EVA'S PARENTS MET MICHELLE KWAN! Hugh and Barbara Cassidy, and some friends and family members, went backstage before the "Champions on Ice" show in Baltimore to meet the show's star, champion ice skater Michelle Kwan. Michelle is skating to Eva's recording of "Fields of Gold" on the 95-city COI tour. Bill Straw of Blix Street Records presented Michelle Kwan with a gold record, which the SONGBIRD album has recently earned for album sales in the United States. The press release from Blix Street states, ' Kwan, known for her artistry and grace, has skated to the poignant 揊ields of Gold?many times in the past year, but no performance was more memorable than the showcase of champions at the Olympics in Salt Lake City following the figure skating competition. To commemorate Kwan抯 contribution to the visibility of the recording, Eva抯 parents Barbara and Hugh Cassidy, along with Bill Straw, president of Blix Street Records, presented her with a Gold record backstage at the Baltimore Arena on April 11th [2002] during a tour stop.'
Backstage at "Champions on Ice." From left to right, Anette Cassidy, Hugh Cassidy, Elana Byrd, Bill Straw, Michelle Kwan, Maggie Haven, Barbara Cassidy, Sarah Kass (Anette's daughter), Kathy McCabe. Maggie tells me, "Bill Straw presented [the gold record] to her, Barbara thanked her and gave her a big hug and Sarah was thrilled beyond belief when Michelle pulled her close to her for a photo. Michelle chatted with us for awhile. She appears to be a very sweet young lady. It's easy to see why she has become the 'sweetheart' of so many people."
From left to right, Hugh Cassidy, Michelle Kwan, Bill Straw, Barbara Cassidy. Eva's mother, Barbara Cassidy, asked Michelle Kwan how she came to choose "Fields of Gold" for her exhibition skate. Michelle said that people often suggest music to her, for possible use in her skating, and that someone had given her Eva's album SONGBIRD. She had heard Sting's original version of "Fields of Gold" and liked it, but when she heard Eva's rendition of the song, she knew she wanted to skate to it, she knew it was her music. Michelle said she loved the whole album, especially "Fields of Gold."
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