The legendary and soulful singer-songwriter Marc Cohn will be walking through the doors of St. Cecilia Music Center once again on April 11 as part of the final act of the center’s Acoustic Café Folk Series concert season.
After having to cancel multiple dates due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the center’s executive and artistic director Cathy Holbrook says she is thrilled to have him back.
“We couldn’t be happier to have Marc Cohn in concert again at St. Cecilia Music Center! Such a versatile balladeer on stage, he’s an amazing singer-songwriter that hits all the heart strings through his voice and music,” said Holbrook.
Cohn’s beloved hit crossover ballad “Walking in Memphis” has captured the hearts of music lovers the world over, solidifying his place as one of his generation’s most compelling musicians. Rooted in the rich ground of American rhythm and blues, soul and gospel and possessed of a deft storyteller’s pen, he’s known for weaving vivid, detailed, and drawn-from-real-life tales through lyrics that evoke feeling.
From the artist’s biography:
Marc Cohn was born on July 5, 1959, in Cleveland, Ohio. He graduated from Beachwood High School in Beachwood, a Cleveland suburb. Marc Cohn learned to play guitar and started writing songs and singing in a local band while he was in junior high school. After high school, he attended Oberlin College in Ohio where he taught himself to play the piano. Once he transferred to UCLA, he began to perform in Los Angeles-area coffeehouses.
Cohn released his debut solo album, “ Marc Cohn ,” at the age of 30. The album became extremely successful due his hit single “Walking in Memphis”, which was nominated for “Song of the Year” and “Best Pop Vocal” at the 1992 Grammy Awards and won “Best New Artist” at the Grammy’s that year.
In May 1993, Cohn released his second studio album, “ The Rainy Season ,” which included notable guest appearances by David Crosby, Graham Nash and Bonnie Raitt .
He then went “quiet” for several years, returning in 1998 with the release of his third solo album, “ Burning the Daze .” He was joined on the album by popular artists, including country music’s Rosanne Cash. The following year he contributed to Kris Kristofferson’s highly collaborative Austin Sessions and that same year added vocals to recordings by Roseanne Cash, Shawn Colvin, and Rodney Crowell. In 2002, Cohn added vocals for Jackson Browne’s “Naked Ride Home”. Many of Cohn’s original tunes have been recorded by popular singers, including Susan Anton and John Tesh. In 2005, Cohn compiled and self-released a live album, “ Live 04-05 .”
In 2007, Cohn chose Hurricane Katrina as the subject matter for on “Dance Back from the Grave” from his album Join the Parade , and wrote about the post-traumatic stress he suffered after being shot in the head in an attempted carjacking that took place in August of 2005.
In 2010, Cohn returned with the album Listening Booth: “1970 ,” a collection of cover songs about the year 1970. The album peaked at number 28 on the Billboard 200 album chart.
In 2016, Cohn released the album “ Careful What You Dream: Lost Songs and Rarities” in celebration of the 25th anniversary of his platinum-selling debut album. He also simultaneously released a bonus album, “ Evolution of a Record ,” which featured never-before-heard songs and demos.
In 2017, Cohn worked with William Bell, popular American soul singer-songwriter, on his Grammy Award-winning album “ This Is Where I Live .” He co-wrote several tracks on the album, including the opener, “The Three of Me”. Cohn also collaborated with the Blind Boys of Alabama on their Grammy nominated song “Let My Mother Live”.
In 2019 Cohn performed at Carnegie Hall as part of “The Music of Van Morrison” show, to benefit music education programs for the New York City school system. That same year, at the “Memphis in May” festival Cohn performed “Walking in Memphis” alongside Miley Cyrus as part of the “More Together” campaign. He also released the “Work to Do” album and several live performances in a collaboration with the Blind Boys of Alabama in 2019.
Tickets for Marc Cohn are available for $65 and $50 at scmcgr.org or by calling 616-459-2224 .
Most Popular
Comments / 0