Cat Power facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cat Power
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Cat Power in Hamburg, 2013
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Charlyn Marie Marshall |
| Also known as | Chan Marshall Cat Power |
| Born | January 21, 1972 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1992–present |
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Charlyn Marie Marshall (born January 21, 1972), who is better known by her stage name Cat Power, is an American singer and songwriter. Originally, Cat Power was the name of her first band. Now, it is the name she uses as a solo artist.
Marshall was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and grew up in different parts of the southern United States. In the early 1990s, she started performing with local bands in Atlanta. After opening for the musician Liz Phair in 1993, she began working with Steve Shelley from the band Sonic Youth and Tim Foljahn. Together, they recorded her first two albums, Dear Sir (1995) and Myra Lee (1996), on the same day in 1994.
In 1996, she signed with Matador Records and released her third album, What Would the Community Think. She followed this with the popular album Moon Pix (1998), which she recorded with members of the band Dirty Three. In 2000, she released The Covers Record, an album of songs originally by other artists.
After a short break, she released You Are Free (2003), which featured famous musicians like Dave Grohl and Eddie Vedder. Her next album, The Greatest (2006), had a soul-inspired sound. In 2012, she released Sun, which reached number 10 on the Billboard 200 chart, her highest-charting album.
Music critics have pointed out that Cat Power's sound has changed over time. Her early albums mixed punk, folk, and blues. Her later music includes more elements of soul and other genres.
Contents
Early Life
Charlyn Marie Marshall was born on January 21, 1972, in Atlanta, Georgia. Her father, Charlie Marshall, was a blues musician and pianist. Her parents divorced when she was young. Because her stepfather had a job that required a lot of travel, her family moved around often.
Marshall went to ten different schools across the southern U.S., including in North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, and South Carolina. Growing up, she wasn't allowed to buy her own records. Instead, she listened to her stepfather's collection, which included artists like Otis Redding and the Rolling Stones.
In sixth grade, she started going by the nickname Chan (pronounced "Shawn"). As a teenager, she listened to bands like the Smiths and the Cure. The first cassette she ever bought was by the Misfits. Religion was also a big part of her childhood. She attended church with her grandmother and learned to sing by performing hymns.
Career
1992–1995: How It All Started
Marshall's first instrument was a guitar that she taught herself to play. She started playing music with friends in Atlanta in the late 1980s. When they got booked for a show, they needed a name for their band quickly. Marshall saw a man wearing a hat that said "Cat Diesel Power" and chose Cat Power as the band's name.
In Atlanta, Marshall played her first live shows opening for her friends' bands. In 1992, after some sad events in her life, she moved to New York City. There, she was introduced to the city's experimental music scene. She met the band God Is My Co-Pilot, who helped her release her first single, "Headlights".
In December 1994, Marshall recorded her first two albums, Dear Sir and Myra Lee, in a single day. She recorded them in a small basement studio in New York City with guitarist Tim Foljahn and Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley.
1996–2003: First Albums with Matador Records
In 1996, Marshall signed a record deal with Matador Records. That same year, she released her third album, What Would the Community Think. Critics felt the album showed she was growing as a singer and songwriter.
After the album's release, Marshall moved to Portland, Oregon. In 1997, she moved to a farmhouse in South Carolina. After having a scary dream there, she wrote six new songs. These songs became a large part of her next album, Moon Pix (1998). The album was recorded in Melbourne, Australia, with musicians from the Australian band Dirty Three. Moon Pix was a success with critics and helped her become more well-known. Rolling Stone magazine later called it her "breakthrough" record.
In 2000, Marshall released her fifth album, The Covers Record, which was a collection of songs written by other artists. During the early 2000s, she also became popular in the fashion world. Designers like Marc Jacobs saw her as an inspiration, and she modeled for New York magazine.
In 2003, Marshall released You Are Free, her first album of original songs in five years. It featured guest musicians like Eddie Vedder and Dave Grohl. The album was the first Cat Power album to appear on the Billboard 200 chart, reaching number 105.
2004–2011: Gaining More Fans
On January 22, 2006, Marshall released her seventh album, The Greatest. It had a Southern soul sound and featured famous Memphis studio musicians. The album reached number 34 on the Billboard 200 chart. Critics praised its polished sound and said it would help her gain many new fans. The Greatest won the 2006 Shortlist Music Prize, making Marshall the first woman to win the award.
Around the same time, Marshall worked with other musicians on various projects. She also became a celebrity spokesperson for a jewelry line from Chanel after designer Karl Lagerfeld saw her in New York.
In 2007, Marshall acted in her first movie, My Blueberry Nights, alongside Jude Law. She also contributed songs to the soundtracks for the films The Hottest State and the Academy Award-winning Juno.
In January 2008, Marshall released Jukebox, her second album of cover songs. It included an original song called "Song to Bobby," which was a tribute to Bob Dylan. She also worked with Beck and producer Danger Mouse on the album Modern Guilt (2008), singing backup vocals on two songs.
2012–Present: More Music and Projects
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Marshall's ninth studio album, Sun, came out in September 2012. The album used a lot of electronica sounds. It was a big success, reaching number 10 on the Billboard 200 chart, the highest position of her career.
In 2015, it was announced that Marshall would be the narrator for the documentary Janis: Little Girl Blue, about the life of singer Janis Joplin. She also appeared on the animated TV show China, IL, where she performed three original songs.
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In 2018, Marshall released her tenth album, Wanderer, through Domino Recording Company. It was her first album not released on Matador Records in over 20 years. The album featured a song with Lana Del Rey and a cover of a Rihanna song.
In 2021, she contributed four new songs to the soundtrack of the movie Flag Day. Her eleventh studio album, Covers, was released on January 14, 2022.
On November 10, 2023, Marshall released her first live album, Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert. The album is a performance of Bob Dylan's famous 1966 concert. In 2024, she began a tour to perform the concert live for audiences.
Personal Life
In 2005, Marshall was in a relationship with actor Giovanni Ribisi. After the release of her album Sun in 2012, Marshall had some health challenges. She was diagnosed with hereditary angioedema, a rare condition that can cause swelling. She had to cancel a tour in Europe because of it.
In April 2015, Marshall announced that she had given birth to a son.
Music and Performance Style
Musical Style
Critics often describe Cat Power's music as having a sad or thoughtful sound, with influences from blues music. Because of this, she has been called the "queen of sadcore". However, Marshall says that many of her songs are meant to be triumphant, not sad. She has named blues, old soul music, and British rock and roll as some of her biggest influences.
Her early music mixed punk, folk, and blues. Her later albums, especially after 2000, began to have more complex arrangements. For example, her 2006 album The Greatest was heavily influenced by soul and R&B music.
Performances
In her early career, Marshall's live shows were sometimes unpredictable. She has spoken about having severe stage fright.
By 2006, her performance style had become more confident and professional. A review in Salon magazine praised her live shows and described her music as "polished and sweetly upbeat."
Charity Work
Marshall has used her music to support good causes. She recorded a version of the song "Amazing Grace" for the charity album Dark Was the Night. The album raised money for the Red Hot Organization, which helps fight HIV and AIDS. She also appeared in an ad for PETA to encourage people to care for their pets.
In 2011, she re-recorded her song "King Rides By" and donated all the money from its sales to charities that help children. In 2014, she performed a benefit show in St. Louis to raise money for activists in Ferguson, Missouri.
Discography
Studio albums
- Dear Sir (1995)
- Myra Lee (1996)
- What Would the Community Think (1996)
- Moon Pix (1998)
- The Covers Record (2000)
- You Are Free (2003)
- The Greatest (2006)
- Jukebox (2008)
- Sun (2012)
- Wanderer (2018)
- Covers (2022)
Live albums
- Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert (2023)
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
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| 2007 | Sleepwalkers (short) | Dancer working as a FedEx Clerk | Credited as Chan Marshall |
| 2007 | My Blueberry Nights | Katya | Credited as Chan Marshall |
| 2009 | American Widow | Singing Woman | Main Role |
| Year | Program | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | China, IL | Kei-ko (talking gorilla) | Animated series episode "Magical Pet" |
Awards and nominations
- Won: Shortlist Music Prize for The Greatest
- Nominated: Best International Female Solo Artist, 2007 BRIT Awards
- Nominated: Best Art Vinyl for Jukebox
- Nominated: Best International Female Solo Artist, 2013 BRIT Awards
- Nominated: Best Cinematography for "Where Is My Love?", 2007 Antville Music Video Awards
- Nominated: Comeback of the Year, 2018 Rober Awards Music Prize
- Nominated: Best Foreign Solo Act, Wanderer Best Foreign Album, 2019 Sweden GAFFA Awards
- Nominated: Best Pop Video - International for "Go Up", 2017 UK Music Video Awards
