Piper Leigh

The first featured local songstress Donna Tucker and The New Savoy Band and the other national folk artist Patty Larkin. Up next is an ambitious local production, “The Soul of Eva Cassidy” featuring Piper Leigh performing songs Cassidy recorded during her brief yet inspiring life. Leigh, a native Kansan has big plans. “I want to capture the essence of who Eva was and what made her such an enigma to the recording industry,” says Leigh. “She was a remarkable talent and has inspired me in a number of ways. That’s why this homage to her seems so natural. She was a part of my growth as an artist.”

Cassidy an artist, singer/songwriter died in 1996 at the age of 33 following a painful battle with melanoma. Although she mesmerized industry insiders with everything from mournful Irish ballads to gut-wrenching blues, her eclectic repertoire confused short-sighted label execs and made her difficult to pigeonhole and market. Cassidy, a stubborn and opinionated artist, refused to compromise her music and in the end was shelved by the industry. Although painfully shy and suffering from stage fright she managed to gather a fervent group of fans in the Washington D.C. area with a couple of locally released cds and performances at area venues including the famous Blues Alley. Posthumously that fan based swelled to legions throughout Europe and the U.S with the release of more albums following her death. Dan Rodricks music critic for The Baltimore Sun described Cassidy’s rendition of “Over the Rainbow” capable of “make the impossible happen: I forget about Judy Garland.”

But forgetting that the songbird was taken so early in her career makes this story a profound tragedy. Cassidy underwent outpatient surgery following the discovery of a malignant skin lesion on her back during a routine check-up but neglected her follow-up appointment. Two years later she returned to the doctor complaining of a pain in her hip, but it was too late the cancer had spread and she had only a few months to live. Her preventable death is what hooked local dermatologist, Dr. Chris Moeller. He stepped up to the plate and became a sponsor for “The Soul of Eva Cassidy” when it was decided to turn the Cabaret Old Town performance into a fundraiser for The Skin Cancer Foundation for skin cancer research. “I think Eva would love what we are doing here,” says Leigh. “We are keeping it real and giving back, two things I think Eva cherished.”

Tickets for the event are $15 and can be purchased at Cabaret Old Town by calling 316-265-4400 or online at www.cabaretoldtown.com.