 1st Show With SonyaLast Forever began some time in 1987 with the singer Mimi Goese. Mimi is an extraordinary artist, and I particularly enjoyed writing songs with her, but after 5 years, she moved on. I met Sonya in the winter of 1992, and, not long after, I scheduled a show for May 18, 1992 at the Club at LaMama in New York. We worked hard recreating the existing Last Forever material and I also cooked up some new songs. Because it had been some time since Last Forever had performed and there was a new singer, there was quite a bit of anticipatory excitement on both sides of the stage. The performance was well attended, including Sonya's father, John Cohen, and her mother Penny Seeger, both of whom let me know later that it was the most they had ever heard their daughter sing, which pleased me not a little. It turned out to be one of those special concerts where pretty much everything worked – we even had two encores. I didn't know what to expect from Sonya. She hadn't had much professional experience, but somehow she had a stage presence that conveyed a natural sincerity and conviction – she delivered.- collage by Sonya Cohen |
