Biography

Catherine Howe was born in Yorkshire in 1950, the youngest child in a family originally hailing from London and Essex.  Early musical influences came from her elder brothers’ and sisters’ record collections, mainly Fats Domino and Buddy Holly.  She went to Corona Stage School in Hammersmith, London, when she was twelve years old, which led, during the 60s, to acting work.  In 1969 Catherine signed a publishing and recording deal with Reflection Records which resulted in the 1971 release of the album What A Beautiful Place, produced by New York jazz musician and composer Bobby Scott, co-writer of 'Taste of Honey' and 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother'. Catherine went on to work with an equally impressive roster of musicians which includes Fiachra Trench, guitarists Paul Keogh and Mike Silver, drummers Michael Giles and Clem Cattini and bass player Brian Odgers. Del Newman produced 'Harry' her first album for RCA which title track received an Ivor Novello Award in 1975.   Pip Williams took on the production of her second RCA album 'Silent Mother Nature' and there were later recordings with Mike Batt. A further album called Dragonfly Days was released through Ariola Records in 1979.

Thereafter, Catherine produced no recorded music for two decades and in that time studied for an Open University degree in History with Religious Studies which she finished in 2000.  Catherine returned to music in 2006 when she released the album Princelet Street, produced and arranged by Kevin Healy who accompanied Catherine on her 70s tours.  In 2008 Catherine began to perform with songwriter and guitarist Vo Fletcher and in 2009 they released an album called English Tale.  Catherine and Vo have been performing ever since, sometimes as a duo, sometimes as part of the Ric Sanders Group.  Spring 2012 saw the publication of her book ‘Holyoake’s Journey’ which tells the story of the 19th century social radical George Jacob Holyoake, the last man to be tried in England for blasphemy, and a second history book ‘Halifax 1842’ will be published early in 2014 through Breviary Stuff.