Hollywood’s Most Famous Flower Children: A Look at the Iconic Hippies of the 60s and 70s
Are you ready to take a trip down memory lane and discover which of Hollywood’s stars have embraced the hippie lifestyle? From their choice of clothing to advocating for communal living, you’ll be surprised by how many A-list celebrities fit into Merriam-Webster’s definition of ‘hippie’. So let’s dive in and explore which household names are part of the movement!
Gloria Steinem
Gloria Steinem was an influential figure in the hippie movement. She took a stance against the Vietnam War by refusing to pay taxes, and her article “After Black Power, Women’s Liberation” made her nationally known.
In 1971, she co-founded Ms., one of the first magazines dedicated to women’s liberation movements. Her work remains relevant today and has inspired many people to stand up for their rights.
Jerry Garcia
Jerry Garcia was the epitome of a hippie. His rebellious nature saw him steal his mom’s car and get discharged from the Army.
He dedicated his life to music and embodied the essence of being a hippie with his long, wild hair, thick beard and unique style. All these qualities made Jerry legendary in the world of rock ‘n’ roll.
Arlo Guthrie
Arlo Guthrie’s anti-war message in his song “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree” made him a star in the mid-’60s.
His folksy sound and counterculture lyrics resonated with hippies, leading to a record deal and an invitation to Woodstock. The success of this blues song put him on the map as one of the most popular folk singers of his time.
Cher
Cher and Sonny Bono first found success with “I Got You Babe,” but their “square” lifestyle caused them to lose popularity.
Cher’s solo albums proved more successful, leading the couple to split up. This gave her the opportunity to become a star in her own right, which she did with great success.
Warren Beatty
Warren Beatty had a strong presence in the hippie movement. At 29, he produced and starred in Bonnie and Clyde, which was hugely successful. His movie The Only Game In Town also resonated with the era’s culture – featuring music, love, and obsession.
Beatty’s rebellious roles, combined with his magnetic style, made him an icon of this period.
Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin embraced the hippie lifestyle, living with her bandmates in a commune and partying with The Grateful Dead.
In 1969, she launched her solo career and performed at Woodstock to an enthusiastic crowd of hippies. Her music embodied the counterculture movement of that era.
Richie Havens
The opening act at Woodstock was none other than poet and musician Richie Havens.
He was picked up by Bob Dylan’s manager in the mid-’60s, and he cranked out a handful of albums combining folk, funk, and blues. His performance at Woodstock launched his career thanks to his loyal following of hippies.
Johnny Winter
When Johnny Winter was signed to Columbia Records, he was handed $600,000, which was one of the largest advances in recording history.
Mere months after being discovered, Johnny performed at Woodstock. His long hair and bluesy sound perfectly fit the hippie movement.
Carlos Santana
Carlos Santana, a then-novice guitarist, took to the stage at Woodstock the same year that his band was signed to Columbia Records.
Their first album was set to release after the famous music festival, which made the performance a fantastic shock among hippies. Santana’s distinct sound has attracted artists and audiences alike ever since.
Robert Plant
Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant was a dream to many hippies. His stage presence, thick wavy hair, and psychedelic voice were irresistible.
The same year as Woodstock, Led Zeppelin dropped their first and second albums. The latter included “Whole Lotta Love,” which, by the name alone, was perfectly suited for the movement.
John Fogerty
Sporting long hair and longer fringe, John Fogerty took the Woodstock stage with his band Creedence Clearwater Revival.
Their rock hits like “Susie Q” and “Proud Mary” landed them a spot in the Woodstock lineup and more success in the years to follow.
Sly Stone
Sly Stone of the band Sly and the Family Stone brought the funk to Woodstock. Sly was raised in the hippie movement’s central location, the San Francisco Bay Area.
The multiracial bandmates were an illustration of the human rights hippies were fighting for.
David Bowie
David Bowie experimented with many styles and genres of music. Out of the hippie era blossomed David’s emergence as a bohemian folk musician. He formed a folk trio with his girlfriend, Hermione Farthingale.
After the couple broke up in 1969, David started a popular folk club and wrote his second album, which focused on hippie themes such as peace and morality.
Mick Jagger
There are few things more “hippie” than abandoning a degree in economics for life as a rock star; in 1963, that is precisely what Mick Jagger did. Along with fellow bandmate Keith Richards, he began writing songs that could pull on the heartstrings.
Their first hit was perfect for the free-loving hippie movement: “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” Their defiant image contrasted that of The Beatles, representing a grungier side of the era.
Pattie Boyd
The beautiful Pattie Boyd was a model and photographer at the time that she met George Harrison of The Beatles. The media adored the young hippie couple.
Along with George, Pattie embraced the culture of India and spirituality. While still married, George became friends with Eric Clapton, who fell for Pattie. Their love triangle was very hippie-ish.
Keith Richards
Along with Mick Jagger, Keith Richards co-founded The Rolling Stones and wrote the songs.
He also performed some of the band’s vocals, and he is known for creating unique sounds with his guitar through open tuning. His style and innovation were well-received during the revolutionary time period of the ’60s.
George Harrison
George’s long hair and vividly-patterned clothing weren’t the only ways he participated in the hippie movement.
The lead guitarist became intrigued by Indian culture and took up the sitar. He also became a vegetarian and learned the art of meditation. These influences became a profound part of the hippie movement by contributing to the promotion of peace.
Joan Baez
Joan Baez began her professional career right at the start of the ’60s. She expressed her love for humanity by including a song that was in Spanish on her debut album.
According to PBS, she also became friends with Martin Luther King Jr. Throughout her entire life; activism played a critical role in her music career, performances, and personal efforts.
John Lennon
As the frontman of The Beatles, John Lennon was already a huge name by the mid-1960s. After receiving some backlash, Lennon won over the hearts of America again with his song “All You Need Is Love.”
The song was practically an anthem for the hippie movement. Throughout the 1970s, Lennon continued to be an outspoken activist as he pursued a solo career.
Stevie Nicks
Stevie Nicks got her start in 1967 in the band Fritz, which were known for their psychedelic-meets-country sound. After the band split, Stevie and her musical and romantic partner eventually joined the popular band Fleetwood Mac in 1970.
They produced two songs that were famously written by Stevie: “Landslide” and “Rhiannon.” Her talent and style were perfect for the last years of the hippie era.
Jimi Hendrix
Due to his massive influence, Jimi Hendrix is still regarded as one of the greatest guitarists of all time. True to the hippie embrace of positive change, Jimi dared to be different for the sake of making something better.
Hippies flocked to see Jimi perform at Woodstock. His fashion, sound, and way of life were riddled with hippie influence.
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell’s started out playing small gigs for no money. Wearing a homemade dress and carrying daisies, she married folk singer Chuck Mitchell in New York City in 1965.
Only 21 years old, Joni had just begun writing songs when she arrived in the states. She was later discovered by David Crosby and flown to LA. She was well-embraced by the hippie community and won her first Grammy in 1970.
Jane Birkin
Jane Birkin entered the world of acting in the mid-’60s but became well-known in 1969 when she met Serge Gainsbourg. Their first hit together, “I love you…me neither,” was considered scandalous at the time, but that was the way during the hippie movement.
As a model, she also had an influence on the fashion industry. Like a true hippie, she had a line of tote bags named after her.
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand sacrificed everything for her art at a young age, adopting a hippie lifestyle. As a teenager, she crashed on the couches of friends while pursuing her acting career.
By the ’60s, as she gradually rose to fame, she never forgot her hippie beginnings, often wearing loose gowns and letting her hair flow.
Carly Simon
“You’re So Vain” was one of Carly Simon’s biggest hits. The singer was at the top of her game in the 1970s, and her style certainly evoked the hippie culture.
While her music wasn’t as politicized as some other artists of the time, it did offer another empowered female voice to the era.
Jane Fonda
Born to an actor and a socialite, Jane Fonda was quickly regarded as a lovely and gifted actress. She would go on to participate in several protests over the decades.
Beginning in the ’60s, the actress supported the Civil Rights Movement and opposed the war. She carefully balanced her acting career with life as an activist.
Marianne Faithfull
Marianne Faithfull first gained attention thanks to her boyfriend, Mick Jagger. As a singer-songwriter, her music became recognized around the globe.
Mick and Marianne’s relationship was highly publicized during the hippie era. Marianne’s life and music reflected a darker side of the hippie movement: substance abuse. Nevertheless, she became regarded as one of the top female rockers.
Michelle Phillips
Born and raised in southern California, Michelle Phillips forged her independence at a young age, getting married at just 18 years old and moving to New York.
The pair formed The Mamas & the Papas, which rose to prominence in the late 1960s. Michelle began expressing her interest in free love by becoming involved in two separate affairs. She later transitioned to an acting career in the ’70s.
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan became widely regarded in the early ’60s for writing lyrics that supported the civil rights movement. As a counterculture musician, some of Bob’s songs were seen as hippie anthems, such as “These Times They Are a-Changin.”
The reason why Bob’s songs may have resonated with hippies isn’t only because he sang about war, peace, and love.
Jack Nicholson
Jack Nicholson came to Los Angeles in the ’50s with the hope of becoming an actor. At first, he ended up having more success behind the camera. That’s what lead to his successful screenplay, The Trip.
This was a psychedelic film that was perfectly timed with the hippie movement, hitting theaters in 1967. Two years later, Nicholson starred in Easy Rider and established himself as the anti-hero of the counter-culture movement.
Goldie Hawn
Goldie Hawn gained international attention for roles portraying the stereotypical ditzy blonde at the start of the ’60s, embracing the playful side of the hippie movement.
While she wasn’t as outspoken at the time, Goldie later expressed her belief in meditation and spirituality. She also has supported humanitarian efforts.
Jim Morrison
Jim Morrison lived the hippie lifestyle after graduating from college, living on a rooftop in Venice Beach, California. He brought a soulful feel to the psychedelic music of The Doors.
The suggestive lyrics were a hit among free-loving hippies. Morrison traded in his look for a more boho look.
Grace Slick
One of the most recognizably hippie songs to date is “White Rabbit,” a song about the effects of psychedelics. Grace Slick composed that song while she was still performing with her band, The Great Society.
Shortly after that, Grace became the lead singer of Jefferson Airplane. The band soon transformed their sound from rock to psychedelic.
Talitha Getty
Talitha Getty wore a white miniskirt during her wedding to John Paul Getty, who introduced Talitha to Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull.
Talitha embraced the hippie culture in her style. She has since been regarded as a model of hippie chic and boho-chic. She also appeared in a handful of films throughout the decade, including Barbarella.
Nancy Sinatra
Nancy Sinatra was the daughter of Frank Sinatra. Her style transcended that of her famous dad by utilizing the hippie influence that emerged in the ’60s.
Not only did Nancy adorn her hair with flowers and wear colorful outfits, but she also recorded “These Boots Are Made For Walkin’,” a song that celebrated female confidence.
Yoko Ono
Artist, singer and songwriter Yoko Ono rose to the limelight during the hippie movement. She and her husband, John Lennon, quickly became one of the most well-known couples of the era.
The pair joined forces to fight for peace. Yoko has created art for decades and continues to use her voice to promote human rights and positive change.
Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart’s husky voice was a perfect match for the bluesy undertones hippies loved so much. The English musician toured the states with the Jeff Beck Group in 1968.
Rod Stewart left the band to put out a solo album before joining forces with the rock group Faces. His long hair, style, and talent brought him continued success through the hippie movement and long after.
Jimmy Page
Musical partners Robert Plant and Jimmy Page wrote many smash hits together. Like Robert, Jimmy had the look and stage charisma that seemed destined for the hippie movement.
His thick mop of hair, flowy clothes, and double-neck guitar drove fans wild.
Veruschka von Lehndorff
German supermodel Veruschka von Lehndorff was 20 years old when her career launched. Several years later, she attended the famous Woodstock festival.
Many of Veruschka’s photos show her in nature and wearing hippie-inspired attire. She left the fashion industry in the ’70s to avoid certain social pressures being put on her. Now that is a true self-loving hippie!
Roger Daltrey
The Who founder Roger Daltrey dressed like a hippie and performed like a rebel, and he popularized the act of swinging a microphone by its chord.
His rainbow suspenders, long and wavy hair, and bell-bottom jeans fit right into the hippie style. His use of stuttering as a means to express frustration in “My Generation” was a perfect homage to the counterculture movement.
