“Hal’loooo, Cassie,” Diego said. “Welcome back to the Lobo’s Den.”
“Hi, Diego,” Cassie laughed. “Always great to be on the show."
“So, lots of big news for you. Let’s start with the one I still don’t believe,” Diego smiled. “You’re getting ready to celebrate a huge musical anniversary.”
“That’s right, Diego,” Cassie replied, half to the host and
half to the audience. “This summer we’ll be celebrating 25 years since the
release of my first hit single, Willow Weeping.”
“Which came out when you were… what, four years-old?” Diego asked slyly.
“I was eighteen when Willow Weeping hit the charts,” Cassie
laughed, “and yes, before you do the math… “
“I wouldn’t dare,” Diego interjected with exaggerated
horror.
“I am forty-three,” Cassie continued.
“Well, you look fantastic,” Diego grinned, turning to the audience. “Doesn’t she look fantastic, folks?”
“Why shouldn’t any woman look wonderful in her forties?”
Cassie said proudly, before looking abashed. “But, I will admit, I look young
for my age.”
“What’s your secret? Botox? A little nip and tuck? The blood
of virgins?” Diego turned theatrically to the audience and added, “I ask her
this every time, folks, and she never tells me.”
“It’s magic, Diego. Pure magic,” Cassie said airily. “Actually,
I’d feel better if I had a few grey hairs, some laugh lines…”
“Honey, I’ll trade my grey hair for your magic any day,” Diego replied.
“I’ll have my people call your people,” Cassie laughed.
“So, twenty-five years,” Diego said, “and it all started…”
“With The Raven Headmistress,” Cassie said. “My father’s best-selling
novel which they turned into a movie.”
“I loved that movie,” Diego put in.
“Well, they needed a song for the end credits, and my father suggested me,” Cassie said. “Actually, I think he insisted. He was always very supportive of my musical ambitions, and he knew I had written a song, Willow Weeping, that he felt would be perfect.”
“Now, as I understand it, your father wrote The Raven Headmistress and you wrote Willow Weeping in memory of your mother, Victoria,” Diego said gently. “Who passed away when you were still very young.”
“That’s right,” Cassie said with a sad smile. “She died in a
car accident when I was three. My father kept her memory alive for me, telling
me stories about her. He always called her his Raven. Anyway, yes, we both
wrote in her memory, in our own ways, so I guess the song and the story did fit
together in that way.”
“I remember really feeling that, when I heard it,” Diego nodded.
“Well, I guess a lot of people did because it hit the charts,” Cassie smiled.
“Top of the charts for seven weeks in fact,” Diego said.
“The start of my musical career,” Cassie smiled.
“Now, your first full album, Raven, came out the next
summer,” Diego said.
“That’s right. I did Raven, and my second album, Spirit
Dance, while I was at university,” Cassie said nostalgically. “When I listen to
them now, I can remember the joy of that young woman… finding myself, exploring
my music and life and love. I was so Sure of everything then. It’s a little
embarrassing to think about really.”
“The music of your life,” Diego mused.
“It really is,” Cassie said eagerly. “My music has always really reflected where I was in my life. Raven is this young woman, just ridiculously excited about making her first album and still young at heart… a teenager in love with life, and with the love of my life, Gwen, for the first time.”
“That’s your wife, Gwen Silveroak,” Diego clarified.
“That’s right,” Cassie smiled. “We met in high school and when to university together. If my music reflects my life, she’s somewhere in every album. She’s got a couple of songs on Raven… I’m sure you know the ones.”
“So, Raven is the young woman, first album, first love,” Diego
said.
“Then we have Spirit Dance,” Cassie said. “So sure of myself. So grown up, as only a nineteen-year-old can be. Really exploring what life has to offer… my first boyfriend, my first…,” Cassie laughed. “Well, a lot of firsts.”
“Now, you know I’m not going to let this pass,” Diego teased.
“I walked right into it, didn’t I?” Cassie sighed
theatrically.
“So, Gwen is the love of your life,” Diego said, “but then you had a boyfriend… who, if I remember the gossip (and you know I do) was none other than Rohan Elderberry. How did that happen - the Raven Witch and Windenburg’s conservative representative?”
“There was a lot of exploring going on,” Cassie replied,
with a hint of a blush. “I will say Rohan’s changed… though even then we had
some great arguments about things. It made making-up fun. We’re not really
close anymore but I have good memories.”
“Much as I’d love to hear more, we need to take a break,” Diego said. “We’ll be right back folks.”
