Karla Bonoff

Karla Bonoff never saw the success of her contemporaries such as Linda Ronstadt, Carly Simon, or Sarah McLaughlin, but many would say that she should have. One of the most exceptional female singer/songwriters in this class, she embodied the soft-rock Southern California sound that also encompassed Jackson Browne, The Eagles, Wendy Waldman, and of course, Ronstadt. Bonoff, though attractive, was always positioned as a "serious" singer/songwriter, and therefore not embraced by the celebrity media, who were always looking for the next sexy blonde bombshell.

She had been signed in 1969 to A&M Records as part of pop group called Bryndle, which also featured bassist Kenny Edwards (formerly of The Stone Poneys, which featured a then unknown vocalist named Linda Ronstadt), Andrew Gold (who would net a Top 10 hit in 1977, with a song called "Lonely Boy"), and Wendy Waldman. Bryndle was heavily influenced by The Mamas & the Papas, and was a forerunner to the adult pop sound that Fleetwood Mac would later perfect in 1975.

When A&M decided to not release Bryndle's album, the band split up. Edwards and Gold would eventually become members of Ronstadt's band after the success of "You're No Good" and other hits, while Waldman became a successful singer/songwriter signed to Warner Brothers. Through the help of all three ex-bandmates, Bonoff's heartfelt songs about unrequited love, modern romance, and difficult personal relationships eventually found their way to Ronstadt. Ronstadt would record three of Bonoff's songs on her 1976 album, Hasten Down the Wind. That success led to Bonoff singing a deal with Columbia and the start of her career on the road.