All of Eva Cassidy’s (1963-1996) recognition as “one of the most unique, hypnotic, and powerful singers of all time” (producer William Ross) came posthumously. She was only 33 when she died of a malignant melanoma (or possibly, of malignant chemotherapy).
She published one album during her lifetime, but her posthumous releases and number one albums and hits ranked her as number 5 among the top best-selling musicians on Amazon in 2005! Katie Melua regards her as one of her biggest role models and inspirations for her own career.
The latest CD, I Can Only Be Me, released in March 2023 with a selection of Eva’s songs, is an orchestral album with the London Symphony Orchestra and recordings of Eva’s voice from January 1996 in Georgetown, DC.
Her voice is one of a kind.
“Autumn Leaves,” originally a French song composed in 1945, has become a jazz standard and has literally been covered a thousand times by various artists. Hear it today through Eva Cassidy’s magic.
Related:
Eva Cassidy website: Telling you about Eva since 1999
Autumn Leaves with orchestral accompaniment by the London Symphony Orchestra
Katie Melua & Eva Cassidy – Somewhere Over The Rainbow (YouTube)
‘One of the best singers ever’: remembering Eva Cassidy, 25 years after her death (The Guardian)
Autumn Leaves (Wikipedia)