Good points on getting the music out there. Though I do have some reservations on Talk Show, VH1 apperances. Yes, it would be great, but don't you think television shows work in the same manner as Comercial radio?
Now the story on Eva Cassidy is a very special one. I do believe that a BBC2 radio DJ in Britian started playing songs off her "Songbird" CD, because he loved her voice and the story behind her music. It has been well documented on NPR, press, internet, etc. For those of you who don't know, her rise to fame is a very sad reflection on the music industry that largely ignores true talent. Eva had been playing in numerous clubs in the Washington D.C./Baltimore area and the east coast for the best part on the early 90's. She released a couple of independent CD's to huge acclaim in D.C. but very little national or major record label interest. Unfortunately she was diagnosed with skin cancer during her rise to local fame. She later died of the disease at the young age of 33. Her manager, for years had tried to gain some major label interest, to no avail. After her death, word got out on how truley talented this young performer was. Articles appeared in the New York and the Washington D.C. press. Her family later released two more CD's featuring tracks from the first two, as well as unreleased material. Those records found their way to the UK where that one DJ began playing them everyday on his morning radio show. They sold millions of copies in UK/Ireland alone. The story later returned to America, where very strong sales began appearing on the internet. An NPR story appeared, and the rest they say- is history! To say that Eva wasn't special, is to say that a large number of other female artists that don't write their own songs aren't speacial. What about Patsy Cline, Judy Garland, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holliday? They didn't write all or most of the music they recorded during their careers. Yes, I am putting Eva in their company. I feel she was one of the most amazing female singers to come out of the 90's and strongly believe that she will be remembered for many years, just as those I listed prior, are today! Give the lady a chance! Now, I guess I rambled a little to much on Eva, but is this the fate of every talented artist who gets very little national attention?
