Valerie Carter

Early career

She recorded the self-titled Howdy Moon as a member of folk group Howdy Moon in 1974. She later left the group to release her first solo album entitled Just A Stone's Throw Away in 1977 under ARC/Columbia. Just A Stone's Throw Away featured guest appearances from artistes such as Maurice White, Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne and Deniece Williams. She went on to release in 1979 her sophomore album Wild Child again under the ARC/Columbia imprint. Wild Child was produced by James Newton Howard. In 1996, Carter returned with The Way It Is, where she covered songs by Neil Young, Jackson Browne, Van Morrison and Warren Zevon. She later went on to release a Japanese live album.^[1][2][3]

Other work

Carter as well 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, most notably, James Taylor.^[1]

Carter scribed the song "Cook with Honey" for Judy Collins that appeared upon her 1973 album True Stories and Other Dreams. Additionally she co-wrote the Jackson Browne track "Love Needs a Heart" that featured upon his 1977 album Running on Empty. She also worked as a writer for The Brothers Johnson upon the track "Deceiver", and Earth, Wind & Fire with the track "Turn It into Something Good", that featured on the band's 1980 album Faces.^[1]

In 1978, she performed the singing voice of the character Jan Mouse in the animated Halloween special "The Devil and Daniel Mouse" from Canadian animation studio Nelvana. She was credited under the pseudonym Laurel Runn, likely inspired by living in Laurel Canyon at the time. ^[4] She sang several songs in the special, including a duet with the songwriter John Sebastian of The Lovin' Spoonful fame.^[5] The following year, in 1979, her cover of "O-o-h Child" was featured in Matt Dillon's film debut in Over the Edge.^[5]

As member of the group Howdy Moon

• Howdy Moon — 1974

Studio albums

• Just a Stone's Throw Away (single "O-o-h Child") — 1977
• Wild Child — 1978
• The Way It Is — 1996 (reissued in 2006 with different track list)
• Find a River — 1998 (5 track EP)

Live albums

• Midnight Over Honey River — 2003 (2xCD)

Compilations

• Vanilla Grits — 2001

Backing vocal credits (select)

• Aaron Neville — Warm Your Heart — (1991)
• Al Kooper — Championship Wrestling — (1982)
• Anna Vissi — Everything I Am — (2001)
• Anne Murray — Anne Murray — (1996)
• Arnold McCuller — Circa 1990 — (2003)
• Aselin Debison — Sweet Is the Melody — (2002)
• Christopher Cross — Christopher Cross — (1980)
• Curtis Stigers — Brighter Days — (1999^[9])
• Diana Ross — Force Behind the Power — (1991)
• Don Grusin — 10k-La — (1980)
• Don Henley:
  • The End of the Innocence — (1989)
  • Inside Job — (2000)
• Eddie Money — Playing for Keeps — (1980)
• Eric Carmen — Change of Heart — (1978)
• Freebo — End of the Beginning — (1999)
• Glenn Frey — Strange Weather — (1992)
• Hoyt Axton — Southbound — (1975)
• Jackson Browne:
  • I'm Alive — (1993)
  • Looking East — (1996)
• James Taylor:
  • Gorilla — (1975)
  • In the Pocket — (1976)
  • New Moon Shine — (1991)
  • (LIVE) — (1993)
  • (Best LIVE) — (1994)
  • Hourglass — (1997)
  • Greatest Hits Volume 2 — (2000)
• Jimmy Webb:
  • Angel Heart — (1982)
  • Suspending Disbelief — (1993)
• Jorge Calderón — City Music — (1975)
• Jude Johnstone — Coming of Age — (2002 ^[9])
• Julia Fordham — Swept — (1991)
• Julie Miller:
  • Orphans & Angels — (1993)
  • Invisible Girl — (1996)
• Keiko Matsui — Sapphire — (1995)
• Linda Ronstadt:
  • Winter Light — (1994)
  • Feels Like Home — (1995)
  • Dedicated to the One I Love — (1996)
• Little Feat — The Last Record Album — (1975)
• Lyle Lovett — Road to Ensenada — (1996)
• Maureen McCormick — When You Get a Little Lonely — (1995)
• Neil Diamond:
  • Lovescape — (1991)
  • Up on the Roof: Songs from the Brill Building — (1993)
  • "Christmas Album, Vol. 2" — (1994)
  • In My Lifetime — (1996)
• Nicolette Larson:
  • Nicolette — (1978)
  • All Dressed Up and No Place to Go — (1982)
• Ofra Haza — Kirya — (1992)
• Jack Wagner — Love Can Take Us All The Way — (1986)
• Randy Newman — Born Again — (1979)
• Rick Derringer — Free Ride — (2002)
• Ringo Starr — Time Takes Time — (1992)
• Shawn Colvin — Fat City — (1992)
• Tom Jans — Eyes of an Only Child — (1975)
• Tom Kell — Dove — (2012)
• Vonda Shepard — Songs from Ally McBeal — (1998)
• Willie Nelson — Healing Hands of Time — (1994)

Song-writing credits (select)

• "Cook With Honey". Recorded by Judy Collins (released on the LP True Stories And Other Dreams, 1973)
• "Deceiver". Recorded by The Brothers Johnson (released as B-side of 7" single "You Keep Me Coming Back", 1984)^[10]
• "Love Needs a Heart". Recorded by Jackson Browne (released on the LP Running on Empty, 1977)
• "Turn It into Something Good". Recorded by Earth, Wind & Fire (released on the LP Faces, 1980).