Kathy Valentine
The bassist who helped power the Go-Go's infectious sound, becoming part of the first all-female band to top the charts with their own songs.
Born 1959 (age 67)·American guitarist and bassist·Birthday: January 7·Baby Boomers
Biography
Kathy Valentine joined the Go-Go's at a pivotal moment, co-writing and laying down the bass line for 'We Got the Beat' just in time for their explosive debut. That song became an anthem, propelling the band from the LA punk scene to international pop stardom and making history. Her driving, melodic bass playing provided the backbone for their sunny, new wave hits, but the ride was fraught with the pressures of sudden fame and internal tensions. After the band's initial split, she navigated a multifaceted career as a songwriter, session musician, and leader of her own projects, all while grappling with the complex legacy of the group. Her memoir offered a candid, clear-eyed account of that whirlwind era. The band's eventual induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame served as a lasting validation of their groundbreaking, if sometimes chaotic, contribution to music.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Kathy was born in 1959, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Kathy Was Born
The biggest hits of 1959
#1 Movie
Ben-Hur
Best Picture
Ben-Hur
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Kathy's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1959Born
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1964Started school
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1972Became a teenager
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1975Could drive
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1977Could vote
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Turned 21
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1989Turned 30
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 40
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 50
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 60
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 67 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-wrote the hit song 'Vacation,' the title track for the Go-Go's second album.
- Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021 as a member of the Go-Go's.
- Played bass on the Go-Go's debut album 'Beauty and the Beat,' which reached number one on the Billboard 200.
- Authored the memoir 'All I Ever Wanted,' detailing her life in music and with the band.
Did You Know?
She taught herself to play guitar by listening to Suzi Quatro and T. Rex records.
Before joining the Go-Go's, she was in the band the Textones.
She earned a degree in English from the University of Texas at Austin later in life.
She designed a line of jewelry for the company Carolyn Tyler.
“We weren't trying to be a novelty. We were just a band that happened to be all women.”
