Eva Cassidy: Timeless Voice

Eva Cassidy has sold 10 million records worldwide yet died in 1996 knowing neither fame nor fortune. However, she left behind a legacy that would go on to cause a phenomenon in the entertainment industry. This extraordinary documentary hears from those who knew her best, as well as the artists and music moguls whose own careers have been shaped by the silken voice of a music legend. Mick Fleetwood, Katie Melua, Sir Terry Wogan, Michael Bolton and Carrie Grant are among the contributors giving their unique perspectives on how and why Cassidy rose from a jobbing musician with a pocket full of cover versions to an internationally acclaimed star. Born in Washington DC on 2 February 1963, Cassidy was a budding musician from the age of nine and would eventually craft a modest career playing gigs at small bars in her local town without any mainstream success. At the time, any up-and-comer had to play covers, so that's what she did. But how did she stand out from the crowd? Mick Fleetwood reflects: “She was fearless. She would go into areas that most people wouldn't dare to. I'd say 'No, no, don't go there that's somebody else's territory'. But if Eva 'felt' a song she would say 'I am singing it'. Nowhere is this better demonstrated than in her version of Over the Rainbow. A song most closely associated with Judy Garland, Eva made it her own, as vocal coach Carrie Grant elaborates: “I cannot imagine what Eva Cassidy was thinking of when she chose to make it sound the way it does, it's just genius”. On 2 November 1996, Eva Cassidy died of cancer at the age of 33. Andrew Bowles, MD of recording and Management Company Dramatico reflects on the difficulties of making her a star posthumously: "When she died in 1996 no one really new who Eva Cassidy was as a singer. Launching an artist no longer alive is a major challenge. All we had to go on was the pure quality of the music." And it is because of her profoundly eloquent quality of music that she is remembered today. The explanation for Eva Cassidy's popularity is simple - she possessed a mesmerising soprano voice with a vast and seemingly effortless range, faultless pitch and a gift for reinventing some of the greatest songs ever written.