Biography
A multi-instrumentalist, singer, composer, champion stepdancer and actress, Kathleen is one of the finest exponents of the Irish community in Chicago. She was a "child prodigy on the whistle" (Martin Hayes). Her virtuosic tin whistle playing earned her appearances in several hit movies, including "The Road To Perdition" (Tom Hanks) and "Backdraft" (Ron Howard). She is also "one of the world's finest Celtic fiddlers" (Chicago Tribune), and is "a phenomenon with that instrument" (Rambles). Her whistle and fiddle skills were also featured on the "Cinderella Man" (Russell Crowe) soundtrack.
A consummate performer, she has graced stages around the world with Gaelic Storm. Her explosive style and soulful brilliance led them to new heights. She composed, sang, played and arranged for their album "Tree", earning them their highest Billboard World Music chart position to date at #2. During her days in Gaelic Storm she made several TV appearances, including recurring episodes of "Providence" and performances on "The Roseanne Barr Show". Kathleen resigned from Gaelic Storm after more than two years of concert touring.
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As a solo artist, Kathleen collaborated on an original composition for "Windham Hill's "Celtic Christmas Silver Anniversary" album which featured a host of respected Celtic players. The track entitled "The Longing", which she co-wrote, sang, produced and performed, resulted in her first # 1 record in Billboard's World Music chart, topping the chart for nearly a month. Kathleen's musical style embraces her first love of Irish music and blends fluidly into modern contexts.
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.