July 10, 2023

JUDY COLLINS SHOWS OLD FOLKIES STILL KING AND QUEEN AT MARIPOSA

Story, photos Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

ORILLIA — Judy Collins remembers her only performance in Gravenhurst in 2000.

I asked her.

“I do remember,” she said yesterday after coming off Mariposa’s hot Main Stage — henceforth to be called the Lightfoot Stage after this weekend’s honour.

She particularly recalled Pamela Wallin, a lovely lady who interviewed her at Taboo as part of a summer show and tell series 23 years ago put on by Garth Drabinsky and included Peter, Paul and Mary at the Opera House.

The 84-year-old folk singer and lady legend — who has stood music’s test of time — put on a master class in singing and entertaining during an hour-long performance.

Standing centre stage in direct sunlight she beamed while belting out hit after hit (all of which she still owns the rights to, she said to loud cheers) and paying homage to late friend Gordon Lightfoot while singing his classic “In the Early Morning Rain.”

Folk legend Judy Collins fondly remembers her 2000 performance at the Gravenhurst Opera House and chat after at Taboo the following morning with broadcaster Pamela Wallin. A tattoon on her fret hand is for her son Clark. Photos Mark Clairmont, MuskokaTODAY.com

The Grammy winner’s debut studio album “A Maid of Constant Sorrow” came out in 1961, the year Mariposa began in Orillia.

She opened the final night of the festival with Lennon’s “Blackbird,” before singing Canadian Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now,” which gave Collins her first big international hit in 1967.

Since then she’s had an eclectic career moving from folk to country to pop with ease and great successes.

With still an amazing set of pipes for her age — hitting plenty of high notes and still picking her Martin signature 12-sting — she enthralled the immense centre field crowd at Tudhope Park with an array of hit songs and anecdotes that included dropping names like Dylan and Cohen to the thrilling delight of the adoring audience of more than 1,000. The average age of them half her age.

She also included songs from her latest album “Spellbound.”

She was brought back on stage to share numbers with the evening’s other headliners Rufus Wainwright and Feist and held her own, before later relaxing backstge mixing with others artists coming and going — but never really and truly filling her shoes .

Gone are her long golden locks, replaced by a short grey bob that suits her age and stage in life.

She was a fitting end for a folk fest she said she was “glad to finally get to.”

**Lady legend Judy Collins entertained and entralled an appreciative audience that on average was half her age.**

If the end of the Lightfoot era looms at Mariposa, Collins kept the spirit and intent of the legend of Lake Couchiching going at least one more year.

Dozens of acts did the same to much lesser but eager effect. Though some showed potential to succeed one long day away.

Their sounds are more electric, eclectic and possibly exciting in taste and tone now – including Lightfoot’s daughter Meredith Moon, who sat in with her dad’s band on vocals and banjo.

So Mariposa’s fate lies post-Lighfoot with accomplished artists destined in different directions than Gord and Judy.

But for this year, anyway, the old folks were still king and queen.

Two tough acts to follow.