Chan Marshall

Cat Power, a.k.a. Chan Marshall (born Charlyn Marie Marshall; January 21, 1972), is an American singer/songwriter known for her minimalist (yet often pastoral) music, for her sparse guitar and piano playing, and for her ethereal, So

Cat Power, a.k.a. Chan Marshall (born Charlyn Marie Marshall; January 21, 1972), is an American singer/songwriter known for her minimalist (yet often pastoral) music, for her sparse guitar and piano playing, and for her ethereal, Southern-styled vocals. She is often, but not always, accompanied by backing musicians on record and in concert.

The daughter of divorced parents, Chan (pronounced "Shawn") Marshall was born in Atlanta, but moved to New York City after dropping out of high school, where she began playing shows under the name Cat Power. While opening for Liz Phair in 1994, she met Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth and Tim Foljahn of Two Dollar Guitar, who encouraged her to record, and played on her first two albums, 1995's Dear Sir and 1996's Myra Lee. In 1996 she was signed to Matador Records, and released her third album, What Would the Community Think, which spawned a rare single and music video, "Nude As The News".