NEW PICTURES


Updated August 3, 2005

Please do not copy these images.


Mark Hagen sitting at a computer looking at this web siteCHECKING OUT THE SITE: One of the major events of the Eva success story occurred when "Top of the Pops" producer Mark Hagen broadcast the video of Eva singing "Over the Rainbow" at Blues Alley. Around that time, Hagen told me via e-mail that he had often visited my web site, and now here's a photo to prove it! (Added August 3, 2005)


WAMA The "Wammies" (Washington Area Music Association awards) are an important part of musical life in the Washington DC area. It is an often-repeated part of the "Eva Cassidy story" that she was ignored by the "music industry" during her lifetime, but it is less widely-known that the LOCAL music organization was extremely supportive and was fully aware of Eva's marvelous talent. I have written more about Eva and the "Wammies" in my article about "Over the Rainbow", and I encourage you to learn more about the Washington Area Music Association by visiting their website or the Washington Post's "Wammies" page.

Maria Villafana went to a lot of trouble to track down some photos of Eva which were taken at several WAMA events, which I am delighted to share with you now. Here are the first two, showing Eva Cassidy receiving her first "Wammie" award in November 1993. Eva hadn't expected to win and wasn't planning to attend the ceremony, but WAMA President Mike Schreibman urged her to come! The award shown in the photo was for "Female Vocalist Roots/Traditional R&B," according to Maria, who adds, "She also received a Wammie that night for 'Vocalist Jazz/Traditional' but that Wammie was not given from the stage that year and therefore there isn't a photo of that acceptance."

Wammie Wammie
Wondering what Eva said in her acceptance speech? "Uh, uh..." (laughs nervously) "Thank God, and I want to thank my mom and dad, and ..." (she finds them with her glance) "Al Dale, Chris Biondo and Chuck Brown. Thank you very much." (Radiant smile)


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