Biography (Courtesy of the Artist�s site, 2005).

Irish American Cathie Ryan, with her crystalline vocals and insightful songwriting, is an original and distinctive voice in Celtic music. Since her acclaimed seven year tenure as lead singer of Cherish the Ladies, the Detroit born Ryan has established herself as one of Celtic Music�s most popular and enduring singer-songwriters. The Boston Globe recently wrote, "Cathie Ryan is a thrilling traditional vocalist whose honey-pure soprano is equally at home on probing original ballads about a woman's place in the modern world."

Cathie has released 4 critically acclaimed CDs on Shanachie Records: Cathie Ryan, The Music of What Happens, Somewhere Along the Road, and her latest The Farthest Wave. She is featured on more than forty compilations of Celtic Music.

Cathie is a captivating and deeply affecting performer. �There is nothing like a live show, being with an audience, sharing the music. That is the best part of being a singer and writing songs,� she says. She has built a loyal following throughout Europe and North America by touring steadily and singing �songs of the heart.� At a live performance The Irish Echo observed, "Cathie Ryan certainly knows how to communicate with her audience. And what she communicates through song are the enduring values of home, family, memory, and spirit..."

In 2003 Cathie was included in the famous Irish music collection, A Woman�s Heart � A Decade On placing her amongst Irish music�s finest female vocalists and songwriters. It was the first time Americans were featured in the series and she shared the honor with Allison Krauss, Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris. In recent years, her original songs have been recorded by such distinguished Irish vocalists as Frances Black and Mary Black among others. Cathie has performed on national and public television in the United States and Europe, appeared on NPR�s Mountain Stage and Thistle and Shamrock, PRI�s The World, BBC2 in England, Radio Scotland, and RTE, RnG, and TG4 in Ireland. She was voted one of the Top 100 Irish Americans by Irish America Magazine, Chicago�s Irish American News honored her as Irish Female Vocalist of the Decade, and the LA Times recently named her, �One of the leading voices in Celtic music.�

Beyond the songs:
Cathie is also the host for Irish pledge programming on NY�s Channel 13 � WNET � the most watched public television station in America. And she leads workshops and tours of Ireland on Celtic mythology and music. Click here for more details.