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Eva Marie Cassidy (February 2, 1963 – November 2, 1996) was an American vocalist and guitarist known for her interpretations of jazz, blues, folk, gospel, country, rock and pop classics. In 1992, she released her first album, ''The Other Side'', a set of duets with go-go musician Chuck Brown, followed by the 1996 live solo album titled ''Live at Blues Alley''. Although she had been honored by the Washington Area Music Association, she was virtually unknown outside her native Washington, D.C., when she died of melanoma in 1996. Two years later, Cassidy's music was brought to the attention of British audiences when her versions of "Fields of Gold" and "Over the Rainbow" were played by Mike Harding and Terry Wogan on BBC Radio 2. Following the overwhelming response, a camcorder recording of "Over the Rainbow", taken at Blues Alley in Washington by her friend Bryan McCulley, was shown on BBC Two's ''Top of the Pops 2''. Shortly afterwards, the compilation album ''Songbird'' climbed to the top of the UK Albums Charts, almost three years after its initial release. The chart success in the United Kingdom and Ireland led to increased recognition worldwide; her posthumously released recordings, including three UK number 1 records, have sold more than ten million copies.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Blix Stree Records Celebrates 10th Anniversary of Eva Cassidy's 'Songbird' CD Reaching number 1 on U.K. Music Chart with Gold Certification of New 'Simply Eva' Acoustic CD )〕 Her music has also charted top 10 positions in Australia, Germany, Sweden, Norway and Switzerland.〔 ==Early life== Born on February 2, 1963, at the Washington Hospital Center,〔Burley et al. p.13.〕 Cassidy grew up in Oxon Hill and later Bowie, Maryland, suburbs of Washington, DC. She was the third of four children. Her father Hugh Cassidy, a retired teacher, sculptor, musician, former army medic and world champion powerlifter, is of Scottish and Irish descent, while her mother, Barbara (Kratzer), was a horticulturist and originally German, born in Bad Kreuznach.〔(The Afterlife of Eva Cassidy ) (PDF) Dorian Lynske, ''Word Magazine'', 2003. Retrieved on March 6, 2008.〕〔〔Burley et al. p.12.〕 From an early age, Cassidy displayed interest in art and music. When she was nine, her father began teaching her to play the guitar, and she began to play and sing at family gatherings.〔 At age 11, Cassidy began singing and playing guitar in a Washington-area band called Easy Street.〔Burley et al. p.54–56.〕 This band performed in a variety of styles at weddings, corporate parties, and pubs. Due to her shyness, she struggled with performing in front of strangers. While a student at Bowie High School, she sang with a local band called Stonehenge.〔 During the summer of 1983, Cassidy sang and played guitar six days a week at the theme park Wild World.〔 Her younger brother Dan, a fiddler, was also a member of this working band. She enrolled in art classes at Prince George's Community College but dropped out after finding them unhelpful.〔(Liner notes ) Joel E. Siegel, ''Eva by Heart''. Retrieved on March 6, 2008.〕 Throughout the 1980s, Cassidy worked with several other bands, including the techno-pop band Characters Without Names. During this period, Cassidy also worked as a propagator at a plant nursery and as a furniture painter. In her free time, she explored other artistic expressions including painting, sculpting, and jewelry design.〔 Despite holding a belief in God, Cassidy was not part of any organized religion.〔Burley et al. p.165.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Eva Cassidy」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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