29 Facts About Kat Bjelland

Kat Bjelland rose to prominence as the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter of the alternative rock band Babes in Toyland, which she formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1987.

Kat Bjelland has been noted for her unusual vocal style alternately consisting of shrill screams, whispering, and speaking in tongues, as well as for her guitar playing style, which incorporates "jagged" tones with "psychotic rockabilly rhythms".

Babes in Toyland formally disbanded in 2001, and Bjelland began working with Katastrophy Wife, a project under which she released the albums Amusia and All Kneel.

Kat Bjelland remained out of the public light for several years before publicly revealing in 2007 that she had been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder.

Katherine Lynne Bjelland was born on December 9,1963, in Salem, Oregon, to Lynne Irene Bjelland.

Kat Bjelland was raised by her mother and stepfather, Lyle Kat Bjelland, until age 3, when her mother separated from her stepfather and gave him full custody, after which he raised her as his own.

Kat Bjelland was not made aware of her biological father until age 18, and did not meet him until age 23.

Kat Bjelland became interested in music as a young child, and began listening to rock and roll records.

Kat Bjelland cited Kiss, Cheap Trick, The B-52's, the Plasmatics, and Captain Beefheart among her favorite artists while growing up.

Kat Bjelland attended Woodburn High School, where she played on the school basketball team and was a cheerleader.

Kat Bjelland became introduced to punk music after attending a Wipers concert in Portland: "I didn't know about punk rock that much", she recalled.

At age nineteen, Kat Bjelland purchased her first guitar, a Rickenbacker 425, from a pawn shop for $200.

In Woodburn, she joined The Neurotics, and then an all-female band called The Venarays, which Kat Bjelland has described as "rock with a '60s edge".

Kat Bjelland convinced Barbero to play in her band as a drummer, despite the fact that Barbero had no musical training.

In 1993, Kat Bjelland moved to Seattle and began a side project called Crunt with her then-husband, Australian musician Stuart Gray whom she married in 1992.

Kat Bjelland played bass and Gray guitar, while Russell Simins of Jon Spencer Blues Explosion was the drummer.

Kat Bjelland turned her focus back to Babes in Toyland, and the group released their third and final full-length album, Nemesisters in 1995.

Kat Bjelland composed, played and produced most of songs, with many rock and metal artists like Megadeth or Peter Steele, and collaborated with a freeform musical project called Last Frenzy in England.

Around 1999, Kat Bjelland gave birth to a son, Henry, with her former husband, drummer Glen Mattson.

In 2002, after the dissolution of Babes in Toyland, Kat Bjelland produced and contributed guest vocals on the album The Seven Year Itch for the band Angelica.

The new band was billed as Babes in Toyland, which resulted in Barbero threatening a lawsuit, and Kat Bjelland ultimately scrapping the name.

Kat Bjelland later claimed that Kurt Pagan-Davies, a manager with whom she was working during this time, had been partly responsible for the decision to tour under the Babes in Toyland name, which he denied.

Kat Bjelland subsequently accused him of stealing money that belonged to her from the publishing of Katastrophy Wife's albums Amusia and All Kneel.

In 2006, on the official Katastrophy Wife website, Bjelland wrote that "Katastrophy Wife have had a few incarnations but from here on I will only re-incarnate my self".

In 2007, Kat Bjelland revealed she had been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and had been institutionalized for a period.

In 2014, Kat Bjelland reunited with former bandmates Maureen Herman and Lori Barbero and began rehearsing to perform live shows.

Kat Bjelland has been noted by music critics for her unique screaming vocals, which have been likened to those of Ozzy Osbourne and Diamanda Galas.

Kat Bjelland's voice erupts into laughs and gargles, then croons down low with eerie detachment.

Kat Bjelland learned to play guitar from her uncle, David Higgenbotham, with whom she played in his band, The Neurotics, prior to forming Babes in Toyland.