Dick Cathcart

Charles Richard (Dick) Cathcart (b. Michigan City, November 6, 1924 – d. Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, November 8, 1993) – Trumpet player, singer, and actor. Born and raised in Michigan City, Cathcart joined the Ray McKinley band at age seventeen and then served in the armed forces. Following WW II, he played in the bands of Ray Noble, Ben Pollock, Bob Crosby, and Alvino Ray. From 1946 to 1949, he was a studio musician for MGM Studios. In addition, he worked closely for Jack Webb as an actor and musical director, most notably on Dragnet (radio, television, and film). As a trumpet player, he is perhaps best known for his tenure with Lawrence Welk (1962-68). On a personal note, he married Peggy Lennon of the Lennon Sisters in 1984 and had six children with her (in addition to his three from a previous marriage).