Note: the following item was provided by the Polk County Historical Society for publication. -KtE
On May 11th at 2:00 PM, the museum hosted a special performance from Cedartown native, Catherine Campbell, and her niece, Jenna Mobley, as they led attendees in a round of hymns and pop songs on piano and fiddle.
Catherine is interested in forming a community chorus for Cedartown music enthusiasts in the coming months.
Catherine Campbell was born and raised in Cedartown, daughter of Dr. Richard Campbell and Frances Campbell. After graduating from Cedartown High School, she attended Berry College and graduated from the University of Georgia where she focused on voice and piano. After college graduation, she returned to Cedartown to teach and serve as choral director for Cedartown junior and senior high schools where she directed many student productions and concerts.
Her dream, however, had always been to perform so Catherine left Cedartown to pursue a musical career in Atlanta. Singing in dinner theaters and performing at the Theater of the Stars and other local theater companies gave her valuable experience. But Catherine’s intense love of music and the experience she gained in Atlanta fed her desire for more.
So, in 1980 Catherine moved to New York City to further her career. That first summer she joined the cast of the Broadway revival of Oklahoma at the Palace Theater and went on to perform in four more Broadway shows—Nine, Footloose, The Rose Tattoo, and Bus Stop.
Her career has taken her around the United States on national tours with Oklahoma, South Pacific, and Rumors as wells as performances with well known musical companies such as Cleveland Opera, the North Shore Music Festival, the Sacramento Music Festival, the Hudson Theatre Company in New York, and the Florida Studio Theatre in Sarasota.
Catherine’s career also includes appearances on television in The City, Another World, One Life to Live, As the World Turns, Talk to the Animals, and All the World’s a Stage.
In 1994 Catherine received her Master of Arts degree in voice performance from Hunter College in New York City. She worked as a music director, vocal coach, and accompanist in the New York City area. She now lives in her home state of Georgia.
