Judy Collins Named Recipient of Joe's Pub Vanguard Award & Residency
By: Julie Musbach Oct. 25, 2018
Joe's Pub, a program of The Public Theater, is thrilled to announce Judy Collins as the 2019 recipient of The Vanguard Award & Residency, which celebrates the work and influence of an icon of American popular culture. The Vanguard Award & Residency is one of many initiatives that furthers The Public's commitment to nurturing and celebrating artists at all levels of their careers. Collins is honored for her legendary career inspiring audiences with her sublime vocals and boldly vulnerable songwriting, but also her fierce activism in social justice and mentorship to many artists. Beyond her own performances, the year under Collins's distinctive curatorial guidance will include Thomas Dybdahl on February 7, plus shows by Mx. Justin Vivian Bond andAri Hest in the spring.
On February 4, Collins will be saluted at the second annual Vanguard Gala with an all-star slate of artists and friends supporting the continuation of the award. For more information on the gala, events@publictheater.org or 212.539.8537.
Tickets for Thomas Dybdahl are available online, by phone (212-967-7555) and in-person at The Public Theater's box office (425 Lafayette, NYC). More information for all performances and further programming are forthcoming.
Collins remarked, "I am happy to say that in the 50 years since I stepped onto the stage of the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, my relationship with The Public Theater has never ended as a performer and audience. I look forward to this year's glorious Vanguard events to come."
Alex Knowlton, Director of Joe's Pub, said, "Continuing this program into its second year with Judy Collins is a dream. Beyond her extraordinary talent, Judy remains one of America's most vital artists because of her creative rigor and dedication to her craft. As Joe's Pub endeavors to support artists at every stage, we look to Judy for not only what it takes to make a sustainable career, but one with significant social and cultural impact. Her values align so closely with ours at Joe's Pub - especially her steadfast dedication to social justice."
Judy Collins evoked both the idealism and steely determination of a generation united against social and environmental injustices in the 1960s. 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.
With several top-ten hits and gold- and platinum-selling albums, 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. Collins's dreamy and sweetly intimate version of Stephen Sondheim's "Send in the Clowns" won "Song of the Year" at the 1975 Grammy Awards.
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 35-year creative relationship with Jac Holzman and Elektra Records. Collins became a lynchpin of the Greenwich Village folk community, bringing singer-songwriters to a wider audience, including Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, and Randy Newman.
Singer-songwriter Stephen Stills met Collins, known for her piercing ocean blue eyes, 50 years ago. Their tumultuous love affair would later be immortalized by Stills with his composition "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes," performed by Crosby, Stills & Nash on their landmark debut. Both visionary artists would go gone to shape modern music, but their short fiery union remains a transformative era for the two artists. Last summer, the folk icons celebrated the golden anniversary of their formative time together with a joint tour marking their first time sharing a stage.
Prolific as ever, Collins released a collaborative album with writing partner, Ari Hest, Silver Skies Blue, which received a Grammy nomination for Best Folk Album in 2017. In 2015, she released Strangers Again, which invited a cast of icons and young talents to sing with her, including Willie Nelson, Jackson Browne, Jeff Bridges, and Glen Hansard,
She remains a vital artist, enriching her catalog while balancing a robust touring schedule. Now 79, she is as creatively vigorous as ever, writing, touring worldwide, and nurturing fresh talent. She is a modern day Renaissance woman - an accomplished painter, author (Cravings, Sanity & Grace and Sweet Judy Blue Eyes: My Life in Music) filmmaker, record label head, musical mentor, and social activist, working with UNICEF and speaking out on mental health and suicide prevention. She continues to create and inspire, giving audiences a lifetime of beautiful music.
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