Excerpted from an article originally posted by KT at FOD
The call that did not happen
It was Friday afternoon and I was tired from a long week at work filled with deadlines and office politics and I needed a break.
My boyfriend called and echoed similar sentiments and we decided that a Friday night filled with soulful music was in order. But what plans can be made at the last minute? Where could we go to receive the much needed break from our hectic schedule?
There were a few places in town that occasionally featured bluesy soulful singers but neither of us had to energy to call around so we decided to go to Fleetwoods, a club in town owned and operated by Mick Fleetwood, which provided an excellent venue for regional artists to perform. I offered to call Fleetwoods just to check who was performing but the decision was made to just take our chances and go.
We were escorted to seats close to the stage and slumped into the chairs when the waitress greeted us for our order. We anxiously asked what band was playing and as she named the band we were slightly disappointed, not because the band was bad … no they were good but they simply weren’t a bluesy soulful band. We lamented that we should have called ahead and agreed to do so next time. Soon, however, we discovered that had we made that call we might have missed an amazing, unforgettable experience.
“I would like to invite a guest vocalist to join us on stage….”
The band started playing and was greeted warmly by a sold out Friday night crowd. The crowd mostly listened to the band but also ate their dinner and talked to friends at nearby tables. About halfway through the first set, the lead singer said that she wanted to invite a guest vocalist to join them on stage and motioned to someone from the back of the room to join the band.
I looked back and saw a pretty but plain woman, with her face almost devoid of any expression, walking to the stage. Her body language suggested she rather be at home reading a good book than walking up to that stage. I remember thinking, “Oh this doesn’t look too good” and almost feeling embarrassed for her in advance.
Dropping jaws
As the guest vocalist got up to the stage and strapped the guitar around her shoulder; the two singers looked at each other and nodded as if to say let’s get this party started.
The minute the guest vocalist started to sing my jaw dropped to the ground in awe. Simply put, I was blown away. All of a sudden, eating stopped, conversation subsided and all eyes turned towards the stage in disbelief as to what we were hearing. I looked around at the others in the audience wondering whether they were feeling the same and I could tell by the looks on their faces that they were mesmerized. At the end of the song, the lead vocalist of the band said: “Ladies and gentlemen, please give it up for Eva Cassidy.”
Left you wanting more
Eva finished the rest of the first set and I hadn’t experienced anything like it before. By the response, I could tell the audience felt the same way … the collective feeling was palpable. Who was this person, where did she come from…why haven’t I heard of her before? I didn’t know the answers to those questions but did know one thing, that whenever we had the chance to hear her sing again, we would go.
We were lucky to see her perform 6 more times before she lost her battle to cancer. I felt so sad that the rest of the world would not experience her special talent but I was thankfully wrong as the power of her gift was recognized on an international level and rightfully so. I felt so honored to have witnessed her talent in person.
I have always loved music. There were musicians that I appreciated, songs that I really connected with and certain performances that were memorable; but in retrospect, listening to Eva was the first time in my life that I had really felt someone’s music. I didn’t just hear it … I felt it. And there has been no other artist that has made me feel the same since, that is, until this year when I heard David sing.
Makes perfect sense
It made perfect sense to me when I heard David say that Eva was a special artist for him. I saw the comparisons immediately. Like Eva, in listening to David perform I noticed:
His music doesn’t originate from him or end with him but flows through him.
His humility boldly states that this is not about me but the music.
He does not want to compromise his convictions for the sake of a dollar or fame.
His music is 3 dimensional affecting the body, mind and soul.
I feel his music. It doesn’t matter the venue, the song or the setting; every time he sings I feel his music. That is a special gift.
— KT
p.s. When I first met KT and the lovely @RamblingDA, after the Hershey, PA, show (on the Demi tour), she told me that when it was her turn to go up at the Hershey VIP, she told David she had a story she thought he’d appreciate but that it was a long one so she’d written it all in a letter… about seeing Eva Cassidy perform live. David being David misheard her and said, “David Cassidy??” 😆 😆 😆
Here is Eva singing a Canadian classic, Gordon Lightfoot’s Early Morning Rain.
[Video credits: Autumn Leaves, ironizxcv; Early Morning Rain, Fish41187]
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Posted on FOD Feb. 15, 2010
I watched the footage today–of David singing “Fields of Gold” as part of his Christmas tour in 2009.
David’s voice continues to impress me……..
so soulful and mellow………
a voice that can soothe you, relax you, and just make you feel joyful……..
And his introduction of this song—David talking about my beloved sister, Eva……..
well, tears welled up in my eyes……..
Thank you, David—for being so gracious and kind!!!
I also wanted to share my comments on David’s Christmas CD, “Christmas from the Heart”.
Oh my goodness…….this CD was even more amazing than I had anticipated!
The album as a whole was wonderful, and these songs, in particular, were absolutely beautiful: Silent Night, O Holy Night, What Child is This, Riu Riu Chui, and Ave Maria.
Silent Night, though, was my absolute favorite…..it was sooooo beautifully done, I had tears in my eyes. Even my husband confessed, that he, too–had tears in his eyes while listening to this song……
I also loved the spiritual message David wrote in the liner notes. Beautiful thoughts, David!
So, for those of you who haven’t gotten David’s Christmas CD yet, please do! I know you’re going to love it as much as I do!!!
And to David—may this New Year have lots of wonderful things in store for you!
Thanks for all you do!!!
Warmest regards,
Margret Cassidy Robinson
SnowAngelz: Canadian fans of David Archuleta 