Kathy Kallick

Kathy Kallick (born September 19, 1952) is an American bluegrass musician, bandleader, vocalist, guitar player, songwriter, and recording artist.

Biography Kallick's mother, Dodi Kallick, was a leading member of the Chicago-area folk music scene of the 1950s and '60s. She helped establish Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music and was the first performer at the No Exit Cafe (in Rogers Park, Chicago), introducing traditional musicians such as Frank Proffitt to midwestern audiences. Kallick's father, Bruce Kallick, is an amateur guitarist who gave Kathy a Doc Watson LP record along with her first guitar.

Kallick began performing by singing harmony with her mother, and she attended numerous acoustic music concerts and festivals as a teen. Inspired by other Chicago songwriters of the time such as John Prine, Steve Goodman, and Tom Dundee, she began writing and performing her own songs at coffeehouses. When Kallick accompanied old-time fiddler Michael Drayton, she switched from being a fingerpicking to flatpicking guitarist. She discovered bluegrass music while attending the San Francisco Art Institute (BFA, 1977), where the local music scene was welcoming to women and songwriters.

Bands 1970s In 1975, Kathy Kallick, Laurie Lewis, Barbara Mendelsohn, Dorothy Baxter, and Sue Shelasky performed three songs at an open mic. This marked the beginning of the Good Ol’ Persons, one of the first all-women bluegrass bands. They released an album in 1977 (by which time Sue was replaced by brother Paul Shelasky) and enjoyed a twenty-year run, releasing five albums and touring throughout the U.S., including two appearances at Bill Monroe's Beanblossom Festival, as well as performances in Canada and Europe.

1980s By 1980, the Good Ol' Persons lineup consisted of Kathy Kallick (guitar), John Reischman (mandolin), Sally Van Meter (dobro), fiddler Paul Shelasky (later Kevin Wimmer), and bassist Bethany Raine (later Beth Weil, then Todd Phillips). They were one of the first bluegrass bands to incorporate Latin, swing, folk, Cajun, and other musical genres into their music, as well as featuring the songwriting, lead playing, and vocal harmonies of women. Kallick appeared on four high-profile collections of bluegrass songs by women, as well as numerous compilation albums, some of which are included in the discography below.

She has worked with many of the country's other acclaimed acoustic musicians, including, in addition to those already mentioned, Peter Rowan, Jerry Douglas, Stuart Duncan, Claire Lynch, Tim O'Brien, Ron Stewart, Jody Stecher, Kate Brislin, Darol Anger, Carol Elizabeth Jones, James Leva, Sandy Rothman, Bill Evans, Molly Tuttle, and Clive Gregson.

Teaching Kallick is an experienced instructor, and has offered classes in singing, songwriting, guitar, and band coaching as part of many music camps including the California Bluegrass Association Music Camp, Rockygrass Academy (Colorado), Augusta Heritage Center (West Virginia), Sore Fingers (England), Puget Sound Guitar Workshop (Washington), Nimblefingers (British Columbia, Canada), Bluegrass at the Beach (Oregon), Walker Creek Music Camp (California), and the California Coast Music Camp.

Awards Kallick has won a Grammy and two International Bluegrass Music Awards for True Life Blues: The Songs of Bill Monroe. She also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Northern California Bluegrass Society and a Lifetime Membership Award from the California Bluegrass Association.

Discography