Biography

From the time 13 year-old Marilyn Kirby first picked up a guitar, a Kay her brother bought with Green Stamps, she has been writing material to suit her strong, bewitching voice and unique outlook on life. Growing up in Newton, Mass, Marilyn Kirby was fully immersed in the ‘hippy scene’. As part of a band called Catharsis, she opened for Cream in Cambridge in the late 1960s. In 1968 she moved to NYC. She formed Marilyn Kirby and the Black Cat Band (John Putnam, Jerry Solomon and Andrew Caturano) in the late 1970s. Well into the 1980s, the band was a favorite in the New York area at clubs like Folk City, Home, Nobody’s Chin Chin and The Red Rail. Over thirty years later, her former band mate, John Putnam, played an integral part in the making of ‘Year of the Phoenix’.
The 1983 music video “Blondes” that Ms. Kirby made in NYC is a cult classic. She is a fearless entertainer, captivating audiences in numerous live venues, including the Theatre for A New City, Club Helsinki and The Colony. For the past five years, she has been a part of the Celebrate Woodstock Tribute Show in the Greater Boston area; privileged to perform for its 50th Anniversary of Woodstock show in 2019.
Ms. Kirby’s instrument of choice is a beat up old Telecaster that has "that sound" à la Keith Richards on the ‘Raindogs’ album by Tom Waits. Her songwriting is strong and honest, telling stories that will move you to cry, dance, and everything in between, as she rocks to out to each song with her belting, beautiful voice.
Currently residing in Woodstock, NY, Marilyn Kirby is a solo artist, as well as a member of a trio and a band. She also does music therapy with patients with mental illness and dementia.