Born into a musical dynasty that has spanned nine decades, Cathy Rich’s musical career began almost at the moment of her birth. The only child of jazz and drumming icon Buddy Rich, Cathy has carved her own path in music history.
One of the youngest people ever to be signed by a major record label, Cathy began her recording career at the age of twelve, singing “The Beat Goes On” live with her father’s band on the album Big Swing Face. After her father’s passing, Cathy switched gears and devoted her life to preserving the legacy she was born into. It was Buddy’s wish to keep his band and music alive and it has been her mission to make sure her father’s wish came true. Creator and producer of the Buddy Rich Memorial Concert series, Cathy changed the face of the drumming industry by having the greatest drummers in the world sit in with Buddy’s band, playing his music. Everyone from Phil Collins to Billy Cobham to Max Roach have been a part of these historical events. The resulting DVDs are the top sellers in the industry. In 1995 Cathy teamed with rock drumming icon Neil Peart of the band Rush to co-produce the Grammy-nominated CDs, Burning for Buddy, which featured twenty-two drumming luminaries. The next phase of Cathy’s career has been the launch of the “new” Buddy Rich Big Band. After a twenty-four-year hiatus from the road, Cathy put together a fresh crop of the finest young musicians to record and tour in Buddy’s name. She enlisted Emmy Award-winning drummer Gregg Potter to helm the project. Gregg’s fire, showmanship and drumming prowess adds a new exciting chapter to the history of this legendary band. The band is not a look back, but a surge forward. Buddy was all about young, hip and modern. Nothing nostalgic or old. It is Cathy’s wish to have her father’s name live on forever, and that his contribution to the music world is never forgotten.
