Vonda Shepard

Vonda Shepard carved out an uncommon route to prominence as a singer and songwriter when the Fox series Ally McBeal vaulted her into widespread recognition through her near-weekly live appearances on the program rather than through conventional radio exposure or nonstop concert treks. Born in New York City in 1963, she relocated with her family to California a few years afterward and there concentrated on vocal and piano training. While still a teenager she joined Dan Hill for the duet “Can’t We Try.” After serving as a backup vocalist on tour with Jackson Browne she issued her self-titled debut for Reprise in 1989, an album that favored glossy production over the earthy, blues-tinged soul that marked her natural style. Reprise let her go only weeks after the 1992 arrival of her follow-up, The Radical Light. For several ensuing years she worked without a label or manager, establishing herself as a steady presence on the Los Angeles club scene and building a modest yet fiercely loyal audience. In 1996 she independently released It’s Good, Eve. Among those who admired her performances were television producer David E. Kelley and his wife, actress Michelle Pfeiffer. When Kelley developed the comedy-drama Ally McBeal for Fox he recruited Shepard to supply its musical identity. “Searchin’ My Soul” from The Radical Light became the show’s theme song, and Shepard joined the cast as the resident performer at the nightclub regularly visited by the title character and her coworkers. Once Ally McBeal became a major success it revived Shepard’s career, triggering a bidding war for soundtrack rights that resulted in the mid-1998 appearance of Songs from Ally McBeal. Jacket Records issued By 7:30 in April 1999, and a second Ally McBeal collection followed before the year ended.