When I got the press release that Judy Collins was going on her “Farewell Tour,” I called her right up.
She laughed. “It’s marketing! I’m not retiring.”
She said that Cyndi Lauper told her a good hook for her would be a “Farewell Tour.” Lauper’s friend, Cher, has had many of them.
Paul Simon had one a couple of years ago, and he’s out on the road all the time again.
So Judy’s tour, called “Sweet Judy Blue Eyes,” named for the song Stephen Stills wrote about her,” is just the beginning.
There will be rotating guests at all the shows, with more to come.
Collins turns 87 on May 1st. I don’t want to jinx her, but she’s in fine fettle, and still has That Voice. She’s also a gifted classical pianist, and shows off at her concerts. It’s quite thrilling.
She told me, “Call this the Go For It tour!”
Don’t miss her, she’s one of our national heroes. If she can hold out ’til 2029, maybe she’ll get into the Kennedy Center once it returns. She deserves it!
2026-27 “SWEET JUDY BLUE EYES” TOUR DATES
JUNE 11 / CONCORD, NH @ Capitol Center for the Arts
JUNE 13 / LEXINGTON, MA @ Cary Hall
JUNE 14 / NEWPORT, RI @ Jane Pickens
JULY 5 / WILLIAMSBURG, VA @ Music Arts Center
JULY 15 / HYANNIS, MA @ Cape Cod Melody Tent*
JULY 16 / COHASSET, MA @ South Shore Music Circus*
JULY 18 / LANSDOWNE, PA @ Lansdowne Theater*
JULY 20 / OCEAN CITY, MD @ Ocean City Music Pier^
JULY 22 / DENVER, CO @ Denver Botanical Garden#
JULY 24 / BAYFIELD, WI @ Big Top Chautauqua%
SEPT 15 / HONOLULU, HI @ Blue Note
SEPT 16 / HONOLULU, HI @ Blue Note
SEPT 24 / TUCSON, AZ @ Fox Theater
SEPT 27 / SANTA BARBARA, CA @ Loreto Theatre
OCT 2 / GRANTS PASS, OR @ The Rouge Theatre
OCT 9 / ITHACA, NY @ State Theater
OCT 14 / LAS VEGAS, NV @ Myron’s @ Smith’s Center
OCT 15 / LAS VEGAS, NV @ Myron’s @ Smith’s Center
OCT 18 / BERKELEY, CA @ Cal Performance Arts
OCT 23 / CHICAGO, IL @ Old Town School of Folk
OCT 24 / CHICAGO, IL @ Old Town School of Folk
NOV 1 / LAFAYETTE, IN @ Long Center for the Performing Arts
NOV 6 / ELYRIA, OH @ Stocker Arts Center
NOV 22 / MORRISTOWN, NJ @ MAYO Center
NOV 29 / RIDGEFIELD, CT @ Ridgefield Playhouse
More dates TBA
*w/ Richard Thompson and Elles Bailey
^w/ Richard Thompson
#w/ Bruce Cockburn
%w/ The High Kings
