An archive page from late 1999/early 2000.
Last Updated 1/26/00
WHO LISTENED TO THE BBC RADIO 2 BROADCAST on December 28th? I did, from the suburbs of Washington DC, thanks to the miracle of streaming audio and the BBC’s new webcast service. I’ll use this page to post people’s reactions to the broadcast.
Me first : Due to an unexpected computer problem, I missed the first ten minutes. When I finally made the connection to the BBC webcast, I wasn’t sure if I had the right station because I was hearing a song I’d never heard Eva sing, “The Rose.” But then I heard her unmistakable voice and realized that they were playing one of the unreleased recordings…. I thought the BBC did a VERY classy job. Terry Wogan sounded genuinely enthusiastic about Eva’s music.
It was wonderful to hear Hugh and Barbara Cassidy, and the members of the Eva Cassidy Band, and Chuck Brown and Al Dale. The musical excerpts were well-chosen, and I especially appreciated the fact that they were fairly long, not just tiny “sound bites” that don’t allow the listener to focus on what they’re hearing. I was hoping for more excerpts from the unreleased tapes though.
When I talked to Chris Biondo, Eva’s producer, on the phone the next day, he said “Never again! I’ve learned my lesson. I’m not doing any more interviews because I never seem to know when to keep my mouth shut.” He was angry with himself, not with the BBC, and concerned that his negative comments about the record industry would upset people. I told him that his bitterness was certainly justified in this case…. Chris was very pleased about the broadcast otherwise. He, like myself, listened over the Internet.
Feedback from other people:
From Jonathan in Massachusetts, who just received a tape of the broadcast: “I think it was beautifully done, and I wish somebody in the US would do something similar! Even though I have read a lot about Eva’s life through articles, etc., nothing compares to hearing the story told through her friends and family. Both of her parents had great stories about what she was like on a day to day basis. I liked hearing her mother talk about their bike rides together and picking daisies, and about her working in the nursery. It was interesting to hear her father say that their relationship had not really come around full circle yet, as it had with his other children; maybe Eva was still “discovering herself” and her identity. Chris’s account of the Bayou concert was probably the most touching, and Chuck Brown added a lot of color. I think that Chris was justified in every word he said about music executives– they are really mostly concerned about marketing a package, rather than music for it’s sheer artistic value. Most new singers today that are touted by record companies are good-looking, polished, and have an MTV video personality– which is disgusting. I thought it was funny that Al Dale was talking about how he was trying to get Eva to dance and practice performing and she was like “look, I am no Janet Jackson, I just want to sing!” I think that what really sticks in my mind the most, was actually Jackie’s quote when she talked about how Eva thought she was sore from painting and carrying her own equipment, “she paid her dues.” I feel that Jackie and Chris, like a lot of her fans who never even met her, feel that Eva worked hard and didn’t get the widespread acclaim and recognition that she deserved. Eva seems not to have cared, but everyone else does. That quote really sums it up for me.”
Simon B. from the UK:
“What an excellent insight into Eva’s all too brief life and musical career the programme, produced by Kevin Howlett for BBC Radio 2, was. Chuck Brown sounds like a real character and the musical knot the two of them tied is yet another unlikely and remarkable part of the story. The strong sense of exasperation felt at the lack of imagination shown by the major record labels by Eva’s close friends and advisers came across well. I’m convinced that, like Nick Drake in this country (who only recorded 3 albums from 1968 to 1974 in his short life), Eva’s small but vastly significant output will grow and grow in importance as the new century unfolds. Despite the awful cruelty of Eva’s cancer, the programme did seem to bring out the amazing spirit of love that surrounded and still seems to surround her and her family. Very moving and I’m still captivated by Eva’s expressive and beautiful voice.”
Barbara Cassidy (Eva’s mom), Bowie, Maryland, USA:
“The BBC sent us a DAT of the program, and we were quite pleased with it.” (that was just a comment in passing, she and I were having a conversation about something else entirely…. I’ll add more if we discuss it again!)
Michael in the UK:
“By chance I happened to be listening to BBC radio 2 on Dec 28th.I was transfixed by Eva’s voice.It was the first I had ever heard of her.I’m eternally grateful to the programme and am now a devoted fan of Eva Cassidy.”
Jennie in Worthing, West Sussex:
I was totally captivated by the programme. It was very moving, and I’m sure I wasn’t alone in shedding a tear as I listened.
It was fascinating to hear Eva’s friends and family talking about her. Everyone came across as being extremely caring, down to earth and intelligent, and it was comforting to know that she had such good people around her, looking out for her. The chances are that had she gone on to become famous in her lifetime she would have come up against some unscrupulous types – sadly the music business is full of them.
With regards to Chris Biondo’s comments on that subject – I agree with him totally. It was so refreshing to hear someone involved in music, a musician himself, speaking so honestly and forthrightly. Well done, Chris! To confirm all he said, I used to go out with an A & R guy for a major record company. He earned lots of money and knew lots of famous people. He loved all that, but what he knew about music you could write on a postage stamp! In fact, he had no real interest in music at all, just in making money and mixing with the right people. I’m not saying they are all like he was, but a fair proportion are unfortunately.
Anyway, off the soapbox! Congratulations should go to all concerned with the programme. It was well researched and well constructed. Thanks to Radio 2 for commissioning and broadcasting the programme for all us Eva fans here in the UK, and thanks too for all they have done to promote Eva’s music.
Alan in the UK:
I first heard of Eva when I was looking for Fields of Gold by Shaun Keane and my local dealer said that I would like this version better, Eva’s version, and yes, it was far superior. I’ve got the four albums that have been released to date and I listened to the R2 show over Christmas, and oh how sad it was to hear. Someone on the whispers page said it was a three hankie affair and it truly was. One of the most poignant parts for me was when her dad was talking about Eva’s hats on the wall. If you do have contact with Eva’s dad then please tell him not to give the hats away. Keep them all where they are up on the wall and cherish the memories that they bring back. I haven’t lost a loved one but I know that I would want to keep the most important bits of the loved one if it was to happen to me.
A second point was when he was saying that Eva could hit a note and make the hairs stand up on your neck. My wife is a Barbershop singer and knows about hitting the notes first time and all that. It was a while back when I was playing Fields of Gold that she said the same thing about Eva hitting the notes and she went all cold down her back, and this is also a fave album of hers. Well Laura, at least we have a small but quality collection of Eva to remember her by.
Simon F. in Welwyn Garden City, UK:
I recorded the BBC special here in the UK, and listened to it with my parents. My mum has become a fan of Eva’s music since I gave her the ‘Songbird’ album as a Christmas present. I couldn’t agree more with the opinions that were voiced about record company executives being more interested in how to ‘sell’ an artist than in sharing true talent – which Eva had in abundance – with a wider audience. We were all particularly moved by Chris Biondo’s account of the tribute concert and Eva’s extaordinary courage in singing ‘What A Wonderful World’. I felt a lump in my throat just thinking about it, and then when they played the recorded version of the song, I cried so much at the line about babies, how ‘they’ll learn much more than I’ll ever know’. No wonder Chuck Brown had to leave the stage. Those words took on a whole new poignancy. Your cousin was clearly a very special person.
Gerry from London:
A very moving tribute, expertly and sensitively put together and presented. I’m pleased they didn’t interrupt the singing, except for a few appropriate voice-overs on the instrumental breaks. I don’t know how the interviews were done, but everybody’s comments seemed so “considered” without sounding “scripted”. There’s probably never been any kind of tribute before where all the contributors were themselves (at best) relatively unknown… not that it mattered. For me, it was great to hear the voices of those closest to her. Of course, I’ve read their words and opinions before on the sleevenotes, in the interviews on your site and various bits and pieces you’ve passed on. Hugh and Barbara sound so “wise” somehow…….. and immensely proud. Also, they seem to be now quite at ease with talking about her……… I especially liked the section where (over Fields of Gold) Barbara was reminiscing about the time they spent walking and cycling, picking flowers etc. And when Hugh was talking about playing the cello while looking over at Eva’s hats…….he should definitely not let them go.
Chris shouldn’t worry too much about his comments……….. there’s nothing wrong with a bit of righteous indignation is there? Besides who will hold it against him anyway….. The record labels have already been proved wrong, haven’t they?…… she’s sold a lot of albums hasn’t she? All on the back of no promotion gimmicks (probably only a handful of people have even seen her on video), no interviews (to my knowledge)….. Only word of mouth from music-lovers who can’t all be wrong. She had the right not to conform into being pigeon-holed and to stick to what she was good at and comfortable with (I can just imagine her saying “Look, I’m no Janet Jackson etc”).
Tony Bramwell left a whisper [on the Bob Harris website] about some new release being planned….. do you know anything about this?
P.S. Chuck Brown sounds a lot of fun……. comes across as the ‘life and soul’ and reminds me of Louis Armstrong……. does he live life permanently smiling?
From David and Chris in Weymouth, UK:
The first time we ever heard Eva’s wonderful voice was late 1998 when Bob Harris played ‘What a wonderful world’ late one Saturday evening. Both my wife and I were struck with the beauty and purity of Eva’s voice and from then on we have collected everything we can get our hands on – we have 4 cds at present, let’s hope there may someday be more. The Terry Wogan program was a wonderful tribute and brought tears to our eyes even though we knew the story and what to expect. May Eva’s memory live on forever and may many, many more people hear and appreciate what to me is one of the finest, purest and most angelic voice ever to grace this planet. Our thanks to all responsible for producing such a wonderful program and to Chris Biondo for having the courage and persistance to stick with Eva to the end of her tragically short life.
From John S. in the UK:
It was refreshing to hear what Chris Biondo had to say – it’s nice to know that some people are in the music business because they love music! Hearing the voices of the other people in Eva’s life has helped put my knowledge and understanding of her into some sort of context. I hope the people who have video footage of Eva can find some way of bringing it to the market so we Brits can share in the magic a bit more.
From Carol & Roy in Lincolnshire, UK:
Hi Laura, We’ve just found your site after listening to the Eva Cassidy tribute broadcast. We thought it was very moving and sad. It was a wonderful tribute and gave us an insight into her life. We recorded it on minidisk and have listened to it again tonight. What more can we say, she is absolutely brilliant and we have all her CD’s and have now ordered the Chuck Brown ‘Other Side’ so are looking forward to hearing that soon. Our favourite tracks are Autumn Leaves, Fields of Gold and Songbird but we love them all. Looking forward to other recordings (if they exist) and latest info on your web site.
From Phil in the UK:
I thought Terry’s program was great as it covered much which is available on the Net but may be new to those without Internet access. Even though I knew the story I was still moved to hear it from the people who really knew her, especially the account of her last performance. I can’t believe the representatives of these music companies could not be in total awe as I was when I first heard her and as many of my friends are when I insist they listen to a voice the likes of which they have never heard before. Eva is hardly ever out of my CD player or the stereo in my car, I gain pleasure not only from listening but also from introducing friends who are genuinely appreciative. I wish I could think of something original but I don’t think there is anything I can say that has not already been said on your letters page….
From John in the UK:
I listened to the radio broadcast on Tuesday night. I thought it was excellent. The BBC can occasionally put these things together very well, and this was one of those occasions. It was really interesting to hear Eva’s parents, friends, and colleagues remembering her, with such obvious affection. I must say that I agree entirely with Chris Biondo’s comments about the record company executives who did not realise the talent that they were looking at. The programme also enforced my own opinion that Eva was a truly exceptional singer, and I do hope that we will soon be able to purchase “new” material.
The programme was presented by Terry Wogan, ( a major ‘celeb’ over here ), and I’ve dropped him an email to offer thanks for the programme, and to ask him to continue to play Eva’s music. Terry along with Bob Harris, and Michael Parkinson ( All BBC Radio 2 presenters ) have done much to bring Eva’s music to the UK population. I’m glad you got to hear the programme, and yes it was terrific. Chris Biondo shouldn’t feel bad about his comments……I didn’t interpret them as mean, but rather as honest, straightforward, opinions from a person who knew what he was talking about, and who obviously felt passionately about Eva’s talent. He sounded frustrated at some peoples inability to see what’s right in front of their noses !!! If the record companies don’t like to hear the truth, and indeed learn from their mistakes,… well thats their problem. I honestly believe that history will prove that Chris was correct, and the record execs were wrong. (It’s happening already….) If you are ever in contact with him, please say thanks from me for being honest, and saying what he said.
From Andy in Renfrewshire, Scotland:
Like a number of us here in the U.K, I only discovered Eva Cassidy this year and can still feel the goosebumps from the very first introduction to her by way of Bob Harris playing her amazing version of “Fields of Gold”. I enjoyed the program broadcast on Radio2 the other evening it gave a bit more insight into Eva the person. Her passing truly is a sad loss to us all, and I for one have feel that she had a range like no one I have ever heard in my 40 or so years of enjoying music.
Some various comments from the people who use the Bob Harris “Whispers” bulletin board :
“…I listened to and enjoyed the Eva Cassidy broadcast on Radio 2 and my heart goes out to her parents….”
“Loved the Eva Cassidy programme but felt it was too short to do justice to her talent and some aspects were not dealt with in sufficient depth as a result but that’s life….”
“I’ve only played half of the Eva Cassidy programme so far, but would echo what others have already said. An amazing voice, and a very touching story – how sad that she’s no longer with us!”