Eva Cassidy

Eva Cassidy (February 2, 1963 – November 2, 1996) was an American vocalist and guitarist known for her renditions and interpretations of jazz and blues. She released her first album, The Other Side, in 1992, followed by a set of duets with go-go musician Chuck Brown, before releasing her final work, Live at Blues Alley, in 1996, which was a live solo album.

Cassidy died of melanoma in 1996, but it was after her death that she received the recognition that she deserved. In 1998, her 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. The compilation album Songbird climbed to the top of the UK Albums Charts, almost three years after its initial release. Her posthumously released recordings, including three UK number 1 records, have sold more than ten million copies. Her music has also charted top 10 positions in Australia, Germany, Sweden, Norway and Switzerland.