The Great Kat

Katherine Thomas (born June 6, 1966), best known by her stage name The Great Kat, is an American musician best known for her thrash metal interpretations of well-known pieces of classical music. Most feature her using the electric guitar, but on some she uses the violin. Thomas is a classically trained violinist, graduating from the Juilliard School and touring for a time playing conventional classical music before crossing over to metal. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She was born in Swindon, England (on a U.S. Air Force Base Military Hospital) and moved to the U.S at the age of 3. Kat began Classical piano studies at 7. At the age of 9, she began Classical violin studies in New York. At the age of 15, The Great Kat won a Full Scholarship to attend the prestigious Juilliard School in New York City as a Violin Student. She graduated with Honors from The Juilliard School and began performing, first as a Classical violin soloist at Carnegie Recital Hall as winner of the exclusive "Artists International Competition" and then soloing on violin extensively in Mexico, the U.S. and Europe. She is also the winner of numerous competitions, including Gallery Concert Series Young Artists Award, the New York State Music Teachers Association Collegiate Artists Competition, the Great Neck Symphony's Young Musicians Competition and named "The New Woman To Watch" for two consecutive years by New Woman Magazine.

 

After touring the world, The Great Kat realized that Classical music was dead, so she began updating Classical Music with Speed Metal and transcribed intricate violin solos to the guitar. Kat developed a new genre of music: “SHRED/CLASSICAL” Music. Her first LP, "Worship Me Or Die!" was released in 1987. Since then she has released 6 albums and 5 EPs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Etta Cameron

Etta Cameron (Ettamae Louvita Coakley; November 21, 1939 – March 4, 2010) was a Bahamian–Danish singer. She especially sang jazz and gospel, and left her mark in the Danish music culture through her entire career from her arrival in Denmark in the 1970s. She was made a Knight of Dannebrog in 1997.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Born in the Bahamas, which was still British at the time, she moved to the USA with her family in 1948 at the age of 9. As a child, she sang in the gospel choir of her Methodist church. In 1967, during a guest performance in London, she was offered to work in East Berlin for a few days, which turned into five years. In 1969 she appeared as a singer in the film Not With Me, Madam! and in 1970 appeared in the film He, Du! entitled Jungle City, USA. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 1972 she moved to Copenhagen, from where she toured with her own band from 1975. She has performed as a jazz singer with, among others, the NDR Bigband, the Big Band of Radio Denmark, Kurt Edelhagen, Clark Terry, Thad Jones, Ed Thigpen, Horace Parlan, Herb Geller, Frank Foster, Dusko Goykovich, Ben Webster, Palle Mikkelborg, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Thilo Wolf, Poul Godske and Marilyn Mazur. She also performed in musicals such as South Park, interpreted pop ballads and toured with her own gospel choir Voices of Joy from 1982. 

In 1976 she had a minor hit in the German singles charts: I'm a Woman from the LP of the same name reached number 42. Also popular was the single Wild Widow. She appeared with this title in the 30th episode of the Radio Bremen television programme Musikladen in the same year. In those years, her records were strongly influenced by disco and soul. Cameron taught at the Music Academy in Lund, Sweden, from 1986 and at the Rytmisk Music Conservatory in Copenhagen from 1987, where she was a professor from 1995.

Cameron died on March 4, 2010, in Aarhus, Denmark, after a long illness.

Carole Pope

Carole Ann Pope (born 6 August 1950) is a British-born Canadian rock singer-songwriter, whose provocative blend of hard-edged new wave rock with explicit homoerotic and BDSM-themed lyrics made her one of the first openly lesbian entertainers to achieve mainstream fame.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pope met her longtime musical partner Kevan Staples at a band audition in Scarborough. In 1968, they began performing together as a duo in Yorkville, which was Toronto's live music and arts district at the time. In 1970, they adopted the name O, changing it to The Bullwhip Brothers the following year. In 1975, Pope and Staples recruited several backup musicians and formed the band Rough Trade. Pope often performed in black leather pants and bondage attire. The band's first album, Rough Trade Live, was produced by Jack Richardson.

 

 

 

 

 

 

She won the Juno Award for Most Promising Female Vocalist in 1981 and subsequently the Juno Award for Best Female Vocalist in 1982 and 1983. She and Staples co-wrote the 1983 single "Transformation," recorded by Nona Hendryx. Pope also appeared as a guest vocalist on the Payola$ single "Never Said I Loved You," which was a top 10 hit in 1983. She teamed up in 2000 with the Payola$ founder Paul Hyde to sing the duet "My Brilliant Career" on his album Living Off the Radar. She sang the role of Primavera Nicholson in the COC production of R. Murray Schafer's Patria I in November 1987. During the 1980s, Rough Trade won a Genie Award and earned four gold and two platinum records. Although the band did not record or perform extensively after its final Deep Six in '86 tour, they did not officially break up until 1988. 

Pope's solo career has been lower-profile than her time with the band. Pope issued a debut solo single in 1988 ("Nothing but a Heartache/I'm Not Blind"), but did not issue a follow-up release for several years afterwards. In 1991, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue opportunities in soundtrack work and acting. Pope issued an EP, Radiate, in 1995. In 2000, Random House published Pope's autobiography, Anti Diva. Soon afterwards, Pope re-recorded the Rough Trade single "High School Confidential" for the Queer as Folk (Season 1) soundtrack. She also appeared in the Toronto production of The Vagina Monologues in 2001, then moved to New York City to continue writing and recording. In 2005, 21 years after her last EP, Pope returned to Los Angeles and released Transcend, her debut full-length solo album.

In 2011, Pope released Landfall, her second full-length album, featuring a duet with Rufus Wainwright. That year she also was a guest vocalist on the album The Hills Are Alive by the Brooklyn Rundfunk Orkestrata. In 2015, Pope signed with Squirtgun Records (distributed by eOne Entertainment) to re-release the Music for Lesbians EP on 23 June 2015. On 22 September 2017, Pope released the single, This Is Not A Test. An accompanying music video, directed by Jasun Mark, was released on 8 May 2018.

Rock Goddess

Rock Goddess are an English all-female heavy metal band formed in Wandsworth, South London, in 1977 by sisters Jody Turner and Julie Turner. The band were initially active during the new wave of British heavy metal musical movement, releasing two singles that entered the Top 75 charts in the UK. The band had a cult following throughout the 1980s and reformed in 2013. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The band was formed in Wandsworth, South London in 1977, by sisters Jody Turner (vocals and guitar) and Julie Turner (drums) when they were thirteen and nine years old respectively. They recruited high school friend Tracey Lamb on bass guitar and that completed their first line-up. Later Donnica Colman joined, adding a second guitar, and after her departure, Jackie Apperley replaced her, also on second guitar. After Apperley left, the band rehearsed intensively as a trio, and placed a track on a sampler album, which circulated in the London music underground. Meanwhile, their manager John Turner, Jody and Julie's father, who owned a music store and rehearsal rooms, used his musical connections to get the band their first gigs. Finally, after an appearance at the Reading Festival in 1982, the band obtained a recording contract with A&M.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They released their eponymous debut studio album with record producer Vic Maile in February 1983, and at that time there were temporary legal problems – Julie Turner was still a minor attending high school, and she was restricted in the number of live shows that she could participate in. Also during this period, Kat Burbella briefly joined the band as a second guitarist, and Tracey Lamb became disgruntled and quit the band, initially forming the band She with Burbella, but then joining Girlschool in 1987. She was replaced by Dee O'Malley, who played the bass guitar and keyboards on the band's second studio album, Hell Hath No Fury, which was produced by Chris Tsangarides and released in October 1983. The band co-headlined with Y&T, supported Iron Maiden and Def Leppard on UK and European tours, and embarked on their own headlining tours. O'Malley left the band just before their first US tour. Rock Goddess left A&M with their third album unfinished and unreleased. O'Malley was replaced by Julia Longman on bass guitar, and Becky Axten on keyboards. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 1987, their third studio album was released exclusively in France, with the title Young and Free, however, due to insurmountable problems Rock Goddess disbanded shortly thereafter. In 1988, the Turner sisters reappeared as the Jody Turner Band with two male musicians, but they did not go beyond the local club circuit. Jody Turner fronted a new line-up of Rock Goddess in 1994. After a name change to Braindance, the band disbanded again in 1995. They played their last gig at the pub Thomas O'Becket. In March 2013 it was announced that the original line-up of Jody Turner, Julie Turner, and Tracey Lamb had reformed and would start recording a new album. The three of them began the process of recording a new album tentatively titled Unfinished Business. The album failed to appear, but in 2017 a 3-track EP was announced. It's More Than Rock and Roll was released on 19 May 2017, and a video for the title track was released via Vintage TV on 21 April that year. Their last LP was released on the 1st of March 2019 where it gained a top 10 placing the UK rock/metal chart and a top 40 placing in the national indie chart.

Angelyne

Angelyne (born Ronia Tamar Goldberg, October 2, 1950) is an American singer, actress, media personality, and model who came to prominence in 1984 after the appearance of a series of iconic billboards in and around Los Angeles, California, with only one word, "Angelyne". These caught the attention of local media outlets, and soon she received several offers for film roles, magazine interviews, and television show appearances. The main trademark of her celebrity persona is a pink Corvette.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 1978, Angelyne joined the punk band Baby Blue. They performed in local clubs in L.A. and once opened along with Rubber City Rebels for The Screamers' show at the Whisky a Go Go. The punk rock club The Masque served as a rehearsal place for the band. They released a single "Rock n' Roll Rebel" with a b-side, "Fantasy Man". Only 1,000 copies of the record were made and distributed in England. The band wasn't getting much attention, so they decided to promote it by posting her picture around town. In 1979, the single "Too Much to Touch" was released under the name Angelyne, also promoted by posters and flyers. 

 

 

 

 

 

In 1982, she released a self-titled debut album on an independent label Erika Records. The 12" picture disc contained 11 songs, including two versions of "Sexy Stranger", a cover of Elvis Presley's hit "Teddy Bear," and the main single "Kiss Me L.A.". Another series of bus-shelter posters promoted the album. In July 1983, Erika Records released another Angelyne single, "My List", accompanied by a music video. In February 1984, Angelyne's first billboard proclaiming "Angelyne Rocks" went up on Sunset Boulevard.

In 1986, she released her second album, Driven to Fantasy, on her label, Pink Kitten. An enhanced pink vinyl re-issue of the album was later released in Italy. In June 1987, an 85 feet high mural depicting Angelyne was painted on the side of a building on Hollywood and Vine. The same year, her friend Nina Hagen got her recording with Michael "Doc" Dosco, who had previously worked with Hagen on her album Nina Hagen in Ekstasy. He wrote and produced several songs for Angelyne, including "Animal Attraction," which was later featured in Julien Temple's movie Earth Girls Are Easy, where Angelyne had a cameo. The single was released in 1988 with remixes by Italian producer Pino Toma. Hagen mentioned Angelyne in her song "Super Freak Family," and her voice can be heard in "Pillow Talk".

Angelyne is also an artist; she began painting in 1998 and has had several art shows in Los Angeles. She has run for Governor of California twice, during the recall elections of Gray Davis in 2003 and Gavin Newsom in 2021.

The Continental Co-ets

The Continental Co-ets were an American rock and roll band founded in 1963 in Fulda, Minnesota. Nowadays they will be described as a 60s garage rock band.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The band was composed of teenage girls enrolled at Fulda High School. Nancy Hofmann played the bass guitar, Carol Goins on lead guitar, Vicki Steinman on drums, and Carolyn Behr on rhythm guitar. Later, the group included Hofmann's sister, MaryJo Hofmann, on keyboards. They gained recognition for being one of the first female bands formed, and to play their own instruments. The band was encouraged by their chorus teacher, David Edwards, to start performing. The group's first public performance was at a movie theater in Marshall, Minnesota. In the beginning, the band only played instrumentals as they did not have a lead vocalist. Another local band, The Vultures, invited the group to a "battle of the sexes". The Continental Co-ets practiced extensively, and included vocals to their performance which led to a successful concert. This, along with other similar performances, opened the band to a broader audience. Their touring extended throughout the Midwest and Canada.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In late 1965, the band traveled to Milford, Iowa to record two original compositions, "I Don't Love You No More" and "Medley of Junk", for the IGL (Iowa Great Lakes) label. About 1,000 copies were produced for release and charted in some parts of Canada. They recorded two more songs in March 1966, but were not released until the 1990s.

In 1967 the band disbanded when the members either left for college or went on with their life. In 2002, the band was inducted into the Iowa Hall of Fame and they reformed to perform at the induction ceremony.

Claudine Clark

Claudine Clark (born April 26, 1941) is an American R&B musician, best known as the singer and composer of the 1962 hit, "Party Lights", which reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Born in Macon, GA, Clark grew up in Philadelphia and received formal musical training at the local Coombs College. She recorded her first single, "Angel of Happiness," in 1958 for the Herald label, she also did a brief stint at Gotham. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clark subsequently caught on with Chancellor, a label best known for teen idols like Fabian and Frankie Avalon. Her first single, "Disappointed," initially flopped, but when DJs started playing the Clark-penned flip side, "Party Lights," it became a huge hit. Sung from the point of view of a teenage girl ordered to her room while her friends were out having a good time, "Party Lights" struck a chord and shot into the Top Five on both the pop and R&B charts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chancellor followed it with "Walkin' Through a Cemetery," which stalled Clark's commercial momentum; by the time "Walk Me Home From the Party" appeared to continue the story line, the moment had passed, and neither it nor "The Telephone Game" could recapture the public's attention. Clark later attempted to compose a rock & roll operetta, and also recorded for Swan under the alias Joy Dawn.