PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
The Arts Council
Contact: Kevin Ledgewood
pr@tuscarts.org
205-758-5195, x6
“AN EVENING WITH JUDY COLLINS” AT THE BAMA THEATRE
(Tuscaloosa, AL) Iconic folk singer and instrumentalist Judy Collins will appear at Tuscaloosa’s Bama Theatre with the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra on Saturday, September 7, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. “An Evening With Judy Collins” will be presented by The Arts Council of Tuscaloosa in celebration of the historic theatre’s 75th Anniversary year.
Tickets for the performance are available at bamatheatre.org/buytickets and range in price from $35 – $55. Tickets are also available at The Arts Council office, located in the PARA Building, adjacent to the theatre.
A variety of Sponsorship Levels for the concert are available at this time.
For more information about Judy Collins, visit judycollins.com. A high res press photo is available of Ms. Collins. Email Kevin Ledgewood at pr@tuscarts.org to receive the file.
Judy Collins
Judy Collins has inspired audiences with sublime vocals, boldly vulnerable songwriting, personal life triumphs, and a firm commitment to social activism. In the 1960s, she evoked both the idealism and steely determination of a generation united against social and environmental injustices. Five decades later, her luminescent presence shines brightly as new generations bask in the glow of her iconic 50-album body of work, and heed inspiration from her spiritual discipline to thrive in the music industry for half a century.
The award-winning singer-songwriter is esteemed for her imaginative interpretations of traditional and contemporary folk standards and her own poetically poignant original compositions. Her stunning rendition of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now” from her landmark 1967 album, Wildflowers, has been entered into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Judy’s dreamy and sweetly intimate version of “Send in the Clowns,” a ballad written by Stephen Sondheim for the Broadway musical A Little Night Music, won “Song of the Year” at the 1975 Grammy Awards. She’s garnered several top-ten hits gold- and platinum-selling albums. Recently, contemporary and classic artists such as Rufus Wainwright, Shawn Colvin, Arlo Gutherie, Joan Baez, and Leonard Cohen honored her legacy with the album Born to the Breed: A Tribute to Judy Collins.
Judy began her impressive music career at 13 as a piano prodigy dazzling audiences performing Mozart’s “Concerto for Two Pianos,” but the hardluck tales and rugged sensitivity of folk revival music by artists such as Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger seduced her away from a life as a concert pianist. Her path pointed to a lifelong love affair with the guitar and pursuit of emotional truth in lyrics. The focus and regimented practice of classical music, however, would be a source of strength to her inner core as she navigated the highs and lows of the music business.
In 1961, she released her masterful debut, A Maid of Constant Sorrow, which featured interpretative works of social poets of the time such as Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs and Tom Paxton. This began a wonderfully fertile thirty-five year creative relationship with Jac Holzman and Elektra Records. Around this time Judy became a tastemaker within the thriving Greenwich Village folk community, and brought other singer-songwriters to a wider audience, including poet/musician Leonard Cohen – and musicians Joni Mitchell and Randy Newman. Throughout the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and up to the present, she has remained a vital artist, enriching her catalog with critically acclaimed albums while balancing a robust touring schedule.
Her most recent release, the CD/DVD Judy Collins Live At The Metropolitan Museum Of Art aired on Thirteen/PBS and celebrates her iconic career. On this magical night in her adopted hometown of New York City she performed her most beloved works—from then and now—at the Met’s paradisal Temple of Dendur. In attendance were friends and family, and joining her onstage were special guests such as Ani DiFranco, Jimmy Webb and Shawn Colvin. It’s a glowingly pure portrait of a treasured artist with one of the most pristine voices in music.
Judy has also authored several books, including the powerful and inspiring, Sanity & Grace. For her most recent title, the memoir Sweet Judy Blue Eyes: My Life in Music, she reaches deeply inside and, with unflinching candor, recalls her turbulent childhood, extraordinary rise to fame, her romance with Stephen Stills, her epic victories over depression and alcoholism, and her redemption through embracing a healthy and stable lifestyle and finding true love with Louis Nelson, her partner of 30 years. In addition, she remains a social activist, representing UNICEF and numerous other causes. She is also the co-director, with Jill Godmillow, of an Academy Award-nominated film about Antonia Brico, the first woman to conduct major symphonies around the world—and Judy’s classical piano teacher when she was young.
Judy Collins, now 74, is as creatively vigorous as ever, writing, performing 80 to 100 dates nationwide, and nurturing fresh talent. She is a modern day Renaissance woman who is also an accomplished painter, filmmaker, record label head, musical mentor, and an in-demand keynote speaker for mental health and suicide prevention. She continues to create music of hope and healing that lights up the world and speaks to the heart.
The Bama Theatre
Opening its doors to the West Alabama community on April 12, 1938, Tuscaloosa’s Bama Theatre continues to delight audiences of all ages with its year-round presentation of local, regional and internationally known performers. With its atmospheric style interior and moderne exterior, the venue has proven itself time and again as a cultural venue and major attraction in the downtown area. From flutist Jean-Pierre Rampal and opera star Roberta Peters to The Police and Joan Baez, the theatre continues to provide the West Alabama community with a diverse range of cultural and entertainment opportunities. Thousands of local students have attended productions and performed on its stage, creating lasting impressions that impact their education and their future. The Bama Theatre is included on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Bama Theatre is located at 600 Greensboro Avenue in downtown Tuscaloosa. For more information about The Arts Council or Bama Theatre, patrons should LIKE the Facebook page “The Arts Council – Bama Theatre – Cultural Arts Center” and follow tuscarts on Twitter. Call 205-758-5195 or visit tuscarts.org for further information.
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