Judy Collins

American folk legend Judy Collins is an undeniable icon to generations of music lovers. Nearly half a century ago, Judy entered a recording studio in New York. She had an acoustic guitar with her and a voice that would later be described variously as ‘liquid silver’ and as the ‘language of amethysts’. Thus began a career that has continued to enchant and galvanise music lovers around the world.


With a string of greatest hits that includes Leonard Cohen’s ‘Suzanne,’ Joni Mitchell’s ‘Both Sides Now’ (Judy’s version of which is in the Grammy’s Hall of Fame, alongside her album Wildflower), Stephen Sondheim’s ‘Send In the Clowns’, (for which Judy received the 1975 Grammy Award for Song Of The Year), and the hymn ‘Amazing Grace’. Judy was also instrumental in bringing the music of Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell and Randy Newman to a wider audience.

In 2008 ‘Born To The Breed,’ a tribute to Judy Collins was released. The album featured superstar contributors such as Chrissie Hynde, Rufus Wainright, Dolly Parton, Leonard Cohen, Arlo Guthrie and Joan Baez, all paying their respects to a woman who is universally revered as “one of the greatest interpreters of modern times” .

Judy’s social history has always been linked with her musical history, from civil rights and protests against the Vietnam War in the 1960s, through to her current championship of UNICEF and Amnesty International. A published author, accomplished painter, film director, in-demand keynote speaker for mental health and suicide prevention and a tireless champion of fresh talent, Judy Collins remains a relentlessly unstoppable force.

With a career spanning 50 years, more than 40 albums, including gold and platinum sellers, numerous Top 10 hits and multiple Grammy nominations, Judy continues to claim her legendary status, creating music that lights up the world and speaks to the heart.

Now Premier Artists are delighted to announce a series of Australian concert performances in January 2011, in only her second visit to our shores, the last being back in 2006. Judy will be performing at a number of East Coast venues, showcasing numbers from her vast back catalogue of hits, plus introducing audiences to new songs from her latest release Paradise, her best charting album in two decades, which is due for Australian release January 10, 2011 through Wildflower Records/ADA Global.

Paradise, “a life-affirming gem of a record” is a collection of songs with universal themes, desires, and cries of a human being searching for paradise here on earth. The album features Collins’ take on songs from the likes of Jimmy Webb, Tom Paxton, Joan Baez, Tim Buckley and Stan Jones, as well as duets with Joan Baez and Stephen Stills.