Fresh talk show host Humberto Tan: Eva Cassidy’s story inspires me.

Fresh talk show host Humberto Tan: Eva Cassidy’s story inspires me. ‘Eva Cassidy was a singer who became famous only years after she died. Why? If you hear her sing, you are stunned by her talent, but Eva Cassidy had one problem: fear of performing. She struggled her entire life with stage fright. She was one of the most brilliant musicians of her generation. She died from cancer when she was 33 years old. She had pain and had difficulty walking. Her friends organised a tribute concert for her. They didn’t know whether she could sing or not. At the end of the show Eva entered the stage with a walking frame. She started singing What A wonderful World. She looked at her friends and sang What A Wonderful World, while she knew that she would die soon, that would be the end of it. She had thrown away her fear. And not unitl then she realised: how good is this, with this talent. What scared me all the time? Fear of being rejected? Because I am a perfectionist? Insecurity?

I am not Eva Cassidy, but it is my story, in combination with my personal past, which makes me think: ‘Hey guy, you can make up all kinds of doom scenarios, but just do it! Dare to fail! Make sure you do anything to succeed, anything. But bear in mind that it’s possible that you won’t.’ (fragment from Volkskrant 26th August 2013)