Catharine Smiley Cheatham

Catharine Smiley Cheatham (1864 – January 5, 1946) was an American singer and monologist.

Cheatham began her career in music at age 14 by performing at First Presbyterian Church in Nashville. She later went on to study in New York City, Paris, and Berlin.

Career As a vocalist, she gave her debut international performance in London, England in 1904 where she performed renditions of African-American folk songs. She is credited with having helped preserve these traditional songs and bring them to European audiences. While in London, she was introduced to and befriended members of the British royal family, for whom she would go on to perform many times. However, it is her contributions to children's music for which Cheatham is best known as a musician, as she became popular throughout the world by performing children's songs and stories. During her career, she performed for thousands in England, France, Germany, and the United States, and organized children's concerts for the New York Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Orchestra. She published two collections of her songs, Kitty Cheatham: Her Book in 1915, and A Nursery Garland in 1917. Her repertoire included over 1,000 songs in nine languages.

Cheatham died on January 5, 1946, in Greenwich, Connecticut. She was buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Nashville, Tennessee.