NICOLLETTE SULLIVAN PAYS HOMAGE TO DON MCLEAN AND TO “VINCENT”
Nicollette Sullivan is a singer’s singer and even a tad more than that. Hailing originally from Venice, California, Nicollette has spent her entire life submerged in music, inheriting vocal talent and love from both of her parents, Nicollete received a Rock and Metal gift from her dad and a love for funk, R&B and everything soulful from her mom. Her grandma also helped infuse a love for classic female singers such as Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and Nina Simone, all of whom you can hear lovingly embossed onto her sound’s DNA.
Today we’re listening to Nicollette’s magnificent vocal performance of Don Mclean's song 'Vincent'.
“I always loved the song Vincent, I remember hearing it as a kid when my dad would listen to Don Mclean. I thought the melody was beautiful but didn't really understand the words at the time. Now I can totally relate to the words, all about how a sensitive, artistic, complicated and talented human being like Van Gogh, could be misunderstood and even ignored by his peers despite all of his talent.” -Nicollette Sullivan.
“Vincent” is a poignant and beautiful song by the legendary Don Mclean, released in 1971. Often referred to as "Starry Starry Night," the song pays tribute to the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, delving into the intricate details of his masterpieces such as "Starry Night" and "Sunflowers." Mclean's lyrics evoke a deep sense of empathy and compassion towards the artist's struggles with mental illness, making the song a timeless classic of American folk music and a bit of an underrated beacon for other artists to gather around whenever they feel under-appreciated, and misunderstood or are just generally struggling to give birth to their works of complex passion.
The song is beautiful as it is, and Mclean’s performance is touching and vulnerable, setting a high bar for Nicollette to clear in order to pull this cover through. Does she manage? You will doubtlessly judge for yourself, but I think that objectively speaking, I can say that yes, she does manage not only to do the song justice but come out on top bringing something unique and wonderful to it, her vocals are on a league of tenderness and vulnerability of her own, which serves that whole “homage to a tortured artist” feel incredibly intense and genuine.
Nicollette didn't just give an outstanding performance - she even went the extra mile by including a music video to accompany her rendition of "Vincent". The video is reminiscent of what you'd expect to see on MTV during the nineties, making you feel quite nostalgic.… Damn, I’m feeling old lately.
Nicollette found the words in “Vincent” to be song haunting and emotionally moving, and believes that it tells the story of an artistic soul's struggles in a powerful way. Sullivan hopes to honor the original version of the song while also putting her own unique style and flavor into her interpretation of it. She acknowledges that covering such a great song is a challenge, but hopes that her version will resonate with fellow musicians and artists as it will with a general audience. What do you think?
MEET THE AUTHOR
Samuel Aponte is Venezuelan-born raised and based.
I joined Rival Magazine after a few years of doing PR work for independent musicians of all stripes; understanding their struggles to be heard in a sea of constant ADHD noise and paywalled access to platforms, I now bring a willingness to always appreciate and encourage the effort and creativity that artists put into their work. Can also find some of my writings on LADYGUNN and We Found New Music.