Sweet Judy Blues (Judy Collins) Returns to Cain Park on June 14

Judy Collins returns to Cain Park's Evan Amphitheater on Saturday, June 14 at 8 PM, bringing with her the tricks of the trade for which she is so well-known and loved: sublime vocals, skillful musicianship, boldly vulnerable songwriting, sharing personal life triumphs, and her firm commitment to social activism.

Tickets for this concert, which is supported by WCPN, WKSU, and Tony & Kitty Phelan, are $75/$40/$35/$20 in advance and $75/$43/$38/$23 the day of the show; they can be purchased at any time via Ticketmaster (800-745-3000) or by calling the Cain Park ticket office (216-371-3000) beginning May 31. Cain Park is located at Lee Road and Superior Road in Cleveland Heights.

A free parking shuttle service is available for this concert made possible by Motorcars Honda/Toyota/Scion. The shuttle runs one hour before showtime (it will not run once the concert begins) and up to one hour after the concert ends. Those interested should park at Cleveland Heights City Hall (40 Severance Circle, 44118). Shuttle pick-up is in front of Cleveland Heights City Hall.

Prior to the concert, at 6 pm, the Friends of Cain Park are presenting a dessert benefit for concert ticketholders exclusively, with benefit tickets available for $15. All funds raised will be used to create a special permanent tribute to the late Chessie Bleik, founder of the Friends of Cain Park. Membership information and tickets for the dessert benefit are available by calling the Friends of Cain Park at 216-291-2854 or 216-791-5149.

Sharing the bill with Collins is soulful vocalist and innovative multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter and producer Rachael Sage. Sage has become one of the busiest touring artists in independent music, who, with her band The Sequins, tours extensively throughout the US, UK, Europe and Asia. She has earned a loyal following for her dynamic piano playing, delicate guitar work, and improvisational audience interaction.

Described by British music magazine Uncut as "One part Elton John, one part Kate Bush," Sage has shared stages with artists such as Sarah McLachlan, A Great Big World, Colin Hay, Shawn Colvin, Marc Cohn, The Animals and Ani DiFranco. She has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and received numerous songwriting awards including The John Lennon Songwriting Contest (Grand Prize) and several Independent Music Awards. Her songs have appeared on MTV, HBO, the "Fame" soundtrack, and in the current season of Lifetime television's #1 reality series "Dance Moms". Billboard Magazine praises her wit, saying, "her keen ironic sense of humor and quirky sense of the profound is what makes her special as a songwriter."

Collins, an 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, which were gold- and platinum-selling albums. Recently, contemporary and classic artists such as Rufus Wainwright, Shawn Colvin, Arlo Guthrie, 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, especially known to dazzle audiences by performing Mozart's "Concerto for Two Pianos." But the hard-luck 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. 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.

Collins has also authored several books, including the recent memoir entitled Sweet Judy Blue Eyes: My Life in Music. In the book, with unflinching candor, she recalls her turbulent childhood, extraordinary rise to fame, her romance with Stephen Stills, her epic victories over depression and addiction, and her redemption, which came by embracing a healthy and stable lifestyle and finding true love with Louis Nelson, her partner of 30 years. Collins 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, touring worldwide, 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, lighting up the world and speaking to the heart.

Cain Park 2014 season sponsors include Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, Ohio Arts Council, Severance Town Center, Intercontinental Hotels - Cleveland, and Motorcars Honda/Toyota/Scion.

Cain Park, a municipally owned and operated summer arts park and one of the nation's oldest landmark outdoor theaters, celebrates its 76th season in 2014. Cain Park is produced by the City of Cleveland Heights and is located on Superior Road between Lee and South Taylor roads.

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