25 Facts About Kathy Valentine

Kathryn Valentine was born on January 7,1959 and is an American musician who is the bassist for the rock band the Go-Go's.

Kathy Valentine has maintained a career in music through songwriting, recording, performing and touring as well as additional academic and creative pursuits.

Kathy Valentine was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in October 2021 as a member of The Go-Go's.

Kathy Valentine was born on January 7,1959, in Austin, Texas, an only child who was raised by her single mother, an English expatriate.

Kathy Valentine returned to Austin, got an electric guitar and amp, and began looking for bandmates.

Kathy Valentine missed a gig due to illness and was replaced by Kelly Johnson, with whom she would later work.

In late 1978, aged 19, Kathy Valentine moved to Los Angeles and co-founded the Textones with Carla Olson.

The Textones released two singles, including an unreleased Tom Petty song, before Kathy Valentine left the band in 1980.

Kathy Valentine was asked to play bass, an instrument that she had not played extensively, as a substitute for the Go-Go's bass player Margot Olavarria, who had been ill and the band decided needed to be replaced.

Kathy Valentine says she learned their songs over four days and rehearsed with them twice before hitting the stage on New Year's Eve 1980 at Whisky a Go Go.

Kathy Valentine was asked to remain as a permanent member shortly thereafter.

Kathy Valentine moved to rhythm guitar duties, and Paula Jean Brown was hired to play bass.

Several other bands and line ups went nowhere, and Kathy Valentine returned to school.

In 1992, Kathy Valentine began her longest collaboration and partnership with singer and bassist Dominique Davalos.

The Go-Go's began working together again, with Kathy Valentine co-writing "The Whole World Lost Its Head" on Return To The Valley of The Go-Go's, a song which became the band's highest charting UK single.

In 2005, Kathy Valentine released a solo recording, Light Years, that she co-produced, wrote, arranged and performed the guitar and vocal tracks.

Kathy Valentine began the record while pregnant in 2002 and wrote several songs with then husband, attorney and musician Steven Weisburd.

Kathy Valentine has been featured on the cover of the Fall 2010 issue of Texas Music, a February 2007 issue of the Austin Chronicle, and the February 2009 issue of Austin Woman.

In February 2018, posts on the group's official Facebook page confirmed that Kathy Valentine had rejoined the band.

Kathy Valentine was the keynote speaker at The American Heart Association's Go Red For Women annual event, and for the MEOW Conference, where she presented a Valor Award to her early inspiration Suzi Quatro.

Kathy Valentine recruited underground influential musicians and Seattle-based singers to front the band and was musical director.

Kathy Valentine has been hired to write music reviews for The Talkhouse, an online site devoted to music and music lovers.

In 2016, Kathy Valentine was the featured speaker at Kids In A New Groove annual fundraiser.

Kathy Valentine rejoined the Go-Go's in 2018 and toured with them in summer 2018.

Kathy Valentine is divorced from Steven Weisburd, with whom she has a daughter.