Peter Madcat Ruth

1949年4月2日“疯猫”出生在美国的一个普通家庭。
    1963年，他上中学时曾到芝加哥的一所乡村音乐学校里学习吉他。
    1964年，对Sonny Terry 和 Brownie McGhee的口琴专辑产生兴趣，特别是Sonny Terry的口琴演感染了他。
   1966年“疯猫”遇到了一位传奇式的芝加哥布鲁斯口琴演奏家Big Walter Horton，随后的几年中“疯猫”一直跟随他定期学习口琴。在中学时期“疯猫”用口琴同几个演奏“乡村音乐”的乐队合作过，随后又同几个“布鲁斯乐队”一起演奏，这对他来说是锻炼的好机会。
    1969年他应邀参加了密执安州的Chris Brubeck先生组建的“新蓝天”摇滚乐队(New Heavenly Blue).使“疯猫”扩大了视野，增加了很多宝贵的经验。  
    “新蓝天”摇滚乐队因故解散后，“疯猫”又加入了Darius Brubeck重奏团。在这几年中他几乎花费了所有的时间与乐队的其他成员在马路边演奏爵士音乐和摇滚音乐。后来“疯猫”与这个乐队在全美国巡回演出，并到墨西哥、加拿大、欧洲、澳大利亚和新西兰等国家举行演奏会。 
    1977年，他认识到必须回到自己的音乐当中来，那时与他同龄的年轻人都喜欢摇滚乐或摇摆乐，但是他一直钻研乡村音乐和布鲁斯音乐，还不断研究其它各种不同类型的音乐，“疯猫”能够在口琴上演奏出各种不同风格的音乐，他始终认为自己演奏的音乐很像他自己。有一段时间他在美国中西部的大学和咖啡厅独奏，并且用各种不同风格的乐队伴奏，他也用口琴为许多音乐家伴奏。“疯猫”在美和区洲的音乐学校、布鲁斯协会和口琴节上已经举 办了几十个讲座。 
    1987年、1989年和1991年连续三届世界口琴大赛都邀请他出席演奏会和担任比赛评委，美国的电台电视台经常播放他的节目，世界各地都能听到他那美妙的琴声，“疯猫”已经成为口琴界独树一帜的重要人物。橡树出版社的口琴作家里查德.享特先生(Richard Hunter)在听了“疯猫”的音乐之后，评价说：“从任何角度看来，Madcat都是我们这个时代当之无愧的最伟大的口琴家之一，他在十孔布鲁斯口琴上的造诣简直不可企及
    1990年起，“疯猫”邀请了一位女布鲁斯吉他手Shari Kane组成了二重奏，开始了长期的合作演出，他们这种独特的演出使观众们耳目一新，反应相当热烈。此后他们在美国各地巡回演出，也出访了加拿大、西班牙、巴西和波兰等国家。
    1992年他们在美国长海滩布鲁斯人才研究竞赛中与其他五人同获大奖。他们录制的《高速公路小调》(Key to the Highway) 获得了1993年华盛顿WDCU-FM电台和巴尔的摩市布鲁斯协会主办的“十张最佳布鲁斯音乐CD”奖，现在已经第三次再版并继续在全美国播放。 
  1994年和1995年他们的节目在美国国家电台的《布鲁斯舞台》节目中通过200个地方电台进行联播。
    1997年8月23日，美国口琴促进会(SPAH)把每年一度的“卓越的口琴演奏家”奖项授予了他。
 
Peter Madcat Ruth has established an international reputation through his exhilarating, riveting virtuosity on the harmonica. His expertise on this instrument has amazed audiences world-wide. He is equally at home playing blues, folk music, jazz, country, or rock and roll. Performance Magazine refers to him as "A harmonica virtuoso who is rapidly approaching legend status."
Madcat's music has been evolving for over 45 years. It started in the Chicago area in the early 1960's, with Madcat playing folk/blues on guitar and harmonica. By the late 60's he had immersed himself in the Chicago Blues and was studying harmonica with Big Walter Horton. In the early 70's Madcat moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan where he was a key presence in two of Ann Arbor's finest progressive rock bands: New Heavenly Blue and Sky King. By the mid 70's Madcat was touring the world with jazz pianist Dave Brubeck. In the 80's, Madcat went solo infusing the folk/blues tradition with elements of rock and jazz. In 1990, Madcat teamed up with guitarist/singer Shari Kane to form the duo Madcat & Kane. For the past nineteen years they have been touring nationally and internationally. And In 1998 Madcat teamed up with Chris Brubeck to form Triple Play and also started performing with Big Joe Manfra in Brazil.
Madcat's experience is extensive. He has been an invited guest performer at many harmonica festivals in North America, South America, Europe and Asia. His harmonica playing is heard on over 100 CDs and LPs. National television and radio appearances, symphony orchestra performances, radio and television advertisements, and harmonica workshops all attest to Madcat's reputation as one of the best and most versatile harmonica players in the world.
Madcat is more than an expert musician. He is also performer who has such a good time playing music that audiences, ranging from pre-schoolers to senior citizens, delight in his performances. His enthusiasm is unpretentious and contagious.