So, I'm listening to the radio at work this afternoon and I hear an unbelievable rendition of Sting's "Fields of Gold" that I've never heard before. I got right onto the web and looked up the singer, Eva Cassidy.
It turns out she was a singer, nearly unknown outside of the Washington DC club scene, who died at age 33 of cancer in the late 90s.
I was so impressed by the song that I stopped on the way home from work and bought two of her CDs. She's oddly stuck in the "folk" category but what she really does is interpret songs of many styles.
I've just finished listening to them both and I am amazed. What a powerful, pure voice she had.
Anyone else ever heard of her?
I'd highly highly recommend you give her a listen!
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Originally posted by buckkyI knew of her music, listened to her a bit but did not know she had
One of the greatest singers of all time. She died way to early. A true marvel.
died. She was really great. Sorry to hear of her death. I put her
into the blues singer catagory.
Ever hear of Kate Wolf? She was one of the great ones, died of
cancer also at 35. She made a recording from her hospital bed
the day she died.
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Originally posted by RookRAKI first saw her on Top of the Pops 2, on BBC Prime, about 5 years ago. In the video, she sang "Over the Rainbow". Apparantly, the Beep's phone's were ringing off the hook after they broadcast the video. I was so blown away, I surfed the web trying to find more about her. She had already been dead several years. It was about this time that "Songbird" was released independently. It was only available from Amazon.
Anyone else ever heard of her?
I'd highly highly recommend you give her a listen!
Mostly by word of mouth, the album was the top selling CD on Amazon for many months. The following year, I beleive there was a PBS special on her music and her life. Very little of her music was recorded, but what little there is, is an absolute treasure.
If I was sent to a dessert island, and could only take one CD with me, it would be Eva Cassidy's "Songbird." The most beautiful, most natural singing voice you'll ever hear.
Originally posted by RookRAKI've been a fan for years. She knew she was dying of cancer when she recorded the Top of the Pops 2 version of 'Somewhere over the Rainbow' and it totally comes through. It is undoubtedly my favourite version of the song and the rest of her stuff is of the same quality. She has what I would consider one of the most beautiful voices and one of the most dynamic styles of singing I have heard, doing everything from Gospel to Folk to Jazz. A true and much missed talent.
So, I'm listening to the radio at work this afternoon and I hear an unbelievable rendition of Sting's "Fields of Gold" that I've never heard before. I got right onto the web and looked up the singer, Eva Cassidy.
It turns out she was a singer, nearly unknown outside of the Washington DC club scene, who died at age 33 of cancer in the late 90s.
I was ...[text shortened]...
Anyone else ever heard of her?
I'd highly highly recommend you give her a listen!
Originally posted by RookRAKBrilliant voice, I've got all her albums ... Highly recommendable (although fields of gold is only a cover as far as I know)
So, I'm listening to the radio at work this afternoon and I hear an unbelievable rendition of Sting's "Fields of Gold" that I've never heard before. I got right onto the web and looked up the singer, Eva Cassidy.
It turns out she was a singer, nearly unknown outside of the Washington DC club scene, who died at age 33 of cancer in the late 90s.
I was ...[text shortened]...
Anyone else ever heard of her?
I'd highly highly recommend you give her a listen!
1 edit
Originally posted by The Slow PawnSo which album is "Songbird" and Field of gold on?
Brilliant voice, I've got all her albums ... Highly recommendable (although fields of gold is only a cover as far as I know)
Another mainly unknown virtuoso vocalist and violinist was
Freyda Epstein, her best album, Acoustic Attitude live at Cabal's.
She had an incredibly versitile voice, and virtuoso level fiddling,
classical and irish/old timey/bluegrass. If anyone here
heard of John McCutcheon, she was his fiddle teacher.
I listen to her 'live at Cabal' time after time and am still amazed
by her. She died in the most bizarre death I know:
She lands at Dulles International in DC, rents a car, is on the way
to a gig, takes off south on HWY 95. Meanwhile this utter nutcase
going north, had stabbed his wife on the side of the road, going
north, stopped to try to finish her off, leaves his wife bleeding on
the roadside, (she survives) then takes off going north on 95.
He gets thoughts of suicide and decides to end it by crashing headlong
into the next car, which sadly was Freyda's. This nut crossed over
a major meridian to get to the northbound lanes and deliberately
aimed for freyda's car, doing about 90 MPH. They both died
instantly. Several people wrote songs and poems euligizing her.
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I'm not sure any of her tracks are original songs. They are all cover versions, but uniqulely arranged, and of course, brilliantly sung. For example, "Songbid" was written by Stevie Nicks of Fleetwwod Mac, and first appeared on the "Rumours" album.
I played the Songbird CD in the car once when I was giving my mother a lift home. Halfway through "Autumn Leaves" I could hear quiet sobbing from the passenger seat.
I wish I'd never heard of Eva Cassidy... so I could discover her music all over again.
Originally posted by GatecrasherApparently all her recordings are covers.
I'm not sure any of her tracks are original songs. They are all cover versions, but uniqulely arranged, and of course, brilliantly sung. For example, "Songbid" was written by Stevie Nicks of Fleetwwod Mac, and first appeared on the "Rumours" album.
I played the Songbird CD in the car once when I was giving my mother a lift home. Halfway through "Aut ...[text shortened]...
I wish I'd never heard of Eva Cassidy... so I could discover her music all over again.
I went to the eva cassidy web site, run by her cousin. The guestbook was filled with the same story as mine "I heard this song on the radio/tv and just had to rush out and buy all her albums". I've already made 3 co-workers listen to them today.
What an unbelievable talent.
