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Eva Cassidy: Songbird: Her Story by Those Who Knew Her

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If you haven't heard Eva Cassidy sing, then you need to go to your closest music store and pick up her CD, also titled Songbird for an introduction to one of the most underrated beautiful voices I've ever heard. After you hear this music, I guarantee you'll want to buy every one of her CDs that has been released.

There is a power and raw emotional edge to her voice that sends chills down my spine and almost makes me feel as though she is singing directly to me. The tragedy of Eva Cassidy's life is that she was struck down by invasive melanoma at the age of 33 and we are left to wonder what might have been.

Reading this book, which is loaded with family photographs, has helped to fill in the blanks of her life...I wasn't aware that she was also a talented artist. This is just a beautiful tribute to a pure-voiced singer whose life was cut too short.

If you love Eva Cassidy's singing and you want to understand her better as a human being, "Songbird" is definitely a great place to start. Tastefully done, filled with life, friends, laughter, and lots of love, this is a beautiful book about a truly beautiful, talented, strong but vulnerable young woman.

So who was Eva Cassidy? A woman with incredible talent, of course, and the ability to reach millions of people with that talent. But, as "Songbird" so richly details, Eva Cassidy was also a normal, complicated human being. A sensitive, shy person who loved art and nature. A perfectionist who could be extremely hard on herself and -- sometimes -- on others as well. A person who wanted badly to connect with others but found it difficult, even painful, to do so. A person "filled with emotions" but "closed, really closed," as her friend Anna Karen Kristinsdottir described her. A strong woman but also a "shy, afraid little girl that needed to be hugged." An intensely loyal friend. A person with a great future ahead of her cruelly cut down just as she was taking off into the stratosphere.

Although performing in public wasn't easy for Eva Cassidy, thankfully she was able to overcome and share her musical gift(s) with the world. Wow, could this woman sing! From jazz and blues to folk, from gospel to R&B and rock, Eva Cassidy could do it all -- with passion, with love for the music she sang, and with an incredible voice the likes of which don't come along very often.

Some adjectives to describe Eva Cassidy's voice? How about: haunting, gorgeous, inspirational, tear-jerking, powerful, tender, melodic, eclectic, amazing, astonishing, heartfelt, intelligent, poignant, original, awe-inspiring, brilliant. I guess that's enough for starters! And if you think I'm exaggerating, I strongly recommend that, as you read "Songbird," you pause now and again to listen to Eva's versions of "Fields of Gold," "How Can I Keep From Singing," "Over the Rainbow," "Autumn Leaves," "I Know You By Heart," and many others. If those songs -- and Eva Cassidy's life story -- don't send chills up your spine or touch you deeply, then I fear nothing ever will.

Eva Cassidy, it is stated in the beginning of this book, was not an angel. She had the voice of one, as anyone who has heard her sing a note will attest. Struck down by malignant melanoma at the criminally early age of 33 in 1996, she was virtually unknown in America, though her career was starting to gain notice in other countries.

The story of her life is told through the reminiscences of her family and friends. She is universally held to have been a very kind woman, but one with a wall within which she protected herself from pain by not letting too many people in. She had a very difficult time showing her vulnerability, and was extremely fragile in public performance. That we have as much of her on video and CD as we do is a miracle in light of this.

Her relationship with her father was a difficult one, though it seems to have been moving in a more positive direction as she was getting older. Her father himself shoulders some of the burden for this state of affairs, indicating that being his child was probably not the easiest thing. Eva, being such a self-critical perfectionist, might have found it more challenging than most.

I was heartbroken to discover that she loathed my favorite album, Live at Blues Alley. She thought the quality was not present, and it made her angry. This is the one I turn to most often when I need an "Eva Fix," so knowing this made me incredibly sad. But then, she constantly doubted any compliments to her singing. She reacted to positive comments with disbelief more often than not. I'm glad she wasn't a diva, but sorry she didn't have some of the confidence she had earned.

This book is chock-full of candid photos of Eva from throughout her life, and has a great many examples of her sublime artwork. I won't ever be parting with this, because I'll want to page through it again and again, to enjoy her visual talent, as I listen to her sing to me. Her voice has the pure, raw amazing skill to sooth life's rough edges. How sad that we didn't have her for a bit longer, but how blessed we are to have had her at all.

Haunting and captivating. Her range and ability to bring life to different genres is truly amazing. This is my third in the collection and I continue to be impressed with each new record -- and that's not only because I lived in Bowie. She truly had talent.

Since finding out about Eva I have purchased everything she's done that I could find. While I certainly have my favorites, especially "Wade In The Water", "Wayfaring Stranger", and "People Get Ready" on the Songbird album, I must say I have yet to hear a rendition of hers that I didn't like. She truly had a gift for taking any song and adding her unique twists that would showcase her vocal abilities. Wonderful stuff!

What a great shame it is that she was taken from us with such a gift to share as she had.

What a beautifully told story of the woman behind the
incredible voice. Input and photos from family and
friends along with background information about her
music really pieces it all together for a great read.

I stumbled upon a recording of "Over the Rainbow" by Eva Cassidy.It moved me immensly and though I have heard this number sung by many others, this particular version seemed to reach out and touch my heart like no other had done before!

I have subsequently read all about her and am in the process of collecting all her albums. It's a shame God has taken away a golden voice that seems just a touch away...

She has sung with her heart and added feeling to each note,word and movement.

I've just finished reading this book over a period of a few days. It is happy, joyous, inspiring though sad and then uplifting all at the same time. The story is told by those who knew her best..family, friends, colleagues etc. in a very beautiful manner. It is not a gushy "we love you" type book, but rather an honest and frank appraisal of the short remarkable life of Eva Cassidy with the sad irony that the "fame" she would achieve came after her tragic passing from a melanoma related cancer..which is a lesson in itself.
The fact is that she had this remarkable voice that belied her petite stature with a style that couldn't & wouldn't, at her insistence, be pigeonholed..at the cost of a few Record deals that she could have signed..particularly with legendary jazz label Blue Note. Such were her convictions and belief in her music which she sang from her heart. I first "discovered" her in 2002 when I had bought a Music Store here in Sydney (sadly it's no longer around). I have acquired her back catalogue since then. Her talents were diverse..her love of art and nature are well documented here by those who loved and admired her and she did frustrate a few people along the way too..but that was Eva.
It's worth reading this book while listening to her voice as the story becomes all the more poignant. I recommend it Eva's fans of which I am one..but also to those who don't mind being uplifted by a remarkable story as this certainly is. You'll certainly gain new insights to this beautiful soul who is sadly no longer with us.

I am an Eva Cassidy fan from years ago. I was so pleased to hear that their was a book written about one of the most talented women singers of all times.
This book takes you into the life of Eva from beginning to her last days of life with cancer.
I couldn't put it down.
This book is like a rich scrapbook filled with pictures and stories. You will come away from it feeling the void Eva has left and happy to have gotten to know about her life.
If you are a fan...this is a must have.
If you never heard of Eva, do something nice for yourself and purchase one of her Cd's and this book. You won't be sorry you did!

Everyone that loves Eva Cassidy's voice, should read this book. It is a great way of getting to know this wonderful artist.