Kathy Valentine
| Kathy Valentine | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Kathryn Valentine |
| Born | January 7, 1959 |
| Origin | Austin, Texas |
| Genres | Pop rock, blues rock, pop punk, |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter, producer, writer |
| Instruments | Guitar, bass |
| Years active | 1978-present |
| Associated acts | The Go-Go's, The BlueBonnets, The Impossible, The Delphines, The World's Cutest Killers, The Textones, The Violaters, Johnny Goudie |
| Website | www |
Kathryn "Kathy" Valentine (born January 7, 1959) is an American musician (guitar and bass) and songwriter. She made music history as a member of The Go-Go's, the first all-female band to have a #1 album in the U.S.
Valentine has maintained a career in music through songwriting, recording, performing and touring as well as additional academic and creative pursuits.
Kathryn Valentine was born on January 7, 1959 in Austin, Texas, an only child who was raised by her single mother, an English expatriate. Valentine dropped out of public school in 9th grade to attend Greenbriar, an alternative school where she began playing guitar. In 1973, while visiting England with her mother, she happened to see Suzi Quatro on Top Of The Pops, and said it "blew her mind". It had never occurred to her that a woman could be a rock star.
She returned to Austin, got an electric guitar and amp, and began looking for bandmates. She credits the Austin, Texas music scene for her diverse musical roots, in particular Jimmie Vaughan and The Fabulous Thunderbirds, as well as Texas icon Doug Sahm who let her onstage to sit in with his band on the Chuck Berry song “Little Queenie".
In 1975, on a subsequent family visit to London with her mother, she answered an ad in Melody Maker and joined the fledgling Girlschool. She missed a gig due to illness and was replaced by Kelly Johnson, who she would later work with. Inspired by the punk scene and bands like The Ramones and Blondie, Valentine returned to Austin and formed the punk band, the Violators, alongside Carla Olson, Jesse Sublett and Marilyn Dean. The band played at Raul's, Austin's first punk club, in February 1978. In late 1978, Valentine moved to Los Angeles and co-founded The Textones with Carla Olson. The Textones released two singles, including an unreleased Tom Petty song, before Valentine left the band in 1980. During her time in The Textones, Phil Seymour recorded "We Don’t Get Along", a song she’d written. The Go-Go's also would record this song as well as other songs she’d written during the Textones period, such as "Vacation" and "Can’t Stop The World".
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