Valerie Carter

Valerie Carter (born Valerie Gail Zakian Carter; February 5, 1953 – March 4, 2017) was an American singer-songwriter.[1]

This article is about the American singer-songwriter born in 1953. For the American singer born in 1929, see June Carter Cash.

Valerie Carter
Background information
Birth nameValerie Gail Zakian Carter
Born(1953-02-05)February 5, 1953
Winter Haven, Florida, U.S.
DiedMarch 4, 2017(2017-03-04) (aged 64)
St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter
Years active1974–2017
LabelsARC, Columbia Records
Associated actsJames Taylor, Jackson Browne, Don Henley

Biography

Valerie Carter began her career singing in coffeehouses as a teenager, she eventually became one-third of a country-folk band "Howdy Moon". Though they debuted at the legendary Troubadour in Los Angeles in 1974, their one album is now fairly obscure. It is notable, however, for the Carter-penned song "Cook With Honey", later a hit for Judy Collins, and for the introduction of Carter to Lowell George, who produced the next album. He would be a mentor to her till his death in 1979 and introduced her to Jackson Browne, James Taylor, and many of the artists she would work with throughout her career.[2]

Her first solo album, "Just A Stone's Throw Away" featured an impressive array of guests artists from the 1970's Southern California music scene including Maurice White, Lowell George, Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, and Deniece Williams. The album was well received and garnered favorable reviews and placed her as the opening act for the Eagles in Europe. Two years later she released another album "Wild Child", and began touring with various artists primarily James Taylor, Jackson Browne, and Linda Ronstadt.

Carter then released another solo album "The Way It Is" with guest artists including Phoebe Snow, Lyle Lovett, Edwin McCain, James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, and Jackson Browne. Japan released a limited edition of this CD with an additional song by Tom Snow.

She followed two years later with EPs "Find a River", Vanilla Grits, and a compilation CD "Midnight Over Honey River".[3]

She died from a heart attack on March 4, 2017.[4] After her death, her sister and longtime friend, Kathy Kurasch, found tapes of songs Valerie had recorded but were never released. The tapes were largely unfinished and on all different formats from 24 track masters, 1/4" masters, ADATs, and cassette. They featured an array of guest artists, musicians, and composers including Prince,[5] Lowell George, Little Feat members, Linda Ronstadt, Nicolette Larson, Steve Tyrell, David Lasley, Will Jennings, Tom Snow and more. Overdubs, re-mixing, and mastering was done by Kurasch and in December 2018 "The Lost Tapes" was released on Cowboy Angel Records.[6]

Other work

Carter worked as a back-up vocalist for a number of famous recording artists. These included Linda Ronstadt, Don Henley, Christopher Cross, Little Feat, Jackson Browne, the Outlaws and James Taylor.[7]

Carter wrote the song "Cook with Honey" which was a hit for Judy Collins on her 1973 album True Stories and Other Dreams. Carter also co-wrote the Jackson Browne track "Love Needs a Heart" that was featured on his 1977 album Running on Empty. She also co-wrote "It is One" and "Niño" on Browne's Looking East album. She worked as a writer for The Brothers Johnson on the track "Deceiver", Earth, Wind & Fire's "Turn It into Something Good", featured on the band's 1980 album Faces,[7] and Cher's Black Rose band's "Never Should've Started".[8]

In 1978, she performed the singing voice of the character Jan Mouse in the animated Halloween special "The Devil and Daniel Mouse" produced by Canadian animation studio Nelvana. She was credited under the pseudonym Laurel Runn, likely inspired by living in Laurel Canyon at the time.[9] She sang several songs in the special, including a duet with the songwriter John Sebastian of The Lovin' Spoonful fame.[10] The following year, in 1979, her cover of "O-o-h Child" was featured in Matt Dillon's film debut in Over the Edge.[10]

In 2018 her sister Jan Carter and her friend Kathy Kurasch assembled The Lost Tapes; the first posthumous stand-alone album of previously unreleased material by Valerie Carter. It includes unreleased tracks recorded during her career including "I Got Over It", co-written by Prince.[11]

Personal life

In the December 11, 1999, issue of Billboard, a marriage was announced between Carter and Seth Katz, a television executive with Sony, taking place on November 26, 1999, in Montclair, New Jersey.[12]

In August and October 2009, Carter was arrested in St. Petersburg, Florida, for possession of drugs.[13] She completed all of the court's requirements on May 25, 2011.[13] American singer-songwriter James Taylor appeared at her drug court graduation ceremonies in a congratulatory effort on behalf of all of the graduates.[13]

Carter died of a heart attack on March 4, 2017, at the age of 64.[14]

The song "Valerie" recorded by Steve Winwood was reportedly about her, as was Jackson Browne's song "That Girl Could Sing".[15][10]

Discography

As member of the group Howdy Moon

Solo albums

Compilations
  • Ooh Child: The Columbia Years — 2019
  • Vanilla Grits - 2001

Backing vocal credits (select)

Song-writing credits (select)

References
  1. "Valerie Carter". Allmusic.com.
  2. Howdy Moon – Howdy Moon (1974, Vinyl), retrieved March 16, 2021
  3. "Valerie Carter | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  4. "Valerie Carter, St. Petersburg recording artist and backup singer, dies at 64". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  5. "The Lost Tapes - Prince Vault". www.princevault.com. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  6. "The Voice of an Angel: A Tribute to Valerie Carter". PopMatters. February 11, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  7. "Valerie Carter". Allmusic.com.
  8. Black Rose – Black Rose (1980, Vinyl), retrieved March 16, 2021
  9. "Look Where the Music Can Take You". March 10, 2017.
  10. "Valerie Carter". IMDB.com.
  11. "Album: The Lost Tapes". www.princevault.com.
  12. "Update:Marriages" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 50. December 11, 1999. p. 94.
  13. Lane DeGregory (May 26, 2011). "Drug court grads have a friend — James Taylor". Tampabay.com. Archived from the original on February 28, 2013. Retrieved August 29, 2012.
  14. Paul Guzzo (March 5, 2017). "Valerie Carter, St. Petersburg recording artist and backup singer, dies at 64". Tampabay.com. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
  15. "Jackson Browne at top of his game at Hanover Theatre show". Telegram.com.
  16. Valerie Carter – Find A River (1998, CD), retrieved March 16, 2021
  17. "Valerie Carter - Midnight Over Honey River". Discogs. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  18. Valerie Carter – The Lost Tapes (2018, CD), retrieved March 16, 2021
  19. Valerie Carter With Yoshiyuki Sahashi – Live in Tokyo, 1994 (2020, CD), retrieved March 16, 2021
  20. Recording's credits
  21. "The Brothers Johnson* – You Keep Me Coming Back / Deceiver (Vinyl)". Discogs.com. Retrieved March 5, 2017.
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