I began my professional career as a singer, working with guitarist Ian Cooke. And now – decades later – we have a new show together. How wonderful is that?!
The show is a celebration of Simon and Garfunkel. It’s not a tribute act… Ian is too tall to be Paul and I am clearly nothing like Art! It’s actually a storytelling + music show. We perform twenty S & G songs, but in-between each song I tell the story of Kathy Chitty. She was Paul’s girlfriend when he lived in London in the 60s and was touring the UK, suitcase and guitar in hand, doing the folk clubs.
Kathy inspired some of his best-loved songs, notably Kathy’s Song and Homeward Bound. She famously gets a namecheck in America too (“‘Kathy, I’m lost,’ I said, though I knew she was sleeping'”) though they never did a road trip together in real life. She also appears on the cover of the album The Paul Simon Songbook, sitting on a cobbled street with Paul, the pair of them dressed in brown sweaters and jeans.
Ian and I are still at the rehearsal stage right now. We start touring in October. I can’t wait! It is fabulous to be singing again, and it’s all live. We’re not using backing tapes, just two voices + guitar. Just like Paul & Art.