Valerie Gail Zakian Carter (February 5, 1953 – March 4, 2017) was an American singer.
Carter began her career singing in coffeehouses as a teenager, and eventually became one-third of the country-folk band Howdy Moon. Though they debuted at the legendary Troubadour in Los Angeles, California, 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 until his death in 1979 and introduced her to Jackson Browne, James Taylor, and many of the artists she would work with throughout her career.[better source needed]
Her first solo album, Just a Stone's Throw Away, featured an impressive array of guest artists from the 1970s 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.

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