Kathy Rote collection

Born in McAllen, Texas, Kathy Rote and her family moved to Houston soon after she was diagnosed with polio. Her family wanted to live near Texas Children's Hospital. At the age of 12, she became entranced with folk music as many of her generation did. Her Dad began taking her to folk music events at the University of Houston, the Jewish Community Center, John A. Lomax, Jr.'s house, and other folk venues around town.

Not long after, Rote began taking guitar lessons from Ed Badeaux. In 1965, she would occasionally perform at the Jewish Community Center, but spent most of her time performing at Sand Mountain Coffee House and at hospitals and nursing homes. She worked a circuit of music venues just outside of Houston with Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, and others. She also attended gatherings at Peter Gardner's home and played on episodes of his KRBE show "The Sampler."

During her senior year of high school, Kathy Rote moved to Tucson, Arizona. After returning briefly to Houston, she went back to attend the University of Arizona. Growing up in the 50’s and 60’s, she experienced firsthand, the social and physical discrimination that prevented those with disabilities from being equal members of society. In 1979 she joined the Disabilities Rights movement in Berkeley, California. With others, she worked to craft legislation and create social services that supported disabled Americans efforts to live independently and culminated in the Americans w/ Disability Act. All during this time, she continued to play music and wrote her own songs.