Richardson grew up in west suburban Burr Ridge, Illinois,[2] and graduated from Hinsdale Central High School in Hinsdale, Illinois.[3] Before starting her music career, Richardson worked as an auto mechanic and as a cashier at her father's gas station.[2] She started her music career full-time in 1990. She was introduced to Jim Peterik who mentored her and helped with her first two albums. She has also co-written songs with Peterik, and is a fairly frequent guest in his all-star World Stage concerts.[3]
Richardson appeared as a guest on Noggin's puppet series Jack's Big Music Show. In the pilot episode, she played the voice of one of the main characters.[4]
The Cathy Richardson Band was voted Best Local Band in the Chicago Tribune readers poll of 1999 and best in WFLD's "Best & Worst of Chicago" viewer poll in November 2000.[5]
In 2004, Richardson and art director Bill Dolan were nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Recording Package for the Cathy Richardson Band album The Road to Bliss.[7]
All Excess... Live @ The Park West (1996) Jessica Records
Compilation albums featuring tracks by Cathy Richardson
Songs of Janis Joplin: Blues Down Deep (1997) House of Blues Records (song "Try Just a Little Bit Harder")
Jim Peterik and World Stage (2000) Jim Peterik and Cathy Richardson (songs "Diamonds For Stones" and "From Here To Hereafter")
Sweet Emotion: Songs of Aerosmith (2001) (song "Last Child")
Here Come the Irish (2003) Written by John Scully and Jim Tullio, vocals by Cathy Richardson (Cathy is featured on the song "Here Come the Irish")
Judgement Day, Songs of Robert Johnson (2004) (song "Preachin' Blues (Up Jumped the Devil)")
Folksongs of Illinois, Vol. 4 (2011) (Cathy is featured on the Woody Guthrie song "Old Chy-Car-Go")
Jim Peterik and World Stage: Tigress - Women Who Rock the World (2021) (songs "Living for the Moment", "Full Moon Crazy", "The Best in Us", and "Sin to Believe a Lie")
Play On (2019) Ides of March and Cathy Richardson (song "Blue Storm Rising")
Download only single
What I Am (2015) Chance Music (available through ITunes)
Side project albums and guest appearances
The Juleps
Cathy Richardson along with members of The Insiders