Purdue News

August 22, 2002 Judy Collins' Wildflower Festival to bloom at Purdue WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Singer Judy Collins and special guest star Arlo Guthrie will bring the 2002 Wildflower Festival to Purdue University at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 5, in the Elliott Hall of Music. Admission is $29. Tickets can be purchased at Purdue box offices or charged by phone at (765) 494-3933 or (800) 914-SHOW. Tickets also are available through all Ticketmaster outlets. Judy Collins' Wildflower Festival is presented by Purdue Convocations. A concert with Judy Collins is a heartfelt journey into our nation's social and musical conscience. With her memorable interpretations of the music of Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, John Denver and Pete Seeger, as well as the spiritual and folk traditions and her own compositions, Collins always leaves audiences with an intimate picture of herself as an artist, humanitarian, songwriter and performer. "Great songs. Judy's voice. What more could you want?" said Pete Seeger of Collins' album "Both Sides Now." Recently Collins has headlined with Jewel and Paula Cole, recorded with the Charlotte Children's Choir, and began producing an all-star collection of songs to raise money for UNICEF's land mine awareness program in 1999 after the war in the former Yugoslavia. With 10 hits in the top 10, 37 albums, Grammy nominations, and gold and platinum status (not to mention her record of social activism), Collins' 40 years in the music industry have been well spent. From her beginnings in classical piano (she made her concert debut at age 13 performing Mozart's "Concerto for Two Pianos") to her appearances in Greenwich Village folk clubs in the 1960s, Collins has established herself on the folk scene and brought other performers, such as Randy Newman and Joni Mitchell, to widespread public exposure. Her 1966 album "In My Life" featured a broad mixture of songs, and "Wildflowers" broke new ground in the contemporary song movement in 1967 by being devoted entirely to orchestra. It's widely regarded as a turning point in Collins' career, giving the singer her first major single, "Both Sides Now," and earning her the first of many Grammy nominations. The Wildflower Festival teams Collins with fellow folk musicians Arlo Guthrie and Tom Paxton, and the hard-to-categorize Leon Redbone. Guthrie, the son of legendary folk singer Woody Guthrie, exploded onto the music scene in 1967 with the release of "Alice's Restaurant," which premiered at the Newport Folk Festival. A popular live performer, Guthrie's biggest commercial success was his recording of Steve Goodman's "City of New Orleans." Guthrie appeared at Purdue in 1999 to a sold-out audience in Loeb Playhouse. Tom Paxton has been an integral part of the songwriting and folk music community since the early '60s. Paxton's songs, such as "Ramblin' Boy," "Bottle of Wine" and "The Last Thing on My Mind," along with his children's books and recordings, have cemented his place in folk music history. Also appearing as a part of the Wildflower Festival is Leon Redbone. Well-known for his early appearances on NBC's "Saturday Night Live," Redbone went on to popularize the classic beer jingle, "This Bud's for You." Redbone's gramophone-style performance will serve to complement the folk stylings of Collins, Guthrie and Paxton. CONTACT: Larry Sommers, Purdue Convocations, (765) 494-5045, lsommers@purdue.edu. NOTE TO JOURNALISTS: Publication-quality photographs of Collins, Guthrie and Paxton are available at ftp://ftp.purdue.edu/pub/uns/collins.j.jpeg, ftp://ftp.purdue.edu/pub/uns/guthrie.a.jpeg and ftp://ftp.purdue.edu/pub/uns/paxton.t.jpeg. Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page