Cathy Richardson
A powerhouse rock vocalist from Chicago who commands the stage for Jefferson Starship and channels the raw spirit of Janis Joplin.
Born 1969 (age 57)·American singer, songwriter, actress·Birthday: February 21·Generation X
Biography
Cathy Richardson's voice is a force of nature—a blues-soaked, rock-and-roll instrument honed in the clubs of Chicago. She built her reputation the hard way, fronting her own band and cultivating a fiercely loyal Midwest following with a style that blended gutsy rock with soulful introspection. Her big, emotive sound made her a natural fit to step into the shoes of rock legends. She first garnered wider attention by performing the Janis Joplin catalog with Joplin's original band, Big Brother and the Holding Company, a task she approached with reverence and volcanic energy. This led to her current, defining role as the lead singer of the reconstituted Jefferson Starship, where she fronts the band with a combination of grace and grit, honoring its psychedelic past while injecting her own contemporary fire. Beyond the cover songs and legacy acts, Richardson is a formidable songwriter and recording artist in her own right, ensuring her voice is heard on her own terms.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Cathy was born in 1969, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Cathy Was Born
The biggest hits of 1969
#1 Movie
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Best Picture
Midnight Cowboy
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Cathy's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1969Born
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1974Started school
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1982Became a teenager
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Could drive
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1987Could vote
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1990Turned 21
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1999Turned 30
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 40
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 50
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 57 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Serves as the lead vocalist for the rock band Jefferson Starship, carrying on its legacy.
- Performed the Janis Joplin repertoire with Joplin's original band, Big Brother and the Holding Company.
- Founded and fronts The Cathy Richardson Band, releasing several albums of original music.
- Provided the singing voice for Janis Joplin in the CD-ROM game *The* *Journey* *of* *the* *Fifth* *Horse*.
Did You Know?
She sang the national anthem at Game 2 of the 2016 World Series at Wrigley Field for her hometown Chicago Cubs.
She played the role of Grace Slick in the 1998 CBS miniseries *The* *Sixties*.
She is a vocal advocate for animal rights and vegetarianism.
Her band's 2009 album, *The* *Cardboard* *Empire*, was partially funded by her fans.
“I learned to sing by giving everything to the room, night after night.”
