Catherine Russell & David Bowie | Musician on the Heathen and Reality Tours
Photo: Unknown photographer / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 (editorial use)
Catherine Russell is an American vocalist and multi-instrumentalist who worked with David Bowie as a touring band member from 2002 to 2004. She performed during the Heathen Tour and A Reality Tour, Bowie’s final major concert tours.
In Bowie’s band, Russell contributed backing vocals, guitar, keyboards and percussion. Her Bowie-era work belongs to the same final touring period as Earl Slick, Gerry Leonard, Gail Ann Dorsey, Mike Garson and Sterling Campbell.
Outside her work with Bowie, Russell has worked with artists including Steely Dan, Cyndi Lauper, Paul Simon, Jackson Browne, Michael Feinstein, Levon Helm and Rosanne Cash, and has appeared on more than 200 recordings.
- Full name: Catherine Russell
- Born: September 20, 1956, New York City, USA
- Profession: Vocalist and multi-instrumentalist
- Parents: Luis Russell and Carline Ray
- Bowie connection: Touring band member, 2002–2004
- Instruments with Bowie: Vocals, guitar, keyboards and percussion
- Key tours: Heathen Tour and A Reality Tour
- Other notable work: Steely Dan, Cyndi Lauper, Paul Simon, Jackson Browne, Levon Helm and Rosanne Cash
- Official website: www.catherinerussell.net
Early Life and Musical Heritage
Catherine Russell was born in New York City. Her father, Luis Russell, was a pianist, composer and bandleader who worked as Louis Armstrong’s musical director. Her mother, Carline Ray, was a vocalist, guitarist and bassist who performed with the International Sweethearts of Rhythm, Mary Lou Williams and Sy Oliver.
Russell graduated with honours from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She later worked as a vocalist with artists including Steely Dan, David Bowie, Cyndi Lauper, Paul Simon, Jackson Browne, Michael Feinstein, Levon Helm and Rosanne Cash.
Joining David Bowie
Catherine Russell joined David Bowie’s touring band in 2002 following the release of Heathen. During the Heathen Tour she performed backing vocals while also playing guitar, keyboards and percussion.
She remained a member of Bowie’s touring band throughout the Heathen Tour and continued with the same ensemble during A Reality Tour in 2003 and 2004. Russell was one of several musicians who contributed both instrumental and vocal parts to Bowie’s live performances during this period.
“Working with David was a dream come true. I’d been a fan since 1971. He was such a gracious man, and musically generous. He brought out the best in me. In addition to background singing, he let me play several instruments: keyboards, percussion, guitar and mandolin. He allowed me to stretch beyond what I thought I was capable of. He was caring, funny and loved his family. I am blessed to have known him.”
— Catherine Russell
JazzTimes interview, 2017
Where Catherine Russell Fits in Bowie’s Timeline
Catherine Russell‘s work with David Bowie belongs to the final period of his touring career. She joined the live band during the promotion of Heathen in 2002 and remained with the group throughout A Reality Tour, which concluded in 2004.
These tours followed Bowie’s work during the 1990s and supported the albums Heathen (2002) and Reality (2003). After the cancellation of the remaining A Reality Tour dates in 2004, Bowie did not undertake another major international concert tour.
Role in the Touring Band
Within Bowie’s live band, Russell performed backing vocals and also contributed guitar, keyboards and percussion. Her role varied according to the musical requirements of individual songs and live arrangements.
The repertoire performed during the Heathen Tour and A Reality Tour included material from throughout Bowie’s career, requiring the musicians to perform songs originating from different musical periods and styles.
The Heathen Tour
The Heathen Tour began in 2002 following the release of Bowie’s album Heathen. The concerts combined new material with songs from earlier stages of Bowie’s career.
Catherine Russell performed throughout the tour as a backing vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, contributing guitar, keyboards and percussion alongside her vocal work.
A Reality Tour
A Reality Tour began in October 2003 following the release of David Bowie’s album Reality. The tour visited Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand and Asia before ending in 2004 after Bowie suffered a heart attack in Germany.
Catherine Russell remained a member of David Bowie’s touring band throughout A Reality Tour. Her responsibilities included backing vocals, keyboards, percussion and acoustic guitar. During the tour she performed alongside Earl Slick, Gerry Leonard, Gail Ann Dorsey, Mike Garson and Sterling Campbell.
Performances recorded at Dublin’s Point Theatre on 22 and 23 November 2003 were later released as the live album and concert film A Reality Tour. The live album, issued in 2010, documents Catherine Russell‘s contribution to David Bowie’s final major world tour.
Working Alongside Gail Ann Dorsey
During the Heathen Tour and A Reality Tour, Catherine Russell and Gail Ann Dorsey both contributed backing vocals while also performing instrumental roles within Bowie’s live band. Dorsey played bass guitar and provided vocals, while Russell contributed vocals, guitar, keyboards and percussion.
Both musicians appeared together throughout Bowie’s final major tours between 2002 and 2004 and formed part of the touring ensemble that accompanied Bowie during this period.
The Final Touring Era
Catherine Russell‘s period with David Bowie coincided with the final years of his touring career. Following the cancellation of the remaining A Reality Tour concerts in 2004, Bowie did not undertake another full international concert tour.
As a result, Russell was a member of the last permanent touring band that accompanied Bowie on a major world tour.
Beyond Bowie
Although Catherine Russell is known to Bowie fans for her work between 2002 and 2004, her professional career extends over several decades. Before joining David Bowie’s touring band, she had already worked as a session vocalist with numerous artists and appeared on more than 200 recordings.
In 2006, Russell released her debut solo album, Cat. She followed this with Sentimental Streak (2008), Inside This Heart of Mine (2010), Strictly Romancin’ (2012), Bring It Back (2014), Harlem on My Mind (2016), Alone Together (2019) and Send For Me (2022).
Russell received a Grammy Award as a featured artist on the soundtrack album for HBO’s Boardwalk Empire. Her albums Harlem on My Mind and Alone Together were nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album.
In addition to her recording career, Russell has performed at venues including Carnegie Hall and Jazz at Lincoln Center and has appeared at international festivals including the Newport Jazz Festival, the Monterey Jazz Festival and the North Sea Jazz Festival.
Why Catherine Russell Matters in David Bowie’s Career
Catherine Russell was a member of David Bowie’s touring band throughout the Heathen Tour and A Reality Tour. She contributed backing vocals, guitar, keyboards and percussion during Bowie’s final major concert tours.
Because Bowie did not undertake another major international tour after 2004, Russell was a member of the final touring band that accompanied him on a world tour. Concert recordings and film releases from this period document her contribution to Bowie’s live performances.
Video
Catherine Russell performs David Bowie’s Moonage Daydream.
This performance reflects Catherine Russell‘s continuing association with David Bowie’s music following her years in Bowie’s touring band. Russell has continued to perform Bowie material at concerts and tribute events after the conclusion of A Reality Tour.
Russell worked with David Bowie between 2002 and 2004 as a backing vocalist and multi-instrumentalist. During that period she performed on the Heathen Tour and A Reality Tour, contributing vocals, guitar, keyboards and percussion as part of Bowie’s live band.
Place Within David Bowie’s Career
Catherine Russell was a member of David Bowie’s touring band between 2002 and 2004. Her period with Bowie covered the promotion of the albums Heathen and Reality and included Bowie’s final major international concert tours.
Her contribution forms part of the documented history of Bowie’s final touring band through concert recordings, live releases and filmed performances from this period. Alongside the other members of the touring ensemble, she participated in the last sustained period of David Bowie’s live career.
Official Website
For Catherine Russell‘s latest recordings, tour dates and biography, visit her official website: