Some of you may have heard of Eva Cassidy. If you haven’t heard of her, I think you need to know about her.
Eva was an American vocalist/guitarist gifted with an incredible musical talent. Sadly, she died of melanoma in 1996 at the age of 33.
Terribly shy, Eva never achieved great fame during her life, but after her death, her music lived on and reached the top of the charts in UK and was a best seller on Amazon for a while. Once you hear her music, you’ll understand.
The New York Times described her as a “silken soprano voice with a wide and seemingly effortless range, unerring pitch and a gift for phrasing that at times was heart-stoppingly eloquent.”
In learning more about her, I find her so inspiring. Her pursuit was simply to do the best at her art, which was her music. She was not seeking fame or fortune really. She simply made the world a more beautiful place.
I encourage you to listen to her rendition of “Over the Rainbow” (below). It’s like her spirit somehow reaches into us and lifts us to where we are almost touching heaven.
It is such a tragedy to see such a life cut short by cancer. But I am just struck by how much she is living on through her gift of music that she gave us.
We as artists, need to really appreciate that a part of us lives on through our art. I am so grateful for the artists who have impacted my life. Simply by experiencing the music of Eva Cassidy, my life is somehow “better”. I appreciate “life” a little more. I am reminded to be grateful for this brief time I have on earth.
Your art might have that effect on someone.
Share your art.
Sincerely,
Kevin Gourley
Fields of Gold
The Eva Cassidy Story
