Editing Eva Cassidy (section)

==Early life==
Born on February 2, 1963, at the [[Washington Hospital Center]] in Washington, D.C.,<ref>[[#knew|Burley et al.]] p. 13.</ref> Cassidy grew up in [[Oxon Hill, Maryland]], and later [[Bowie, Maryland]]. She was the third of four children. Her father, [[Hugh Cassidy]], is a teacher, sculptor, musician, former army medic, and world champion [[powerlifter]] of Irish and [[Scottish people|Scottish]] descent, while her mother, Barbara (''née'' Kratzer), is a German [[horticulturist]] from [[Bad Kreuznach]].<ref name= wordmag>[http://www.evacassidy.org/eva/wordmagazine.pdf The Afterlife of Eva Cassidy] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140922090245/http://www.evacassidy.org/eva/wordmagazine.pdf |date=September 22, 2014 }} (PDF) Dorian Lynske, ''Word Magazine'', 2003. Retrieved on March 6, 2008.</ref><ref name= washingtonian /><ref>[[#knew|Burley et al.]] p.12.</ref> From an early age, Cassidy displayed an interest in art and music. When she was nine, her father began teaching her to play the guitar, and she began to play and sing at family gatherings.<ref name= washingtonian />

At age 11, Cassidy began singing and playing guitar in a Washington-area band called Easy Street.<ref>[[#knew|Burley et al.]] pp. 54–56.</ref> The band performed in a variety of styles at weddings, corporate parties, and pubs. Due to her shyness, she struggled with performing in front of strangers.<ref>{{cite news |title=Eva Cassidy: Bitter-sweet songbird |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1199166.stm |access-date=May 2, 2020 |agency=BBC}}</ref> While a student at [[Bowie High School (Maryland)|Bowie High School]], she sang with a local band called Stonehenge.<ref name= washingtonian /> During the summer of 1983, Cassidy sang and played guitar six days a week at the theme park [[Six Flags America|Wild World]].<ref name= washingtonian /> Her younger brother Dan, a [[fiddle]]r, was also a member of this working band. She enrolled in art classes at [[Prince George's Community College]] but dropped out after finding them unhelpful.<ref name= liner>{{cite web| url= http://www.crosstownarts.com/CrosstownArts/client_music/eva/evabio.html| title= Liner notes| first= Joel E.| last= Siegel| work= Eva by Heart| publisher= republished online at crosstownarts.com| access-date= March 6, 2008| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080514143434/http://www.crosstownarts.com/CrosstownArts/client_music/eva/evabio.html| archive-date= May 14, 2008| url-status= dead}}</ref>

Throughout the 1980s, Cassidy worked with several other bands, including the techno-pop band Characters Without Names. During this period, she also worked as a propagator at a plant nursery and as a furniture painter. In her free time, she explored other artistic expressions including painting, sculpting, and jewelry design.<ref name= liner />