Bowie's Eva Cassidy Recieves International Recognition with Newest Collection

Now in my 15th year as a freelance arts writer, I have seldom discovered any singer who touched my soul as immediately or profoundly as Eva Cassidy on first hearing her.  In August 2008 Annapolis-based attorney and jazz concert entrepreneur Elana Byrd gave me a copy of Cassidy’s just released “Somewhere” CD.

During her short life of 33 years, long-time Bowie resident Eva Cassidy had appeared at Blues Alley in Washington, D.C. and in Annapolis at Maryland Inn and Reynolds Tavern.  She had made only two released recordings—a 1992 CD called “The Other Side” that featured go-go legend Chuck Brown and in 1996 “Live at Blues Alley” both getting radio play in the Maryland/DC area only.

After her death from melanoma in 1996 Eva achieved growing fame to an expanded audience world-wide as they heard recordings released from tapes she had made.  Family friend Byrd helped settle Cassidy’s estate with Eva’s parents, who signed a contract with Bill Straw of Blix Street Records in 1997.

Straw arranged to market the first two CDs outside the U.S. and later released five CDs including “Somewhere.” More than 8 million copies of Cassidy’s CDs had been sold, having gone quadruple platinum in England and platinum in the U.S. by the time of the August 2008 release of “Somewhere.”

Conceivably another million recordings may be sold after the “Simply Eva” Jan. 25 US release and the Jan. 31 release in the rest of world. “Simply Eva” has already been reported to be at Number 4 on the British hit parade chart and was reported at Number 5 on Billboard’s Folk Chart.  

It has already garnered universal critical praise likening it to “a fine cashmere blanket” and “painfully beautiful” from a Swedish critic and a German critic’s “Eindrucklicher” which I’m told translates to making a great immediate impression.

For me, hearing “Simply Eva” proved another rare transformative listening experience. Heard immediately in the first “Songbird” track is an absolutely clean, intimate recording with only the uniquely shining sound of Eva’s voice accompanied by her acoustic guitar.  On every song that follows it seems as if Eva is here in our room singing only to us while making each song uniquely her own to establish her own breathing vocal immortality. 

Again Eva delivers her own improvisational version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” to rank with Judy Garland who owned it before Eva.  What grabbed me most was the last number “I Know You By Heart” a tender consoling, seemingly prescient goodbye sung a cappella. Here Eva who died on November 2, 1996 sings of being separated in autumn.

“Simply Eva” takes on added meaning for me, as one who is fortunate to have met Eva’s parents Hugh and Barbara Cassidy in 2008 in their home on West River in Shady Side.

As custodians of her work, Hugh and Barbara guard their daughter’s legacy while generously sharing her with a world of fans.    

Hugh is a retired special-education teacher, metalworking artist and his daughter’s first music teacher.  Hugh showed me and my husband Bud the metal angel sculpture of Eva that he completed a month after her death.  He also dragged out a box containing at least 1,000 letters from Eva’s fans all over the world telling how much her music had touched them. Hugh said he answered every letter.

Barbara lovingly displays Eva’s art in every room of their house showing that Eva was an accomplished artist whose work reflects her individuality and joyous spirit.

Bowie readers who want to learn more about Eva’s life spent mostly in Bowie or discover her artwork or order any of her CDs may do so by checking the website at www.evacassidy.com.  

Editor's Note: The story has been corrected to reflect that Eva Cassidy spent most of her life in Bowie, but was not a life-long resident. We regret the error.