Kate Wolf

Kate Wolf (born Kathryn Louise Allen in San Francisco, California, USA) (January 27, 1942 – December 10, 1986) was an American folk singer and songwriter. Wolf didn't get her recording career going until the mid-'70s, by which time she was well into her thirties. Prior to emerging as a solo artist, she had headed the band Wildwood Flower (who backed her on her first two albums), and organized folk concerts and festivals in Northern California. Very much a self-starter, her first two albums were released on her own Owl label; thereafter, her catalog was handled by Kaleidoscope. Over the next few years, Wolf built a strong following on the folk circuit with a series of fairly similar but remarkably consistent albums. Her recordings always benefited from first-rate instrumental support from various small bands; guitarist Nina Gerber was her most important associate in this regard. She was still at her peak when her life was tragically cut short by leukemia in 1986.