ebbed and flowed with the times, but she never stopped performing, later founding her own label to release new music. She remained, until her death, a beloved and resonant figure, a direct link to the idealistic spirit of the folk revival.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Julie was born in 1938, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Julie Was Born
The biggest hits of 1938
#1 Movie
You Can't Take It with You
Best Picture
You Can't Take It with You
Julie's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1938Born
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1943Started school
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1951Became a teenager
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1954Could drive
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1956Could vote
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1959Turned 21
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1968Turned 30
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1978Turned 40
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 50
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 60
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 70
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 80
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2020Died at 82
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
Key Achievements
- Hosted her own popular BBC television music series, 'Once More with Felix,' from 1966 to 1970.
- Performed at the legendary 1969 Isle of Wight Festival alongside Bob Dylan and The Who.
- Was a featured performer at countless rallies for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and other peace movements.
- Released over 20 albums across five decades, including later work on her own label, Lightning Tree.
Did You Know?
She was of Native American (Ojibwe) and Mexican descent, which she often referenced in her advocacy for indigenous rights.
She was discovered in the UK by music manager and activist Theo Bikel while she was busking in London.
She turned down an opportunity to represent the United Kingdom in the 1967 Eurovision Song Contest.
In later life, she lived in a converted barn in Hertfordshire and was a dedicated practitioner of yoga and meditation.
“I've always sung songs of protest because I believe music can change things, can make people think and feel.”
