Editing Eva Cassidy

{{Short description|American singer (1963–1996)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians -->
| name              = Eva Cassidy
| image             = Eva the the piano.jpg
| caption           = Cassidy in 1988
| image_size        = 250
| background        = solo_singer
| birth_name        = Eva Marie Cassidy
| birth_date        = {{birth date|1963|02|2}}
| birth_place       = Washington, D.C., U.S.
| death_date        = {{death date and age|mf=yes|1996|11|2|1963|02|2}}
| death_place       = [[Bowie, Maryland]], U.S.
| instrument        = {{hlist|Vocals|guitar|piano}}
| genre             = {{hlist|[[Jazz]]|[[Folk music|folk]]|[[blues]]}}
| occupation        = {{hlist|Singer|musician}}
| years_active      = 1981–1996
| label             = {{hlist|Liaison|[[Blix Street Records]]|BLP}}
| associated_acts   = [[Chuck Brown]]
}}

'''Eva Marie Cassidy''' (February 2, 1963&nbsp;– November 2, 1996) was an American singer and musician known for her interpretations of [[jazz]], [[Folk music|folk]], and [[blues]] music, sung with a powerful, emotive [[soprano]] voice. In 1992, she released her first album, ''[[The Other Side (Eva Cassidy album)|The Other Side]]'', a set of duets with [[go-go]] musician [[Chuck Brown]], followed by the 1996 live solo album titled ''[[Live at Blues Alley (Eva Cassidy album)|Live at Blues Alley]]''. Although she had been honored by the [[Washington Area Music Association]], she was virtually unknown outside her native Washington, D.C., at the time of her death from [[melanoma]] at the age of 33 in 1996.

Two years after her death, Cassidy's music was brought to the attention of British audiences, when her versions of "[[Fields of Gold]]" and "[[Over the Rainbow]]" were played by [[Mike Harding]] and [[Terry Wogan]] on [[BBC Radio 2]]. Following the overwhelming response, a camcorder recording of "Over the Rainbow", taken at [[Blues Alley]] in Washington by her friend Bryan McCulley, was shown on [[BBC Two]]'s ''[[Top of the Pops 2]]''. Shortly afterwards, the compilation album ''[[Songbird (Eva Cassidy album)|Songbird]]'' climbed to the top of the [[UK Albums Chart]], almost three years after its initial release. The chart success in the United Kingdom and Ireland led to increased recognition of Cassidy worldwide. Her [[List of works published posthumously|posthumously]] released recordings, including three number-one albums and one number-one single in the UK, have sold more than ten million copies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hangout.altsounds.com/news/127691-blix-street-records-celebrates-10th-anniversary-of-eva-cassidys-songbird.html |title=Blix Stree Records Celebrates 10th Anniversary of Eva Cassidy's 'Songbird' CD Reaching number 1 on U.K. Music Chart with Gold Certification of New 'Simply Eva' Acoustic CD |website=AltSounds.com |access-date=March 23, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110325105145/http://hangout.altsounds.com/news/127691-blix-street-records-celebrates-10th-anniversary-of-eva-cassidys-songbird.html |archive-date=March 25, 2011}}</ref> Her music has also charted within the top 10 in Australia, Germany, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.<ref name= wordmag />

In total, nine posthumous albums have been released. The most recent, ''[[I Can Only Be Me]]'', a collaboration with the [[London Symphony Orchestra]], was released in 2023 and charted at number 9 on the UK album chart.

==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 />

==Music career==
In 1986, Cassidy was asked by Stonehenge guitarist and high school friend, David Lourim, to lend her voice to his music project, [[Method Actor]].<ref>[[#knew|Burley et al.]] p.64.</ref> This brought her to Black Pond Studios, where she met recording engineer and bassist Chris Biondo. Biondo helped her find work as a [[session musician|session singer]] and later introduced her to Al Dale, who would become her manager. She sang back-ups for various acts, from [[go-go]] [[rhythm and blues]] band [[Experience Unlimited]] to [[rapping|rapper]] [[E-40]].<ref name= chuckeva>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/music/features/1browncassidy0309.htm |title=When Chuck Met Eva|first= Jefferson|last= Morley|newspaper=The Washington Post|date= March 8, 1998|access-date= March 6, 2008}}</ref> Biondo and Cassidy, who were in a romantic relationship for a time, formed the five-piece "Eva Cassidy Band" with Lenny Williams, Keith Grimes, and Raice McLeod in 1990. They began to perform frequently in the Washington area.<ref name= washingtonian />
{{Listen|filename=Eva Cassidy - Stormy Monday.ogg|title="Stormy Monday"|description=Cassidy's arrangement of [[T-Bone Walker]]'s popular blues song.}}

In 1992, Biondo played a tape of Cassidy's voice for [[Chuck Brown]], the "Godfather of go-go".<ref name= echoes /> It resulted in the duet album ''[[The Other Side (Eva Cassidy album)|The Other Side]]'' featuring performances of classic songs such as "[[Fever (1956 song)|Fever]]", "[[God Bless the Child (Billie Holiday song)|God Bless the Child]]", and what would later become Cassidy's [[signature song]], "[[Over the Rainbow]]". The album was released and distributed in 1992 by Liaison Records, the label that also released Brown's go-go albums. Brown originally intended to record an additional duet with Cassidy for his next solo album, but this was postponed due to ongoing negotiations between Dale and other labels for a solo deal.<ref name= chuckeva /><ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.evacassidy.org/eva/citypaper.htm |title= Side by Side| url-status= dead| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070610065925/http://evacassidy.org/eva/citypaper.htm |archive-date=June 10, 2007 |first= Alona |last= Wartofsky| work= [[Washington City Paper]]| date= November 20, 1992| access-date= November 2, 2016}}</ref> Cassidy's unwillingness to narrow her stylistic focus to one genre hindered her chances of securing a deal.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,105719,00.html | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121023075745/http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,105719,00.html | url-status= dead | archive-date= October 23, 2012 |title= Over the Rainbow| first= Jeff |last= Chu| website=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]| date= April 9, 2001| access-date= March 6, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.crosstownarts.com/CrosstownArts/client_music/eva/gift.html| title= Eva Cassidy's Gift| first= Joan| last= Anderman| work=[[The Boston Globe]]| date= January 31, 1999| access-date= March 6, 2008| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080102024455/http://www.crosstownarts.com/CrosstownArts/client_music/eva/gift.html| archive-date= January 2, 2008| url-status= dead}}</ref> After talks broke down, the two decided to record their own duet album. As a duo, they performed at the Columbia Arts Festival and opened for acts like [[Al Green]] and [[The Neville Brothers]].<ref name= chuckeva />

{{Quote box|width=30%|align=left|quote="She was an angel, very humble and shy. She would listen more than talk ... I remember lots of times, we were playing and it was just empty and dead. She seemed to like those nights, because there wasn't as much pressure. In fact, she'd be more relieved when hardly anybody was out there."|source=—Cassidy's bandmate Biondo on her anxiety in front of crowds.<ref>{{cite news |title=Eva Cassidy: A Musical Soul |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/arts/highlights/010820_cassidy.shtml |date=20 August 2001|access-date=May 2, 2020 |agency=BBC}}</ref>}}
In 1993, Cassidy was honored by the Washington Area Music Association with a Wammie award for the ''Vocalist Jazz/Traditional'' category.<ref name= wammie>[http://www.wamadc.com/wama/wammies/WAMI-abc-e-g.htm Wammie Winners] Washington Area Music Association. Retrieved on March 6, 2008.</ref> The next year she was invited to perform at the event and chose to sing "Over the Rainbow". ''[[The Washington Times]]'' review of the event called her performance "a show-stopper".<ref>Wammies honor area musicians. ''The Washington Times''. November 9, 1994.</ref> She took home two Wammies that night, again for ''Vocalist Jazz/Traditional'' and also for ''Roots Rock/Traditional R&B''.<ref name= wammie /> For a brief period that year, Cassidy signed a deal with [[Blue Note Records]] to pair up with pop-jazz band [[Pieces of a Dream (band)|Pieces of a Dream]] to release an album and tour the country. She sang two tracks on a mainly instrumental album. It was a musically unsatisfying experience for her.<ref name= chuckeva />

After having a potential contract with Apollo Records collapse when the label went bankrupt, Biondo and Dale decided that she should release her own live album.<ref name= chuckeva /> On January 2–3, 1996, the material for ''[[Live at Blues Alley (Eva Cassidy album)|Live at Blues Alley]]'' was recorded at [[Blues Alley]] in Washington, D.C. Due to a technical glitch on the first night of recording,<ref>[http://www.evacassidy.org/eva/gt.htm Eva Cassidy: "Oh, Had I a Golden Thread"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140923230719/http://www.evacassidy.org/eva/gt.htm |date=September 23, 2014 }} evacassidy.org. Retrieved on March 6, 2008.</ref> only the second night's recording was usable, with 12 songs released on the resulting album. (The complete set of 31 songs recorded that night was eventually released 20 years later as ''[[Nightbird (Eva Cassidy album)|Nightbird]]'' in 2015.) Unhappy with the way she sounded due to a cold, she was reluctant to release the album. She eventually relented, on the condition that the studio track "Oh, Had I a Golden Thread", Cassidy's favorite song,<ref>According to the liner notes of the "Live at Blues Alley" CD:"* this wasn't in the live show but it is my favorite song..."</ref> would be included in the release, and that they start working on a follow-up studio album.<ref name= liner /><ref name= chuckeva /> Her apprehension appeared unfounded as local reviewers and the public responded positively.<ref name= liner /> ''[[The Washington Post]]'' commented that "she could sing anything&nbsp;— folk, blues, pop, jazz, R&B, gospel&nbsp;— and make it sound like it was the only music that mattered."<ref name= echoes>{{cite news| url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/style/1996/11/17/echoes-of-a-voice-stilled-too-early/d7013c58-b104-4de1-97ba-e7e6a4c392b7/|title= Echoes of a Voice Stilled Too Early|first= Richard |last= Harrington| newspaper= The Washington Post| date= November 17, 1996| access-date= November 2, 2016}}</ref> The subsequent studio album she worked on was released posthumously as ''[[Eva by Heart]]'' in 1997. In the liner notes of ''Eva by Heart'', music critic [[Joel E. Siegel]] described Cassidy as "one of the greatest voices of her generation."<ref name= liner />

==Personal life==
Cassidy had a relationship with Chris Biondo, but this had ended before her cancer diagnosis.{{cn|date=March 2023}}

==Illness and death==
In 1993, Cassidy had a [[malignant]] [[Nevus|mole]] removed from her back. Three years later, during a promotional event for the ''Live at Blues Alley'' album in July 1996, Cassidy noticed an ache in her hips, which she attributed to stiffness from painting [[mural]]s while perched atop a stepladder.<ref name= echoes /> The pain persisted and [[X-ray]]s revealed a fracture. Further tests found that the [[cancer]] had spread (metastasized) to her bones, causing the fracture, as well as issues inside her lungs.<ref name="biography">{{cite web | url = {{AllMusic|class=artist|id=eva-cassidy-p170437/biography|pure_url=yes}} | title = Eva Cassidy: Biography, Albums, Streaming Links | work = [[AllMusic]] | publisher = [[All Media Guide]] | first = Steve | last = Huey| access-date = June 10, 2017}}</ref> Her doctors estimated she had three to five months to live. Cassidy opted for aggressive treatment, but her health deteriorated rapidly.<ref name="biography"/> 

On September 17, 1996,<ref name="biography"/> at a benefit concert for her at [[The Bayou]], she made her final public appearance, closing the set with "[[What a Wonderful World]]" in front of an audience of family, friends, and fans. Additional chemotherapy was ineffective, and Cassidy died of [[melanoma]] on November 2, 1996, at her family's home in [[Bowie, Maryland]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1996/11/06/eva-cassidy-dies-at-33/b739b482-331d-40bd-9191-df668c305b10/|title=EVA CASSIDY DIES AT 33|newspaper=Washington Post|date=November 5, 1996}}</ref><ref name= wordmag /><ref name= echoes /><ref name= grabs>{{cite news |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A05EEDC133AF931A2575BC0A9649C8B63 |title=In Death, A Shy Singer Finally Grabs The Spotlight; CD's Carry Eva Cassidy's Voice a Wider Audience |first=Alex |last=Ward |newspaper=The New York Times |date=August 12, 2002 |access-date=June 3, 2008}}</ref> In accordance with her wishes, her body was cremated and the ashes were scattered on the lake shores of [[St. Mary's River Watershed Park]], a nature reserve near [[Callaway, Maryland]].<ref name= wordmag />

==Posthumous recognition==
[[File:Top of the pops 2 eva cassidy.jpg|250px|thumb|left|The camcorder recording of "Over the Rainbow" as shown on ''Top of the Pops&nbsp;2'']] 
After Cassidy's death, local folk singer [[Grace Griffith]] introduced the Blues Alley recording to Bill Straw from her label, [[Blix Street Records]].<ref name= grabs /> Straw approached the Cassidy family to put together a new album. In 1998, a compilation of tracks from Cassidy's three released recordings was assembled into the CD ''[[Songbird (Eva Cassidy album)|Songbird]]''. This CD lingered in relative obscurity for two years until being given airplay by [[BBC Radio 2]], firstly by [[Paul Jones (singer)|Paul Jones]] then by [[Mike Harding]] but most famously by [[Terry Wogan]] on his wide-reaching  show ''[[Wake Up to Wogan]]'', following recommendation by his producer [[Paul Walters]]. The album sold more than 100,000&nbsp;copies in the following months.<ref name= wordmag /> ''[[The New York Times]]'' spoke of her "silken soprano voice with a wide and seemingly effortless range, unerring pitch and a gift for phrasing that at times was heart-stoppingly eloquent."<ref name= grabs />

Before Christmas of 2000, BBC's ''[[Top of the Pops 2]]'' aired a video of Cassidy performing "[[Over the Rainbow]]", which resulted in ''Songbird'' climbing steadily up the UK charts over the next few weeks. Just as [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]]'s ''[[Tonight with Trevor McDonald]]'' aired a feature on Cassidy, the album topped the chart.<ref>[[#knew|Burley et al.]] p.155.</ref> Shot at Blues Alley by a friend with a camcorder the same night the album was recorded,<ref name= wordmag /> the video became the most requested video ever shown on ''Top Of The Pops 2''.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/southyorkshire/entertainment/music/interviews/2002/eva_cassidy.shtml Eva Cassidy's producer Chris Biondo talks to Toby Foster] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090328201403/http://www.bbc.co.uk/southyorkshire/entertainment/music/interviews/2002/eva_cassidy.shtml |date=March 28, 2009 }} ''BBC Radio'', July 2002. Retrieved on March 6, 2008.</ref> Alexis Petridis in ''[[The Guardian]]'' wrote, "There's an undeniable emotional appeal in hearing an artist who you know died in obscurity singing a song about hope and a mystical world beyond everyday life".<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/music/2002/nov/01/artsfeatures.popandrock "Albums from the crypt"] ''The Guardian'', November 1, 2002. Retrieved on August 21, 2014.</ref>

[[Paul McCartney]] and [[Eric Clapton]] were among her newfound fans. Jazz critic [[Ted Gioia]] writes, "you might be tempted to write off the 'Cassidy sensation' ... as a response to the sad story of the singer's abbreviated life rather than as a measure of her artistry. But don't be mistaken, Cassidy was a huge talent, whose obscurity during her lifetime was almost as much a tragedy as her early death."<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.jazz.com/music/2009/3/10/eva-cassidy-autumn-leaves |title= Eva Cassidy: Autumn Leaves| url-status= dead| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090928075530/http://www.jazz.com/music/2009/3/10/eva-cassidy-autumn-leaves| archive-date= September 28, 2009| first= Ted |last= Gioia| website= Jazz.com| date= March 10, 2009}}</ref> ''Songbird'' has since achieved significant chart success in Europe. It is certified six times [[British Phonographic Industry#Certifications|platinum]] in the UK with 1,840,000 copies sold.<ref name= wordmag /><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5il3LVBbCLE_tMQtpQ6zndog-qt-g|title=Cassidy album six-times platinum|date=November 2, 2009|agency=The Press Association| access-date= November 10, 2009}}{{dead link|date=June 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Although still relatively unknown in the US at that time, the album would eventually be [[RIAA certification|certified gold]] there as well.<ref>[https://www.riaa.com/newsitem.php?news_year_filter=&resultpage=76&id=182519BF-06DB-6DF5-F763-3555CDC1857A RIAA Gives Thanks For Strong Gold and Platinum Numbers In November] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160102165248/http://www.riaa.com/newsitem.php?news_year_filter=&resultpage=76&id=182519BF-06DB-6DF5-F763-3555CDC1857A |date=January 2, 2016 }} RIAA News Room. Retrieved on March 6, 2008.</ref>

{{Quote box|width=29%|align=right|quote="There is something about her voice – a quality – that you really can't put into words. It's a magical quality."|source=—[[Sting (musician)|Sting]] on Cassidy (who had recorded a version of his song "[[Fields of Gold]]" in 1996, the year she died).<ref>{{cite news |title=In death, a songbird is not silenced|url=https://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/music/in-death-a-songbird-is-not-silenced-20021006-gduntk.html |date=October 6, 2002|access-date=May 2, 2020 |work=The Age}}</ref>}}
In May 2001, [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]'s ''[[Nightline (US news program)|Nightline]]'' in the US broadcast a well-received short documentary about Cassidy, a labor of love from ''Nightline'' correspondent [[Dave Marash]] who was a fan of her music.<ref>{{cite web| url= https://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=128772&page=1 | title= Nightline Daily Email: 7/2| first= Leroy |last= Sievers| website= ABCNews.go.com| access-date= March 6, 2008}}</ref> Over the weekend, all five of Cassidy's albums occupied [[Amazon.com]]'s best sellers list top spots.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.allbusiness.com/retail-trade/miscellaneous-retail-retail-stores-not/4399419-1.html |title= 'Nightline' Boosts Cassidy| first= Bill |last= Holland|work= Billboard Bulletin, allbusiness.com| date= May 30, 2001|access-date= March 6, 2008}}</ref> The ''Nightline'' episode has since been rebroadcast three times due to popular demand<ref>Rebroadcast  [http://abcnewsstore.go.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/DSIProductDisplay?catalogId=11002&storeId=20051&productId=2008174&langId=-1&categoryId=100041 on July 4, 2001] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100104134102/http://abcnewsstore.go.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/DSIProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=20051&catalogId=11002&productId=2008174&categoryId=100041 |date=January 4, 2010 }}, [http://abcnewsstore.go.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/DSIProductDisplay?catalogId=11002&storeId=20051&productId=2007243&langId=-1&categoryId=100041 on August 15, 2002] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090111181110/http://abcnewsstore.go.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/DSIProductDisplay?catalogId=11002&storeId=20051&productId=2007243&langId=-1&categoryId=100041 |date=January 11, 2009 }} and [http://abcnewsstore.go.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/DSIProductDisplay?catalogId=11002&storeId=20051&productId=2005433&langId=-1&categoryId=100030 on January 1, 2004] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090111223651/http://abcnewsstore.go.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/DSIProductDisplay?catalogId=11002&storeId=20051&productId=2005433&langId=-1&categoryId=100030 |date=January 11, 2009 }}; ABCNewsStore.com</ref> and producer [[Leroy Sievers]] has said that it is "probably the most popular Nightline ever".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://abcnewsstore.go.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/DSIProductDisplay?catalogId=11002&storeId=20051&productId=2005433&langId=-1&categoryId=100030 |title=Nightline Daily E-Mail: January 2, 2004 |first1=Leroy |last1=Sievers |author2=Nightline Staff |date=January 2, 2004 |website=ABCNewsStore.com |publisher=ABC News |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090111223651/http://abcnewsstore.go.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/DSIProductDisplay?catalogId=11002&storeId=20051&productId=2005433&langId=-1&categoryId=100030 |archive-date=January 11, 2009 }}</ref> In December, a nine-minute segment on [[NPR]] resulted in a similar sales surge, with five of the top seven spots going to Cassidy.<ref name= washingtonian /> In Britain a rebroadcast of ''[[Tonight with Trevor McDonald]]'' bumped up sales.<ref name= washingtonian>{{cite web| url= http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/people/6595.html|title= Eva Cassidy Was “One of the Greatest Voices of Her Generation”| first= Sherri |last= Dalphonse| work= Washingtonian| date= May 1, 2001| access-date= March 6, 2008}}</ref><ref>[http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-10348539_ITM The Official UK Albums Chart Top 75] ''Music Week'', August 25, 2001. Retrieved on March 6, 2008.</ref>

Since ''Songbird'', several other CDs with original material have been released: ''[[Time After Time (Eva Cassidy album)|Time After Time]]'' (2000), ''[[Imagine (Eva Cassidy album)|Imagine]]'' (2002) and ''[[American Tune (album)|American Tune]]'' (2003). 

Cassidy's cover of ''Time After Time'' was featured on the 2003 soundtrack CD of the popular superhero television series [[Smallville]].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.cbr.com/elektra-records-to-release-smallville-soundtrack-february-25th| title= Elektra records to release 'Smallville' soundtrack February 25th| agency= CBR.com| date= Feb 4, 2003| access-date= June 25, 2022}}</ref> 

Together with [[word of mouth]] and internet fan sites, [[online shopping|online commerce]] has played a large role in Cassidy's success.<ref>{{cite news| url= https://www.deseret.com/2001/3/11/19574378/internet-fuels-singer-s-posthumous-success/| title= Internet fuels singer's posthumous success| first= Jim| last= Farber| agency= [[New York Daily News]]| newspaper= [[The Deseret News]]| date= March 11, 2001| access-date= November 2, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url= https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2002/apr/04/internetnews.onlinesupplement2 |title= Keeping the flame| first= Mike |last= Anderiesz| work= The Guardian| date= April 4, 2002| access-date= March 14, 2008}}</ref> This point was further affirmed when in 2005, [[Amazon.com]] released a list of its top&nbsp;25 best-selling musicians, which placed Cassidy in fifth position, behind [[the Beatles]], [[U2]], [[Norah Jones]] and [[Diana Krall]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2005_July_11/ai_n14731632 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120712082341/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2005_July_11/ai_n14731632 |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 12, 2012 |title=Amazon.com Inducts 25 Musicians into Hall of Fame |work=Business Wire |date=July 11, 2005 |access-date=March 6, 2008 }}</ref>

In 2008, another new album, ''[[Somewhere (Eva Cassidy album)|Somewhere]]'', was released. Unlike previous albums, which consisted solely of cover songs, this release contained two original songs co-written by Cassidy. An acoustic album, ''[[Simply Eva]]'', was released in January 2011.

In March 2023, the album ''[[I Can Only Be Me]]'' was released, which featured new orchestrations by the [[London Symphony Orchestra]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/03/06/eva-cassidy-orchestra/|title=Strings attached: A new Eva Cassidy album features an orchestra|newspaper=Washington Post|last=Kelly|first=John|date=6 March 2023|access-date=11 March 2023}}</ref> The album debuted at number 9 on the UK Official Albums Chart.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/the-lathums-land-second-number-one-album-with-from-nothing-to-a-little-bit-more-3411568|title=The Lathums land second Number One album with 'From Nothing To A Little Bit More'|website=NME|last=Qureshi|first=Arusa|date=10 March 2023|access-date=11 March 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/albums-chart/|title=Official Albums Chart Top 100 10 March 2023 - 16 March 2023|website=Official Charts|date=10 March 2023|access-date=11 March 2023}}</ref> In an interview with ''[[The Independent]]'', Cassidy's former bandmate and arranger Chris Biondo shared, "Eva had a fantasy of one day having a full orchestra back her up [...] to her, that was the greatest place you could be musically."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/eva-cassidy-new-album-chris-biondo-interview-b2291735.html|title='A séance in song': How a new album fulfils one of Eva Cassidy's musical dreams|website=The Independent|last=Farber|first=Jim|date=1 March 2023|access-date=11 March 2023}}</ref> [[Audio restoration|Audio restoration technology]] developed by filmmaker [[Peter Jackson]] was used to strip Cassidy's voice from her original recordings, with the orchestrations being produced in 2021.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://defector.com/the-never-ending-resurrection-of-eva-cassidy|title=The Never-Ending Resurrection Of Eva Cassidy|website=Defector|last=McKenna|first=Dave|date=15 February 2023|access-date=11 March 2023}}</ref>

==Unofficial releases==
[[File:Eva Cassidy - Method Actor.jpg|thumb|The re-released ''Method Actor'' album cover showing Cassidy's prominent name placement, which resulted in a lawsuit. The original LP cover artwork was done by Cassidy herself.]]

A collection of previously unreleased studio recordings from 1987 to 1991, was released in 2000 as ''[[No Boundaries (Eva Cassidy album)|No Boundaries]]''. This release was not endorsed by the Cassidy family<ref name= wordmag /> and was released under a different label. An [[AllMusic]] review of the album stated that even "a gifted vocalist like Eva Cassidy can only do so much with bad material".<ref>{{cite web | website= Allmusic.com| url= https://www.allmusic.com/album/r499121/review |title= Review of No Boundaries| first= William |last= Cooper| access-date= March 6, 2008}}</ref>

In 2002, the self-titled 1988 album by the band [[Method Actor]], which featured Cassidy, was re-released by the band's guitarist and producer David Lourim with Cassidy's name displayed prominently on the cover. The Cassidy family and Blix Street Records filed a lawsuit against Lourim, claiming that Cassidy's name was used in a misleading fashion and that Blix Street has exclusive rights to her recordings.<ref>[http://www.mdd.uscourts.gov/Opinions152/Opinions/Cassidy031904.pdf ''Hugh Cassidy, et al. v. David Lourim, et al.''] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080227120628/http://www.mdd.uscourts.gov/Opinions152/Opinions/Cassidy031904.pdf |date=February 27, 2008 }} (PDF), US District Court (Maryland). Retrieved on March 6, 2008.</ref> Lourim had Cassidy's written permission to release the album, and eventually the cover was changed to look like the original [[LP album]] while already released copies were affixed with a sticker indicating that they are not solo Eva Cassidy albums.<ref>[http://www.evacassidy.org/eva/methodactor.htm Method Actor] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150111074616/http://www.evacassidy.org/eva/methodactor.htm |date=January 11, 2015 }} evacassidy.org. Retrieved on March 6, 2008.</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Lawyer disqualified from continuing to represent Blix Street Records in suit over right to distribute early Eva Cassidy album, over objections of Cassidy's parents who were lawyer's clients too when lawsuit was filed, but now want to settle case even though Blix Street does not|date=October 2004|work=Entertainment Law Reporter}}</ref>

A bootleg recording that has been in circulation is called ''Live at Pearl's''. It was recorded at Pearl's Restaurant in [[Annapolis, Maryland]], in 1994. Copies of the recording were circulated among friends and family after her death. Some of the songs on the recording are also on ''Imagine'' and ''American Tune''.<ref name="Q and A">[http://www.evacassidy.org/eva/q&a.shtml Q and A]  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150206004519/http://www.evacassidy.org/eva/q%26a.shtml |date=February 6, 2015 }} Evacassidy.org.</ref> Another recording from the early '90s, featuring [[Mick Fleetwood]] on drums and recorded at his restaurant (named Fleetwood's) in [[Alexandria, Virginia]], <!-- according to http://www.fleetwoodmac.net/penguin/mick.htm, the restaurant only operated between 1994 to 1996. --> was in the possession of writer/musician Niki Lee, the former wife of pianist Lenny Williams, 1988–1996. Lee discovered it in her garage and attempted to sell it on eBay in 2008 for [[Pound sterling|£]]250,000 (around US$491,249 at that time; ~$659,650 in 2022 terms). She asserts that she converted the dollars to pounds incorrectly and was lambasted by Cassidy fans for her mistake. Lee decided to sell the recording to a private buyer as the copyright holder, Blix Street Records, refused to release recordings owned by Cassidy's friends, which is still the case as of 2024. Blix Street threatens lawsuits to anyone who tries to release previously unreleased tracks.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2008/06/04/selling-eva-cassidy-by-the-pound/ |title=Selling Eva Cassidy by the Pound |first=Dave |last=McKenna |work=Washington City Paper blog |date=June 4, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626102055/http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2008/06/04/selling-eva-cassidy-by-the-pound/ |archive-date=June 26, 2015 }}</ref> 

To mark the 20th anniversary of the Blues Alley concert, Blix Street Records released ''[[Nightbird (Eva Cassidy album)|Nightbird]]'', a 32-track double CD album, in November 2015. ''Nightbird'' comprises the complete Blues Alley concert recordings, including eight previously unreleased songs, from the night of January 3, 1996. The European version of the CD package also includes a DVD including 12 video performances from the Blues Alley concert. ''Nightbird'' was also released as a four-LP vinyl package worldwide.{{citation needed|date= November 2016}}

==Legacy==
In 2001, ''Songbird: Eva Cassidy: Her Story By Those Who Knew Her'', a book on the life and work of Cassidy based on interviews with close family and associates, was released in the UK. A US edition published by [[Penguin Group|Gotham Books]] was released in late 2003 and includes two additional chapters on her influences and success in the US. Her life story has also been adapted into a musical<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.granthamjournal.co.uk/leisure/Musical-charts-life-of-songstress.3875566.jp| title= Musical charts life of songstress Eva Cassidy| work= Grantham Journal| date= March 13, 2008| access-date= March 17, 2008| archive-url= https://archive.today/20120801220345/http://www.granthamjournal.co.uk/leisure/Musical-charts-life-of-songstress.3875566.jp| archive-date= August 1, 2012| url-status= dead}}</ref> and also a [[Broadway theater|Broadway]] piece for cancer benefit.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=2042| title= Eva Cassidy Remembered| first= Amanda| last= Scarpone| website= Broadwayworld.com| date= January 26, 2005 |access-date= November 2, 2016}}</ref>

A number of filmmakers have proposed films based on Cassidy's life and have worked with her family to greater or lesser degrees, but to date none of these projects have progressed past the early development stages. In late 2007, AIR Productions acquired the rights to produce a film based on Cassidy's life,<ref name= Greenbay>{{cite news| url= http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071125/GPG05/711250646/1261/GPG05 |title= SNC alumna, Sheboygan native receives leadership award| first= Warren| last= Gerds| work= [[Green Bay Press-Gazette]]| date= November 25, 2007| access-date= November 2, 2016}}{{dead link|date=May 2020|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} [http://lauraschwartzlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Green-Bay-Press-Gazette-Warren-Gerds-column-SNC-alumna-Sheboygan-native-receives-leadership-award.pdf Alt URL]</ref> being produced by [[Amy Redford]] (daughter of actor/director [[Robert Redford]]), Irwin Shapiro and Rick Singer.<ref name= Greenbay /><ref name= AIR>{{cite web| url= https://variety.com/2007/film/news/eva-cassidy-biopic-in-the-works-1117977583/| title= Eva Cassidy biopic in the works| first= Michael| last= Fleming| work= [[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]| date= December 7, 2007| access-date= March 6, 2008| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071223112109/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117977583.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&nid=2562| archive-date= December 23, 2007| url-status= live}}</ref> In an interview a year earlier, Cassidy's parents suggested [[Kirsten Dunst]] and [[Emily Watson]] as possible actresses who could play their daughter.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.nbc4.com/entertainment/10227265/detail.html| title= Local Singer's Career Takes Off After Death, Eva Cassidy's Story To Be Told In Hollywood| website= NBC4.com| date= November 2, 2006| access-date= March 6, 2008| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080103201405/http://www.nbc4.com/entertainment/10227265/detail.html| archive-date= January 3, 2008| url-status= dead}}</ref> A mural was made in her honor in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/annapolis-honors-singer-eva-cassidy-with-mural/|title=Annapolis honors singer Eva Cassidy with mural|website=CBS News|date=August 28, 2022}}</ref>

==Discography==
{{Main|Eva Cassidy discography}}
===Albums===
* ''[[The Other Side (Chuck Brown and Eva Cassidy album)|The Other Side]]'' {{small|(with [[Chuck Brown]])}} (1992)
* ''[[Eva by Heart]]'' (1997)
* ''[[Songbird (Eva Cassidy album)|Songbird]]'' (1998)
* ''[[Time After Time (Eva Cassidy album)|Time After Time]]'' (2000)
* ''[[Imagine (Eva Cassidy album)|Imagine]]'' (2002)
* ''[[American Tune (album)|American Tune]]'' (2003)
* ''[[Somewhere (Eva Cassidy album)|Somewhere]]'' (2008)
* ''[[Simply Eva]]'' (2011)
* ''[[Acoustic (Eva Cassidy album)|Acoustic]]'' (2017)
* ''[[I Can Only Be Me]]'' <small>(with the [[London Symphony Orchestra]]) (2023)</small>
* ''Walkin' After Midnight (2024)

===Live albums===
* ''[[Live at Blues Alley (Eva Cassidy album)|Live at Blues Alley]]'' (1996)
* ''[[Nightbird (Eva Cassidy album)|Nightbird]]'' (2015)

===Compilation albums===
* ''[[Wonderful World (Eva Cassidy album)|Wonderful World]]'' (2004)
* ''[[The Best of Eva Cassidy]]'' (2012)

===Reissues===
* ''[[Songbird (Eva Cassidy album)|Songbird 20]]'' (2018)

==References==
===Notes===
{{Reflist}}

===Books===
* {{cite book | first1= Rob |last1= Burley| first2= Jonathan| last2= Maitland |first3= Elana| last3= Rhodes Byrd  | title=Eva Cassidy: Songbird: Her Story by Those Who Knew Her | publisher=[[Gotham Books]] | year=2003 | isbn=978-1-59240-035-5 }}
* {{cite book| first= Johan |last= Bakker| title=Behind the Rainbow, the tragic life of Eva Cassidy |year= 2012| publisher= Omnibus Press| isbn= 978-1-78038-231-9}}; winner of The People's Book Prize 2011/2012

===Retrospective===
* {{cite news |last1=Farber |first1=Jim |title='One of the best singers ever': remembering Eva Cassidy, 25 years after her death |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/nov/02/eva-cassidy-singer-songbird-25-years |work=The Guardian |date=November 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106094210/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/nov/02/eva-cassidy-singer-songbird-25-years |archive-date=November 6, 2021 |url-status=live }}
* {{Cite news|title=Twenty-five years after her death, Eva Cassidy's music is as timeless as ever|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/eva-cassidy/2021/01/26/e5c496ca-5ff7-11eb-9430-e7c77b5b0297_story.html|newspaper=Washington Post|date=January 26, 2021}}
* {{Cite news|title=Why Eva Cassidy’s voice lives on — 27 years after her death|url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/music/article/why-eva-cassidy-s-voice-lives-on-27-years-after-her-death-9mk66qh8c|newspaper=The Times|date=March 28, 2023}}

==External links==
*[http://evacassidy.org Eva Cassidy Web Site] maintained by her cousin Laura Claire Bligh
*[http://www.evacassidy.com Eva Cassidy Artwork] maintained by her sisters Anette Cassidy and Margret Cassidy Robinson
*[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p170437/biography|pure_url=yes}} Cassidy] at the [[All Music Guide]]
*[https://books.google.com/books?id=aIl4HqLYCo4C ''Eva Cassidy: Songbird: Her Story by Those Who Knew Her''] at [[Google Book Search]]
*[https://beyondbehnkes.com/eva-cassidys-day-job/ Eva Cassidy Day Job] at Behnke Nurseries, Beltsville MD.

{{Eva Cassidy}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Good article}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cassidy, Eva}}
[[Category:1963 births]]
[[Category:1996 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American guitarists]]
[[Category:20th-century American singers]]
[[Category:20th-century American women singers]]
[[Category:American blues guitarists]]
[[Category:American blues singers]]
[[Category:American women guitarists]]
[[Category:American women jazz singers]]
[[Category:American jazz singers]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in Maryland]]
[[Category:Deaths from melanoma in the United States]]
[[Category:Guitarists from Maryland]]
[[Category:Guitarists from Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:People from Bowie, Maryland]]
[[Category:Singers from Maryland]]
[[Category:Singers from Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Jazz musicians from Maryland]]
[[Category:20th-century American women guitarists]]