Anne Briggs from Nottinghamshire was considered an incredibly talented singer of traditional English folk music. At the age of 18, she was discovered by Ewan MacColl on a Centre 42 tour in 1962. Years passed with sporadic performances in local folk clubs and occasional recordings, some of which appeared on an EP two years later. All these activities finally culminated in a record deal with the folk label Topic Records in 1971. After her eponymous debut, she recorded her second LP in the same year, which was released on the major label CBS. On Time Has Come, in contrast to her previous album, which featured mainly a-cappella pieces, she accompanied herself on the guitar and bouzouki, which she mastered perfectly. With her exceptionally clear and pure vocals, she had a major influence on several British folk singers, such as Sandy Denny (Fairport Convention), Linda Thompson (Richard & Linda Thompson) and Maddy Prior (Steeleye Span). Together with the folk rock group C.O.B. (Clive's Original Band), she performed at the Royal Festival Hall in 1971.

Despite rising to stardom in the folk scene, she soon ended her career. Many consider her one of the most underrated singers, who also impressed as a songwriter. She was a constant source of inspiration to Bert Jansch, and even Led Zeppelin, with Jimmy Page recording the instrumental accompaniment of her song Blackwaterside as Black Mountain Side and crediting himself as the author.