Biography
Born Kathleen Ann Zaleski in Pittsburgh on June 12, 1946, the rockabilly spitfire later known as Kathy Zee picked up the mandolin by the time she turned four. That same year she stepped onto a stage for the first time, joining her older brother Jim at a local leukemia benefit. The appearance went over well, so the siblings—despite an eight-year age gap—formed the Harmony Wildcats and began regular appearances on Pittsburgh radio and television programs, eventually reaching the national Ted Mack Amateur Hour.
Manager Elmer Willett placed Kathy under a solo contract in 1958, though Jim still supplied guitar and harmony vocals on her Laurie Records debut single “Buzzin’,” which became a smash in Germany and reached the U.S. Top 40. For reasons never explained, Willett issued the follow-up “Santa Claus Rock and Roll” on his own label; credited to Kathy and Jimmy Zee, the record stalled commercially and abruptly ended their recording activity. After completing her studies at Pittsburgh’s Divine Providence Academy in 1964, Kathy moved west with Jim, and the pair spent the next several years performing in hotel lounges throughout the Southwest. She next sang and played bass with Abby Neal & the Ranch Girls, then became a featured vocalist and bassist for the long-running Las Vegas act the Diplomats. At age 27 she stepped away to raise a family, limiting any further performances to her church choir.
Manager Elmer Willett placed Kathy under a solo contract in 1958, though Jim still supplied guitar and harmony vocals on her Laurie Records debut single “Buzzin’,” which became a smash in Germany and reached the U.S. Top 40. For reasons never explained, Willett issued the follow-up “Santa Claus Rock and Roll” on his own label; credited to Kathy and Jimmy Zee, the record stalled commercially and abruptly ended their recording activity. After completing her studies at Pittsburgh’s Divine Providence Academy in 1964, Kathy moved west with Jim, and the pair spent the next several years performing in hotel lounges throughout the Southwest. She next sang and played bass with Abby Neal & the Ranch Girls, then became a featured vocalist and bassist for the long-running Las Vegas act the Diplomats. At age 27 she stepped away to raise a family, limiting any further performances to her church choir.