Kate Bush

Kate Bush | Singer, Songwriter, Pianist, Music producer
* 30 July 1958 in Bexleyheath, Kent as Catherine Bush

Hailed queen of the artpop universe and a trailblazer for female musicians: Kate Bush revolutionised the rules of pop music in the 80s as a musician, producer and dancer. She was unyielding in her vision and went her own way in a male dominated realm.

Kate grew up in a musical family near London and learned to play the piano and violin at a young age. As a teenager she began writing poetry and song lyrics, later setting them to music. She met Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour through her brother. David was one of the people who backed Kate the most in the early days, even financing her first demo tapes and presenting them to his record label EMI. Kate got her first record deal at the age of 18. 

A year later she landed a number one song in the British charts with „Wuthering Heights“ and her first album sold almost a million copies. Kate enchanted the audience with her magical, idiosyncratic performances and demeanour. Her work is poetic and powerful, and she’s a phenomenal songwriter.

Right from the start Kate refused to be pigeonholed by the music industry. She became an independent artist who fully understood music technology and developed an experimental singing style that was very much her own. She designed a headset for her tour that allowed her to sing at the same time as dancing. Kate set up her own management as well as publishing company to give her complete artistic and commercial control. She built a professional recording studio in her parents‘ house, produced her own music from then on, and allowed herself a long break from her career. Avant-garde in her approach to the technical aspects of music making, Kate always seeks out the most innovative recording techniques. She bought a Fairlight sampler, brought back from Australia as a novelty item by her then boyfriend Peter Gabriel. Ahead of her time, she experimented with the sampler and developed her own unique style.

As well as being a pioneer who pushed boundaries for future generations of female musicians, Kate Bush is also a role model for all women as someone who sought out a self-determined life and career.