Cerys Matthew is a Welsh singer and songwriter, best known as the lead singer of the Welsh rock band Catatonia, from 1992 to 2001. She was born on 11 April 1969, in Cardiff, Wales.

The band Catatonia was formed in 1992, reputedly after Roberts heard Matthews busking in a street in Cardiff city centre (this later turned out to be a story fabricated by the band, as Matthews had known Roberts for some time, although they did often go basking). She subsequently sang lead vocals on the band's hits, including "You've Got a Lot to Answer For", "Mulder and Scully", "Dead From the Waist Down", and "Road Rage", and played guitar on the earlier material before second guitarist Owen Powell joined the band. She also performed a single with the band Space named "The Ballad of Tom Jones", which tells the story of two lovers who want to kill each other, but then hear a Tom Jones song that defuses their homicidal feelings.

Her debut album, “Cockahoop”, was recorded in seven months and appeared on Blanco y Negro in the UK in May 2003. She married Riddle in West Wales in February 2003, and toured the album around Britain but with minimal promotion as she was heavily pregnant at the time. Its Stateside release followed in October 2004.

In December 2005, Matthews recorded a new version of Len Barry's 1960s UK top 10 hit "1-2-3" in Nashville, Tennessee. She released it as a download-single with all profits going to a children's charity.

In spring 2006, Matthews with a new band introduced material from her upcoming album at SXSW in Austin, Texas, United States. The gig was so well attended that many had to watch from the street outside.

www.cerysmatthews.co.uk