What would make a 6-year old boy from Michigan want to start a band? Perhaps it was his prodigy talent that called his heart to a musical destiny. Perhaps it was the musical enthusiasm he sensed from his twin brother and first cousin of his same impressionable age. Whatever sparked the idea, Cats and the Fiddler was breathed into existence and ten years later, their hard work has paid off distinguishing Cats and the Fiddler as an acoustic wonder.

This amazing trio featuring Carmen Gibes, James Richardson, and Shaun Richardson each now 16 years old, consistently amazes audiences throughout Michigan and beyond with their unique style of acoustic music with influences from multiple genres including country, bluegrass, blues, and jazz. Since their debut Cats and the Fiddler have appeared at hundreds of venues alongside nationally renown country and bluegrass artists.

For the hundreds of audiences who have heard the music of Cats and the Fiddler, it is no surprise that they have been recognized for their outstanding musicianship as winners of the Meijer Kid Talent Quest in 2005, Elderly Instruments Battle of the High School Bands in 2008, Huron Valley's Got Talent and IBMA Songwriters Showcase in 2009,and nominated for Best Acoustic CD for the Detroit Music Awards in 2011. This CD entitled “Come Back to Me” was also featured in the nationally recognized magazine Bluegrass Unlimited with this comment: "Although its members are just in their early teens, Cats & the Fiddler has already achieved a remarkable skill level and should definitely look forward to a promising career in music ". Rachel May, entertainment columnist for the Detroit Free Press remarked, "I had a chance to catch the band when it performed during the Detroit Music Awards at the Fillmore Detroit, and the performance was breathtaking. Every note was played with precision, and the songs were rich with perfect harmonies."

Shaun Richardson was born a prodigy. While still a toddler, Shaun began listening to country tunes played on the fiddle and pedal steel guitar by his musically talented uncle. Shaun was instantly drawn to the powerful sounds of country and bluegrass music. Too small to handle a fiddle at the young age of 2, he pretended to play along on a fiddle he made out of Tinker-Toys. Finally, at the age of 4 his parents bought him his first fiddle. It wasn't long before Shaun learned just about any instrument with strings adding the mandolin, guitar, and banjo to his talents. His prodigy-style playing leaves audiences awestruck and his flat-picking runs, inspired by the legendary Tony Rice, reveals a depth and style of playing rare indeed for a youth his age.

Coming from a musical family it was only natural that Carmen began playing the piano in the tradition of her mother at the age of 4 but when her cousin, Shaun, introduced her to bluegrass music, at the age of 6, she grew to love the guitar and picked it up quickly. After being inspired by the bluegrass artist Cia Cherryholmes, Carmen added the banjo to her repertoire. Whether playing the guitar or banjo, her hard driving instrumentation brings power and energy to every Cats and the Fiddler performance. She is also a devoted songwriter with impassioned and insightful lyrics that speak volumes through her honey smooth alto tones as both lead and harmony singer .

James like his twin brother Shaun began his musical career at the age of 4 when he took up the piano. By the age of 6, James was doing his own piano improvisations. He too he grew to love country and bluegrass music. Watching country and bluegrass artists perform inspired him to learn the upright bass which he plays with both precision and style as the heartbeat for the music he loves. James' avid songwriting abilities provides the sustinance for a unique blend of styles in acoustic music and his passionate lead and harmony vocals add the final touch making the Cats and the Fiddler a superbly talented trio.