What can you tell me about Steve Digman

A.� Steven Digman is an American writer and musician and he has written songs that have been recorded by Eva Cassidy.

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Q.� Is that Eva Cassidy who recorded Somewhere Over The Rainbow

A.� It is. Eva's material is released on four albums�- Steven has written Easy Street Dream and The Anniversary Song on the Time After Time album, and Say Goodbye on Eva By Heart. Thanks to BBC Radio 2 support, Eva Cassidy''s musical profile has increased rapidly, some five years after her tragic death from cancer.

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Q.� Is Steven Digman still writing songs

A.� He is indeed. Steven runs a violin shop that incorporates a small recording studio in Hagerstown, Maryland USA. He also writes a music column for the Picket News, and he contributes some poetry and short stories to various outlets. Steven has always enjoyed writing songs, although he stopped for a few years when he moved to California. Now back in Maryland, Steven is writing more material, and recording with local musicians and singers.

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Q.� How did Steven Digman and Eva Cassidy get together to record

Steven has been a writer for a number of years, and has had his material recorded by a number of singers, as well as making his own versions of his songs. While working with Chris Biondo, Eva's producer, at the Black Pond studios, Steven heard from Chris about a female artist called Eva Cassidy.�Chris was so enthusiastic about Eva's voice, he was insistent that Steven allow her to record some of his material. Although he considered the artists he already used to be perfectly able to interpret his material, Steven was persuaded by his friend's enthusiasm, and a recording session took place. It's fair to say that without Chris Biondo, the world would never have known the beauty of Eva Cassidy's voice.

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Q.� Is Eva Cassidy really successful now

A.� Eva's fame and profile have both risen steadily since her untimely death. The Songbird album has been certified double platinum in the UK, and is well on its way to triple platinum sales, so Steven Digman's work is reaching an ever wider audience as fans explore other albums of Eva's, which contain Steven's songs.

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Q.� Does that mean Steven is really rich

A.� Probably not! Royalties from album sales take time to accrue, so Steven is not planning to buy a huge yacht and sail away just yet! He is finding time to go back into the studio and write and record some more songs, so we may yet hear more of his music in the UK as time goes on. As any songwriter knows, a version of a song recorded by a really big star can mean some serious income from royalties, but Steven is content to carry on working on his songs in his own way, and seeing which way fate will take his career.

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Q.� What else does Steven do

A.� Apart from running his shop and studio, and writing and recording songs, Steven is the proud inventor of luminous violin rosin.

Q.� What's that

A.� Rosin is the material violinists use to coat their violin bow so that it provides the friction needed to vibrate the strings while playing. It's a standard accessory, but Steven has perfected a luminous version, and has just received a US patent for it, so he may become even more famous if any high-profile violinists start using it on stage!

Q.� Does Steven feel famous now that his songs are getting major airplay

A.� It's not easy to feel famous when the most frequent plays of your songs are on a radio station several thousand miles from where you live, but thanks to the increasing sales of Eva Cassidy albums in the UK, her fame is growing steadily back in the US, and Steven is finding himself contacted by some local newspapers where he lives, so it's possible the nationals won't be far behind.

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Steven is not a man who is looking to be famous. He appears somewhat bemused by the interest in him, and he still regards writing his songs as something he does primarily fore his own enjoyment, - with other people's pleasure being a pleasant bonus. He has just finished a song called One-Minute Love Song; it's a love song, and it last exactly one minute, so maybe someone well-known will record a version of it sometime.

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