Cat Janice, a singer and songwriter who launched a buoyant pop observe from hospice that galvanized her 1000’s of supporters on-line to sway, and even groove, within the face of tragedy, died on Wednesday at her household residence in Annandale, Va. She was 31.
The trigger was sarcoma, in accordance with William Ipsan, her brother.
The singer and multi-instrumentalist, whose authorized identify was Catherine Ipsan, began writing music as a teen and launched it all through her 20s. However “Dance You Outta My Head,” which she shared on social media alongside candid dialogue of her grueling most cancers remedies, rapidly turned the largest hit of her profession. Over disco-inflected guitar and exuberant strings, she sang about “dancing on the sting of catastrophe.”
Ms. Ipsan launched the track on Jan. 19, a couple of days after coming into hospice care. The track caught hearth as her well being outlook darkened, with social media customers — together with celebrities like Jason Derulo — leaving messages of help.
It turned a typical soundtrack on TikTok after Ms. Ipsan inspired her followers to stream the track as a means of supporting her 7-year-old son, Loren, after her dying. “I’m leaving this track behind for my son,” she wrote on TikTok. In one other publish, she stated she had “modified all of the rights from my songs so each presave and each stream goes to Loren.”
The track has been utilized in greater than two million TikTok movies and have become the singer’s first track to enter the Billboard charts.
“I’m praying my story isn’t over but,” she wrote in a publish on her birthday, the day after the track’s launch. “However whether it is, it is a fairly unimaginable option to say goodbye.”
Catherine Janice Ipsan was born on Jan. 20, 1993, considered one of 4 kids in a musical household outdoors Washington, D.C. She performed violin and piano, whereas her brother typically accompanied her on drums. Their mom was a radio D.J. who instilled a love of music in her youngsters, Mr. Ipsan, 27, stated in an interview this month: “We’d be singing each lyric to the Eagles and the Beatles and all of the oldies.”
In keeping with her brother, Ms. Ipsan was additionally a science nerd, who studied geology at George Mason College earlier than going to work as a geospatial analyst. However writing songs remained her outlet, he stated. “If she’s careworn or something, she’ll go do music.”
In 2022 she was recognized with sarcoma, a uncommon type of most cancers that she first observed as a lump in her neck. She underwent surgical procedure and greater than a dozen rounds of chemotherapy, her brother stated. She posted private updates on TikTok, together with movies of shaving her head and writing music whereas present process remedy. She launched an album, “Trendy Drugs,” in July 2023.
“Cat’s at all times sharing what she’s obtained happening,” stated her husband, Kyle Higginbotham, 36, additionally a musician. “It simply occurred to be that most cancers was what she had happening her final yr.”
She continued to carry out at venues within the Washington space throughout remedy, typically alongside Mr. Higginbotham, who recalled taking his spouse to rounds of chemo, then taking part in a present along with her the very subsequent day. They obtained engaged onstage in August, at her album launch present, and married in December.
She began writing “Dance You Outta My Head” over the summer time, whereas within the automotive with Loren, Mr. Ipsan stated. She despatched a demo to Austin Bello, a producer she had labored with for greater than seven years, and requested him to combine the observe.
“What at all times impressed me was the readability with which her edits would come,” Mr. Bello stated, providing for example of considered one of her notes, “At one minute and 22 seconds, flip down the harmonies 2.2 dB.”
The success of “Dance You Outta My Head” was gratifying but additionally painful, Mr. Ipsan stated. “She’s joyful that she’s been doing music for thus lengthy and it’s getting the appreciation she deserves,” he stated. However the outpouring of supportive messages from followers didn’t erase her disappointment that she in all probability would by no means get to go on a headlining tour or attend the Grammy Awards.
She spent her closing weeks at her household residence in Annandale, baking bread and getting matching tattoos with members of the family. Mr. Higginbotham and Loren usually sat by her aspect, making beats on digital drum pads. When she was feeling robust sufficient, she hummed.
Mr. Higginbotham stated he hoped his spouse’s music profession could be remembered as greater than a “sob story.”
“It’s not simply, some woman made a track as a result of she’s dying of most cancers,” he stated. “Cat’s a real-deal artist and poured each minute of her life into it, proper up till the tip.”
