The Pegasus Awards

Cynthia McQuillin HoF

 

Pegasus Awards

Award Year Category Song
2008 Best Tragedy Song Black Davie's Ride
2006 Best Writer/Composer  
1999 Best Writer/Composer  

Pegasus Nominations

Year Category

Collaboration

Song
2022 Best Classic Filk Song   Crimson & Crystal
2021 Best Classic Filk Song   Crimson & Crystal
2007 Best Classic Filk Song   Black Davie's Ride
2006 Best Classic Filk Song   Black Davie's Ride
2006 Best Writer/Composer    
2004 Best Classic Filk Song   Black Davie's Ride
1999 Best Fool Song w/ Jordin Kare Fool to Feed the Drive
1997 Best Writer/Composer    
1997 Best Sorcery Song   Crimson and Crystal
1996 Best Filk Song   Black Davie's Ride
1993 Best Filk Song   I Would Walk With You
1993 Best Writer/Composer    
1992 Best Writer/Composer    
1991 Best War/Vengeance Song   The Tyrant's Tale
1989 Best Fantasy Song   Shadow Harper
1989 Best Writer/Composer    
1988 Best Writer/Composer    
1987 Best Filk Song   Crimson and Crystal
1984 Best Female Filksinger    
1984 Best Fool Song w/ Jordin Kare Fool to Feed the Drive

 

Cynthia McQuillin, one of the most prolific and best loved singer-songwriters in the filk community, had a long personal history in music. Her dad spent many years as a professional musician (Latin percussion and keyboard), and he encouraged her to sing almost as soon as she could speak intelligible words. She started writing songs in grade school (about one per day, according to her Mom), and for several years as a teenager she played gigs with her Dad and brother Bobby (lead guitarist) in the Long Beach area where she grew up. During the Vietnam War years, she took her guitar to the Veterans' Hospital and sang for the wounded soldiers. Although, like most of us, she had to do many different things to earn a living, all she ever really wanted to be was a songwriter and to touch people's minds and hearts with her music and singing.

Like many of us, Cindy felt like a changeling among the members of her family; but the moment she discovered Science Fiction Fandom she knew where she belonged. She started selling her artwork (yes, she was an artist too!) in the dealers' room to finance conventions, and it was not long before she and filking discovered one another, to their mutual delight. Shortly thereafter she met Marion Zimmer Bradley, who fostered her story writing career (over 15 published stories -- yes, Cindy was a writer too!) and became a lifelong friend and benefactor. Many filk projects were rehearsed for, and recorded in, Marion's "carriage-house".

Cindy's filk career began in earnest with Off Centaur Publications, where she could always be counted on to come up with a tune, a set of lyrics, or even an entire recording project, on short notice (she has over 300 published songs.) While at Off Centaur she met Dr. Jane and the two formed a partnership (Midlife Crisis) that resulted in much love, merriment and music. Though Cindy was forced into retirement in 1996 after a devastating respiratory illness that eventually took her life, she was able to attend a few conventions. She lived in San Francisco a few blocks from where Joey Shoji works.

 

 

 
[OVFF]     Contact