In a five-decade career, the folk legend Judy Collins has managed to produce award-winning songs, write multiple books, and still, at the age of 72 she is performing up to 80 times a year. The artist said drive has never been a problem for the relentless entertainer.
Collins will return to Los Angels for a performance at the Broad Stage at Santa Monica College on Oct. 8 at 7:30 p.m. A former Los Angeles resident and frequent visitor for her tireless touring schedules, she is no stranger to the city of stardom.
“I love it there, performed there very often, and it will great to be back,” Collins said in a phone interview from her apartment in New York.
Collins’s musical legacy includes recording over 40 albums, several Top 10 hits, a Grammy award and recently contributing music to the children’s book “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” She is currently promoting her latest album, “Paradise.”
Born in Seattle in 1939, the classically trained pianist studied piano since childhood. She lived in Los Angeles four years and then moved to Colorado where, by the age of ten, she made a public debut on stage.
During the ‘50s folk music resurgence, Collins transitioned to the guitar finding solace at 14 years old in the stories of the music. In 1961 she signed with the emerging label Elektra Records where she remained more nearly 35 years.
Collins began her vocal career singing traditional American ballads that gave way to the protest songs that encapsulated the Vietnam War and Nixon era’s idealism and unrest.
The sixties bore legendary signers such as Bob Dylan and Joan Baez while Collins gained popularity through performing well-known folk songs. She earned chart-topping hits from songs such as “Send in the Clowns” and by repackaging many folk songs of the time such as “Amazing Grace” and “Both Sides Now.” The later earned her a Grammy for the Joni Mitchell cover.
During that era, Collins said she discovered the unknown talent of Joni Mitchell and Randy Newman. She now has over a dozen artists signed to her label, Wildflower Records.
Collins experienced personal set backs in the ‘70s and ‘90s, including being admitted to rehab for alcohol abuse and the devastating suicide of her 33-year-old son. Eventually she released a series of books dealing with the topic of suicide to help deal with the loss.
Although creatively she did not seem to detour from making hits in the ‘80s, the artist never paused for long from a relentless work schedule. Her latest memoir Sweet Judy Blue Eyes is set to be released and she will make an appearance on the popular NPR radio series “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me” in December.
“Things are always happening it’s a very exciting time,” she said.
Tickets for the SMC performance run the gamut from $120-$75. Purchase tickets online at www.thebroadstage.com/tickets or call 310.434.3200.
Katherine Peach
