b. 17 July 1952, Helena, Montana, USA, d. 16 December 1997, Los Angeles, California, USA. Larson moved to California where she became a member of touring roadbands with Hoyt Axton and Commander Cody. By the 70s she had become established as a session singer and appeared on albums by Emmylou Harris (Luxury Liner), Linda Rondstadt (Mad Love) and Neil Young (American Stars And Bars, Comes A Time). She began her solo career in 1978 with Nicolette, which featured support from James Burton and Klaus Voormann as well as members of Little Feat and the Doobie Brothers. Despite the all-star cast, the singer’s voice retained its individuality and she was rewarded when the track ‘Lotta Love’ reached the US Top 10. After three strong albums she moved to Nashville and recorded Say When which showed her to be equally adept at country music, which was well-suited to her high, clear intonation. Larson nonetheless retained contact with her associates from the past, singing backing vocals on Young’s Harvest Moon and Unplugged albums. Sleep, Baby, Sleep was a collection of lullabies and a difficult album to market. The duets with Graham Nash, David Crosby and Ronstadt made it an album for adults, presumably to send children to sleep. The effect was paradoxical! Larson died in December 1997 of complications arsing from cerebral edema.
