Katy Moffatt

Katy Moffatt
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Tribute to Les Paul, State Theater, Cleveland OH, Nov. 15, 2008
Background information
Born	November 19, 1950
Origin	Fort Worth, Texas
Instruments	acoustic guitar
Years active	1970s - present
Website	Katy Moffatt: Americana Musician

Katherine Louella "Katy" Moffatt (born November 19, 1950) is an American musician, lyricist, composer, vocalist. She is the sister of country singer-songwriter Hugh Moffatt.

Moffatt became impassioned by music as a child growing up in Fort Worth, Texas. She was captivated by Broadway show tunes, the Beatles, and the Motown sound, and has said that she was such an avid listener to Top 40 radio that "I used to come home from school, have dinner, go to bed, and set the alarm for midnight. Then I'd get up and do my homework and listen to the radio. It was my favorite time – I could be alone with the music."

Moffatt points to the influence of the Beatles and the bands of the British Invasion as inspiring her to learn the guitar. She credits Leonard Cohen's "Dress Rehearsal Rag" for making her want to perform and says folk singers like Judy Collins, Phil Ochs, and Dave Van Ronk were her models. Ella Fitzgerald and the versatile vocalist, Tracy Nelson were also important influences.

Moffatt was born in Fort Worth, Texas. She left Fort Worth to attend Tulane University in New Orleans but ended up studying at St. John's College in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In Sante Fe, she developed a local following performing her songs at the College. Her local fame won her a part as a folk singer in Tom Laughlin's movie, "Billy Jack." In 1971, as an aspiring singer/songwriter, she moved to Denver, Colorado to find an audience in the growing musical community there. While working a regular cocktail hour gig at a Denver hotel, Moffatt met Mary Flower and Randy Handley and who, along with Lon Ephraim, formed a band called Flower, Handley, and Moffatt. The band developed a following and traveled all over the state performing. Eventually, Moffatt and Flower became a duo and toured on the national coffeehouse circuit.