For over 60 years, Judy Collins kept up her commitment to flawlessly interpreting folk, pop, rock, show tunes and standards, while also becoming a cherished troubadour in her own regard.

She’s been inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame for a sterling rendition of “Both Sides Now,” took home the same ceremony’s “Song Of The Year” for an imaginative interpretation of “Send In The Clowns” and found her glorious edition of “Amazing Grace” preserved in the National Recording Registry by the Library Of Congress.

Speaking of that latter landmark, its currently celebrating a golden anniversary as a single that combines Ms. Collins with The Global Virtual Choir, all while taking on additional poignancy surrounding the pandemic.

The artist with 55 albums, author and social activist keeps right on moving at 81-years-old, turning towards a virtual Virginia Arts Festival concert that gives online ticket holders the chance to see a natural treasure (with Americana band Chatham County Line) on October 23 and 24.

“Sweet Judy Blue Eyes” graciously gave Chicago Concert Reviews all the details and delved into what’s easily one of the most iconic careers ever conceived during a friendly phone call from her home.

Were you intending to revisit “Amazing Grace” for its 50th anniversary or did this year’s circumstances inspire you?

Judy Collins: One day I was sitting at my computer in April after the pandemic started and I got a video of a street in London where I could hear that my version of “Amazing Grace” was playing loudly in the streets. I had no idea why or how that happened. Then I found out there is a preacher in London named Pat Allerton and he had taken the recording on the street outside of the Charing Cross Hospital to help the doctors and nurses feel better.

So my record label, Warner Brothers and Elektra, got wind of this and said “what we’d like to do is to make a global choir.” I sat here in the dining room where I am today in New York and made a video to invite specific choirs to join in [that wound up coming from] 30 different countries in the world. It was an amazing thing because I said to my manager, “do they know how to do that? Do they know how to get all those singers onto my version of ‘Amazing Grace’?” and she said “oh yeah, they know how to do it” [laughs].

Did anything surprise you about the process of combining all the voices?

Collins: I had nothing to do with that. It was all in God’s hands and I think it’s magnificent. I’m so thrilled with it and everybody else seems to be thrilled with it to.

Speaking of online opportunities, you have a virtual Virginia Arts Festival concert coming up that will be available for all to see. What are your hopes for that event?

Collins: Well, I hope people see it and hear it [laughs]. It was a wonderful experience doing it. We recorded it last week. First of all, it was great to get out of New York and drive to Virginia. And the other thing I loved was being in this beautiful Chrysler Hall. It was just divine, and working with the Chatham County Line, whom I recorded “Winter Stories” with last year, was the best. I think it was such a gratifying experience for everybody.

What do you have in store from simply a performance perspective?

Collins: Oh, good Lord [laughs], all kinds of things. Everything from “Both Sides Now” and “Highwayman,” to “Suzanne,” “My Father,” “The Northwest Passage” “Mountain Girl,” “Amazing Grace” and Joni Mitchell’s song “River,” which I recorded for the first time with them. Just a terrific selection.

I could easily ask you about all of them, but let’s go with “Both Sides Now.” What does it mean to you at this point?

Collins: It’s an incredibly precious song. I heard it in 1967 on the telephone. A friend of mine called me and put Joni Mitchell on the phone. She sang it to me and I’ve never gotten over it. It’s just a great, great song and I treasure it so much. I’m so lucky to have been the first person to have put her on the map.

When you think back to the 1960s folk revival where you were such a significant contributor, what comes to mind?

Collins: Well, luck because the first two songs that I heard on the radio when I was 15 were “The Gypsy Rover” and “Barbara Allen.” Although I didn’t record either one of the songs for years, they really started my career out…because they plunged me into the folk music [scene] in Denver…I’d go up to all the folk music gatherings, buy all the records, started singing in the clubs in Denver and making a living at this when I was 19. I came in at the start of this “great folk scare” as one of my brothers called it. I’ve been living on that fortune, and finding the most incredible songs that I’ve recorded, and then began to write my own songs, which was just a total dare.

When I recorded Leonard Cohen, he brought me his first songs to play me. I recorded “Suzanne” in particular, and then he said “why aren’t you writing your songs? I don’t understand that.” And I’d never written my own songs, nor had I thought of it. I went home, and sat down, and wrote “Since You’ve Asked.” That was the beginning. I still sit down at the piano most days and I’m usually working on a song, so I have Leonard Cohen to thank.

Then I told him that he had to come on stage with me and sing his songs himself, which he didn’t want to do. He said “no, I have a terrible voice.” I said “no, you don’t have a terrible voice. It’s a little obscure, but it’s not terrible.” After he was on the stage with me at what would become the Fillmore East in New York, he decided that “you’re right, I’m gonna have to sing my own songs,” which he did after that.

Out of the numerous songs you’ve written, what are a few of your personal standouts?

Collins: I think the song that has had the most impact is probably the first one I ever wrote, “Since You’ve Asked,” but in the middle of my career, I wrote a song called “The Blizzard” and I think “The Blizzard” is probably the standout song. Jimmy Webb [songwriter for Glen Campbell, Linda Ronstadt, Donna Summer and many more] tells me it’s one of the best songs ever written by any singer/songwriter, so I like to hear that comment over and over just before I go to sleep at night [laughs].

What attracted you to recording “Send In The Clowns”?

Collins: I was sitting in this apartment where I live to this day- I’ve lived here for 51 years now- and I was sort of desperate. It was 1973. I didn’t know what to do next. My friend sent me the album that had “Send In The Clowns” on it. I didn’t know who [Stephen] Sondheim was and I didn’t know about theater. I didn’t know anything. I picked it up, put the needle on the cut and the rest is history. About 200 other people had already recorded it, but I said “no, I have to do it” and did it. Of course, it became a huge hit. I think in England it went on the charts and stayed on there for 60 weeks or something. I was very fortunate. I’ve had an incredible first platinum hit with that recording. It’s been an amazing journey and I still love to sing it.

You have so much material. How difficult is it to narrow it down when you’re putting together a show?

Collins: I do [laughs]. Oh no, it happens naturally. You bring out a couple brand new things, you dish out the old songs and some surprises. It’s always an organic experience.

Regarding new ideas, what’s on the horizon?

Collins: I’m working on a whole new album of my own songs called “Beauty In Resistance.” There are a lot of departures in this batch of songs, which since the lockdown, has also enlarged because I’ve added at least seven or eight I’d like to get on this album. It will come out probably in April or May of 2021. I have to get it recorded, probably at the end of the year. It’s exciting to be working on new material.

You’ve also done quite a bit of collaborations as of late. Who are some of the artists that you’ve worked with or interpreted that you felt the closest to?

Collins: I started working and touring with a New York artist named Ari Hest about five years ago. By 2016, we had created an album of duets, “Silver Skies Blue.” [The year before,] I did an album of duets [“Strangers Again”] with Willie Nelson, Michael McDonald, Don McLean, Ari and different male artists.

The next jump into working with other artists was a Sondheim album [“A Love Letter To Sondheim”]…A lot of the songs I wanted to do for a long time and we did a TV special for PBS of that. In 2017, Stephen [Stills] and I got together in California and made an album together [“Everybody Knows”], then did 115 shows together around the country in a year-and-a-half.

Then I got together with the Chatham County Line and started recording with them in 2019. We got an album out in November 2019 [“Winter Stories”] and it went straight up to number one on the Billboard [Top Bluegrass Albums] chart. Of course, the Chatham County Line is the group I’ve just done performing with at the extraordinary concert in Norfolk, Virginia, so that was just a wonderful, exciting time.

Outside music, you’re an author of topics from memoirs to mental health. What’s been the most rewarding part of going into that direction?

Collins: I was always trying to write and I’m still trying to write [laughs]. So it’s a matter of something you think you can do, then you start doing it and find you can. In all, I’ve put out nine books and I’m working on another couple of them as we speak…They’re all interesting to me for different reasons. I like “Sweet Judy Blue Eyes,” which came out in 2012, and I guess that’s the last book I’ve written so far. I like mysteries a lot and had a lot of fun writing “Shameless.” It’s important to be writing all the time and I do try to keep it up.

How do you feel about the Crosby, Stills & Nash song “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” after all these years?

Collins: Oh, I love it! In fact, it’s part of the Virginia concert. Chatham County Line and I are doing it with my musical director. It’s fabulous. The history of that song [about the once romantic relationship between Stills and Collins] is extraordinary.

As we wait for live audiences to return, can you recall any performances in the Chicago area?

Collins: I love Chicago! I think at one point, I held the record for the number of concerts I did at Ravinia. One of the most exciting was the 25th anniversary of the Chicago Symphony at Ravinia with Erich Kunzel conducting. That was quite wonderful.

Even more importantly, how do you feel about your progress with social and environmental activism? What would you like to see happen?

Collins: For me personally, I just keep writing, and singing, and doing my work. I have very little control over the results, but I keep doing my work and hoping for the best. I hope the world improves. I’m always hoping for that!

---

For additional information on Judy Collins, visit JudyCollins.com and VAFest.org.