Cathcart
was born in Michigan City, Indiana on November
6, 1924 and began playing the clarinet at age 4
but
switched to trumpet at 13. His first job was with
Bob Barnes at Indiana University, followed by the
Ray McKinley band in 1942 and the Alvino Rey
band in 1943. He served with the
U.S. Army Air Force Radio Orchestra from 1943 to
1945. Beginning in 1946, he began doing a lot of
session work with Bing Crosby including
appearances on his TV show.
In 1962,
Cathcart joined the Lawrence Welk show. He was
featured weekly on dixieland and big band
numbers, often in the company of Bob Havens
(trombone), Don Bonnee or Mahlon Clark
(clarinet), Russ Klein (tenor) and Frank Scott
(piano). Cathcart married Peggy Lennon of the
Lennon Sisters. They would have 6 children
(Cathcart had 3 from a previous marriage). He
also became brother-in-law to the Wilde Twins
(Bob Crosby singers) as brother Jim married Lyn
and Tom married Lee Wilde.
After leaving the Welk Show, Cathcart became a
musical coordinator for the Lennon Sisters and
played the annual Dixieland Festival in Sacramento.
Cathcart passed away in 1993 from cancer at the age
of 69.