Ticket 2 Ride

When I think of the soft rock, intelligent folksy vibe of the 1970s, voices that I immediately think of are Nicolette Larson and Karla Bonoff. Then, a few more names came to me, female vocalists that worked a lot, sometimes supporting bigger stars, and seemed to vanish.

Here’s what I know about them.

Nicolette Larson was more known for her folksy singing style, with a voice that was sweet, clear and could shift into high in a moment. She sang with Neil Young and Linda Ronstadt before rocketing to fame with Young’s “Lotta Love.” She recorded a few albums before her career wound down. She passed away from liver failure at age 45. She was married to drummer Russ Kunkel at the time.

Valerie Carter was a first-call backup vocalist for all the major pop and rock performers. Her supporting credits are impressive; and she recorded a couple of well-received solo albums in the late 1970s, enlisting the help from many major stars. In later years she worked steadily, but dealt with health and addiction issues. She died of a heart attack in 2017.

Lauren Wood, who also went by the professional name Chunky, has maintained a fine career as voiceover artist, songwriter, producer and support vocalist. In the 1970s, she was part of the group, Chunky, Novi & Ernie, releasing several albums, and several major label solo albums.

Wendy Waldman grew up in L.A., part of a musical family, quickly establishing a career as a singer-songwriter. A member of the band Bryndle, she recorded a series of well-received albums in the 1970s for Warner Bros. before moving to Nashville to focus on songwriting. Her songs have been recorded by Helen Reddy, Crystal Gayle, Kenny Rogers, Reba McEntire, Cher and many more.

Laura Nyro is one of the most successful songwriters of the soft rock era. A member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rick and Roll Hall of Fame, her songs were big hits for others, but she struggled to establish her own solo success. Her songs included “Wedding Bell Blues”, “Blowin’ Away”, “Billy’s Blues”, “Stoney End”, “And When I Die”, “Eli’s Comin’” and “Stoned Soul Picnic”. Nyro passed away in 1997 at age 49.

Maria Muldaur is most well known for the 1973 hit “Midnight at the Oasis”, her musical career started in the early 1960s and continues on today. Often playing with the Grateful Dead and other artists mixing folk, country and blues, Muldaur has carved out a niche in contemporary music for her soulful and torchy vocals.

Karla Bonoff is a performer, a singer-songwriter, known as a pipeline of songs for Linda Ronstadt, but has maintained a respectable career to this day. Her self-titled album, released in 1978, included “Someone To Lay Down Beside Me”, “Lose Again” and “If He’s Ever Near”, is still her best. Bonoff was in the band Bryndle with Kenny Edwards, Wendy Waldman and Andrew Gold.

Merry Clayton is known as a remarkable backup singer, the duet voice on “Sympathy for the Devil”, and a solo artist in her own right. Clayton never stopped working, and was featured in the documentary, 20 Feet from Success, but never broke through on her own as the star she was.

Claudia Lennear, another former Ikette, she sang with the Stones, Bowie, Joe Cocker, Leon Russell, Dave Mason, Stephen Stills and many others. Phew!, released in 1973, is her only solo album to date. The inspiration for “Brown Sugar” from her relationship with Mick Jagger.

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There are so many vocalists who filled our lives with their voices and songs, and who are not forgotten. There are enough for a part 2, perhaps.