Additional Coverage:
- Beloved ’70s Singer, Who Sang With Linda Ronstadt and Neil Young, Was All But Forgotten After Her Death at 45 (parade.com)
In the late 1970s, Nicolette Larson’s remarkable talent captured the attention of some of the music industry’s biggest icons. Esteemed artists like Neil Young, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris recognized her distinctive voice, inviting her to collaborate on their projects. Larson lent her vocals to these legends, as well as to groups like the Doobie Brothers, before stepping into the spotlight herself with a Top 10 hit cover of Young’s “Lotta Love.”
At one point, Larson seemed destined for major stardom. However, her commercial success was fleeting.
She gradually shifted her focus toward country music, reunited with Neil Young for several projects, and continued recording, yet she never regained the breakout momentum of her early solo career. Tragically, Larson passed away in 1997 at the age of 45.
Larson’s musical journey began in the early 1970s after she moved to San Francisco, where she built a reputation by contributing backing vocals for artists such as Hoyt Axton, Commander Cody, Guy Clark, and Rodney Crowell. Her association with Emmylou Harris led to connections with Linda Ronstadt and eventually Neil Young.
In 1977, while visiting Ronstadt in Malibu, Larson was introduced to Neil Young, who was searching for a female vocalist. After hearing about Larson from Ronstadt, Young invited her over to hear a batch of new songs. Larson recalled the session fondly, describing how they sang harmonies together by the fireplace, with Young enthusiastic about the collaboration.
Following that meeting, Larson and Ronstadt provided backing vocals-credited as the Bullets-on Young’s album American Stars ’n Bars. Larson also contributed to Young’s subsequent album, Comes a Time. Young would later praise Larson and Ronstadt’s harmonious voices in his autobiography, calling them “birds” and simply stating, “Some artists just have it.”
By 1978, Larson was also featured on the Doobie Brothers’ hit album Minute by Minute. That same year, producer Ted Templeman helped Larson release her self-titled debut solo album, which showcased her voice front and center.
The album’s standout track, “Lotta Love,” climbed to No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Adult Contemporary chart. The album itself reached No. 15 on the Billboard 200 and earned gold certification.
Despite this success, Larson struggled to replicate her initial breakthrough. Throughout the early 1980s, she continued recording and collaborating with other artists.
Mid-decade, she transitioned into country music, earning the Academy of Country Music’s Top New Female Vocalist award in 1985. Her duet with Steve Wariner, “That’s How You Know When Love’s Right,” became a country Top 10 hit in 1986.
Larson rejoined Neil Young’s circle in the early 1990s, contributing vocals to his 1992 album Harvest Moon and appearing on his 1993 Unplugged performance. Her final release was a children’s album, Sleep, Baby, Sleep, in 1994.
On December 16, 1997, Larson died in Los Angeles due to cerebral edema caused by liver failure. She was just 45 years old. In the years following her death, fellow musicians organized benefit concerts and tribute albums to honor her memory.
Though her name may not be as widely recognized today, Nicolette Larson’s voice endures on classic records that have been enjoyed for nearly half a century. As Neil Young aptly put it, some artists simply “have it”-and Larson unquestionably did.