EVA CASSIDY : PHOTOS AND ARTWORK

Some of my favorite photos of Eva and her artwork are on this page.  Follow the links at the bottom to see more pictures.

Updated November 16, 2004.  Please do not copy these images.





EVA CASSIDY IN 1988 This beautiful portrait was taken in 1988 as a publicity photo for the band "She's Melting." The photographer is unknown.





EVA IN ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND: I love this photo of Eva beside the Chesapeake Bay, a gorgeous 1994 snapshot from Eva's German friend Wiebke Sander.  Wiebke tells me that "Eva is holding stones, seashells and smooth glass pieces from sand in her hand."  One of Eva's fans, Anne, commented, "I love this photo. It's very symbolic to me. It has Eva showing us her treasures!!! Her love and goodness burst from that picture."



Here's a wonderful quote from Eva.   It's her introduction to "Tall Trees in Georgia," after the Blues Alley album came out.

"How's everybody? ...Good." (Strums the guitar.) "This tune is on the CD, and I'm real embarrassed because when I" (laughs) "introduced the song I kept saying 'Um, Uh, Um.' I probably said it about seven times." (Pause.) "I don't like talking. I'd rather sing, so maybe you can like turn the volume down when I'm talking or something... I don't know..." (strums the guitar) "...it's pretty bad." (Strums.) "This is 'Tall Trees in Georgia.' "







A FAMILY OF ARTISTS AND CRAFTSPEOPLE: Eva created "Hilde" as a present for her mother, and her cousin Walter from Canada made the stand and tray.  The metal sculptures are the work of Eva's father, Hugh Cassidy.  Hilde stands about 3 feet high (one metre).  To the right, a close-up of Hilde's face.







EVA'S HOME AWAY FROM HOME: Eva and Chris Biondo (left), in front of his Maryland studio where so many of Eva's recordings were taped.



EVARETHA: On some of her songs, Eva's voice has been compared with that of Aretha Franklin. Eva was a big fan of the famous soul diva, and included a number of Aretha Franklin songs in her live repertoire. Some of Eva's friends from "Method Actor" days would jokingly call her "Evaretha." She occasionally signed her name that way, just for fun (see right).








CHECKING THE HEADPHONE MIX: Eva at Chris Biondo's studio, getting ready to record with "Method Actor" (late 1980's).




EVA AND FRIENDS: Eva and Chris Biondo in 1992.  We think the cat belongs to Eva's sister Anette, but it obviously had found a soulmate in Eva.





LIFE IMITATES ART: (Left) Eva's Aunt Isabel calls this sketch "I Wish I Was A Single Girl Again" because of the bare feet.  The paper looks a bit crumpled because after Eva drew it she threw it in the trash can, saying it was "no good."  Her aunt took it back out again, brought it home, and framed it!  At right, Eva herself in a similar pose, at Tower Records, making a promotional appearance for LIVE AT BLUES ALLEY.



Photo HAPPY DAY, SAD STORY

Eva and Chris Biondo at the historic Apollo Theater in New York City, early in 1991.  "That whole trip was the happiest I ever remember Eva being," Chris Biondo recalls.  They were invited to New York to meet with executives of Apollo Records, a subsidiary of Motown Records.  Eva was treated like a queen and when she left New York it was with the promise of a recording contract and a large advance payment that would have been triple her annual income at that time.  The contract and check never came; Apollo Records went bankrupt before the deal went through.




Eva and her "Songbird" guitar. Eva's friend Larry Melton, who took the photograph, thinks it was in early 1995. Larry also took the photo that Eva chose for the cover of LIVE AT BLUES ALLEY.



MORE PHOTOS


Thank you to (alphabetically): Chris Biondo, Penny Biondo, Isabel Cassidy Bligh, Vivien Bligh, Andrew Bowles, Tony Bramwell, Anette Cassidy, Barbara and Hugh Cassidy, David Christopher, Carey Colvin, Al Dale, Bryan McCulley, Larry Melton, Margret Cassidy Robinson, Wiebke Sander, Carol Bligh Snavely, Elaine Stonebraker, Sharon Weisz, and Eileen White for providing some of the photos on these pages.  Please do not copy these images without permission.