Judy Collins, at 70, lives like an athlete

Judy Collins at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. “I don't sing,” she said. “I'm listening.”

By COREY KILGANNON

You know you’re getting old when you look up and Judy Collins is 70. The singer-songwriter, who released her first album in 1961 at age 22, still performs, almost constantly. She will appear at Town Hall on March 5 and is booked for six weeks at the Carlyle Hotel beginning May 4; her new CD, “Paradise,” is scheduled for release in May. She is also working on a memoir. Ms. Collins and her husband, Louis Nelson, 74, an industrial designer, live in an Upper West Side apartment with three Steinway pianos and three Persian cats.

WAKING UP WHEREVER

I may do 100 shows a year, so I can be away from New York 40 weekends a year. On Sunday, I could be waking up in London, Los Angeles, Canada or Las Vegas, and on Sunday mornings I’m often flying home. In the airport, I’ll get the newspaper and a latte from Starbucks. I happen to love flying. It’s an aerobic experience.

IN TRAINING

For the plane I pack breakfast, lunch or dinner. I have a strict food plan and I always prepare my meals, no matter where I am. I travel with my meals prepacked in insulated bags, and I carry a scale with me and I’ll weigh and measure my portions. It’s a big enterprise, but it’s necessary. I don’t have cravings and I’m never hungry. I only eat what I’m supposed to be eating, because in this line of work, you have to live like an athlete. I’ve had a 50-year career and I’m working more than ever. The word retire is not in my lexicon.

MOVIE MARATHON

On Sundays in New York, my husband and I go to the movies. We might see two or three movies in a row. We alternate choosing the movie. I like blockbusters but also the smaller, interesting films. If it’s on the big screen, I love it. If it has Morgan Freeman or Denzel Washington in it, I’ll see it. I pack my lunch: measured amounts of fruit and yogurt, or cheese and vegetables and dip.

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