Grammy award-winner Judy Collins gives stellar performance at San Diego County Fair

Judy Collins played to a San Diego County Fair overflow crowd that obviously loved her. She is an accomplished singer whose songs are timeless. In 1968 she won a Grammy Award for "Best Folk Performance" for her popular song, "Both Sides Now."

She also has several Top Ten hits as well as Gold and Platinum albums. Collins is a star that shines brightly and her audience knew it. At age 76 she still possesses a strong, clear voice with an incredible range; and held a high note for what seemed like forever.

The performance was peppered with stories of her life. Before she sang the song, "Chelsea Morning," she explained to the audience that President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary, told her that they named their daughter Chelsea due to inspiration from her performance of the song. Guests at President Clinton’s 1993 Inaugural Ball were treated to Collins’ delightful reprise of the tune.

The concert was a time of soft reminisces of people and places. Stephen Stills... Bob Dylan... Joni Mitchell... Collins spoke about a song that Stephen Stills wrote for her and Crosby, Stills and Nash recorded. "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes," was a hit song familiar to most US teens growing up in the late sixties and early seventies. Stills described Collins as a "chestnut brown canary, ruby-throated sparrow."

Collins' first recollection of Bob Dylan was surprising. She

explained that her first glimpse of him was in the mountains somewhere. He was "badly dressed – even for the 60s – and singing Arlo Guthrie Blues." She said that she "didn’t think he was going to go anywhere." Of course, the audience laughed at the inaccuracy of her prediction.

She asked concert guests to post a message on her Facebook page if we remembered when we first heard the song, "Both Sides Now." I was in my bedroom sitting cross-legged on the hardwood floor next to my bed which was draped with a blue-flowered white chenille bedspread. The walls in my room were a quiet yellow.

"Both Sides Now" was a scratchy tune as it emanated from my small transistor radio, but it still made an impression on me. When Collins sang the same song at the fair it was lovely, with no radio static to mar the delivery.

Collins explained to the audience her experience with song composition, "Song writing is what comes up when something is difficult." Then she sang a touching song written in remembrance of her mother, Marjorie, who passed away about five years ago.

In her eclectic song repertoire, the singer included Irish ballads which were lilting and ethereal.

When she sang the song, "Someday Soon," the audience clapped loudly and were obviously moved by the folk, almost country, style of the song – and also, I assume, the memories that it evoked.

During the concert, Collins played a guitar, and occasionally the piano, never missing a note. At times, a small string orchestra and another pianist accompanied her. She had been ill before the concert, but stood the entire time she played the guitar and sang. She only took two short breaks during the two-hour performance.

With her hair and flowing blue dress blowing in the breeze, Collins sang her last song, "Send in the Clowns." It was tearfully moving – at least for me. She sang this hauntingly beautiful song as she looked toward the sky. I wonder what she was thinking... I know what I was thinking. What an incredible woman with such an enduring and stellar career.