Cynthia McQuillin HoF

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.