Cathie Ryan, a singer and bodhrán player, joined the Celtic music group Cherish the Ladies in 1987. In 1995 she began her solo career. Known for "her crystalline vocals and insightful songwriting," Cathie Ryan has remained recognizable among Celtic music fans and performers since her start in the 80s. A second generation Irish-American from Detroit, Michigan, she moved to New York City at age seventeen in order to attend Fordham University.