Valerie Carter

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

Early career

She recorded the eponymous Howdy Moon as a member of folk group Howdy Moon in 1974.

She later left the group to release her first solo album, Just a Stone's Throw Away, in 1977, under ARC/Columbia. Just a Stone's Throw Away featured guest appearances from artists such as Maurice White, Lowell George, Bill Payne, Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne and Deniece Williams.

In 1979 Carter went on to release her second 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, in which she covered songs by Neil Young, Jackson Browne, Van Morrison and Warren Zevon.

She later went on to release a Japanese live album.

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, most notably, James Taylor.

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 worked as a writer for The Brothers Johnson on the track "Deceiver", and with Earth, Wind & Fire on the track "Turn It into Something Good", featured on the band's 1980 album Faces.

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. She sang several songs in the special, including a duet with the songwriter John Sebastian of The Lovin' Spoonful fame. The following year, in 1979, her cover of "O-o-h Child" was featured in Matt Dillon's film debut in Over the Edge.

On November 26, 1999, in Montclair, New Jersey, she married Seth Katz, a television executive with Sony.

In August and October 2009, Carter was arrested in St. Petersburg, Florida, for possession of drugs.She successfully completed all of the court's requirements, and she became a graduate of Judge Dee Anna Farnell's drug court program on May 25, 2011. American singer-songwriter James Taylor appeared at her drug court graduation ceremonies in a congratulatory effort on behalf of all of the graduates.

Carter died of a heart attack on March 4, 2017 at the age of 64. She is survived by her mother, Dorothy "Dot" Carter, and sister, Jan Carter, who continues the Official Valerie Carter Fan Club as an active Facebook group.

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

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)
• The Lost Tapes – Japan only collection of pre-recorded unreleased material. 2018

Live albums

• Midnight Over Honey River — 2003 (2xCD)

Compilations

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

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)
• 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)
• 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)
• "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).