Tribute to the Extraordinary Eva Cassidy
Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.
As I’ve mentioned before, I spent 2 and 1/2 years in the hospital and finally came home in December 2011. My family was brought together on four different occasions and told I would not live until morning. I was about to give into my health problems when my Wife Susan brought my laptop to the hospital. Thank God for wifi as I discovered the profound beauty and talent of Eva Cassidy.
From her first notes, I was stunned, captivated and comforted. Her musical selection, interpretation, range, enunciation, sustaining notes, phrasing, rich timbre and vocal acrobatics are exquisitely overwhelming. Her power and softness are a constant marvel. Her delivery is perfection.
The sheer beauty of her music reaches very deep inside me and yet simultaneously transports me far beyond myself. I honestly believe my healing process began when I found this slide show of Eva’s cover of Over The Rainbow uploaded on YouTube by CasaLucita on Jun 7, 2007. Her voice is a conduit to something bigger, more profound and extraordinary than words can express.
My heartfelt appreciation goes to Barbara and Hugh Cassidy for bringing Eva into our world and to Chris Biondo for believing in Eva and making it possible for us to still hear her.
For more information about Eva Cassidy’s incredible music, art, life and legacy of inspiration, here are two beautiful websites created by members of Eva’s family:
http://www.evacassidy.com (books, artwork and cds (including the latest CD to be released in January 2011) are available on this site)
http://www.evacassidy.org (a wonderful wealth of information)
And here’s a link to a documentary on Eva Cassidy’s story:
ABC Nightline Program Eva Cassidy (aired nationally four times)
http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/video/rainbow–10170062
BBC Eva Cassidy Story:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sfRvXIictA
Composed by Harold Arlen (music) and E. Y. Harburg’s (lyrics)
UPDATE!!!!! A NEW EVA CASSIDY ALBUM IS DUE OUT AT THE END OF January 2011.
If you have PayPal, IT IS POSSIBLE TO PRE-ORDER THE NEW “SIMPLY EVA” CD through this fine Cassidy family website:
Or you can pre-order the “Simply Eva” CD through Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywo…
Article on Eva Cassidy posted in the Seattle P-I by Steven J. Patrick:
http://blog.seattlepi.com/theconstantvalentine/archives/179380.asp?from=blog_…
For those interested in purchasing the DVD of Eva Cassidy’s live performance at Blues Alley, it is available from Amazon.com in the UK. Here’s the link:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Eva-Cassidy-Sings-DVD/dp/B000684110/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF…
