In the 1970s, the California sound played a significant role in shaping mainstream music. Back then, you couldn’t turn on the radio without hearing a song by the likes of Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, Jackson Browne, or Linda Ronstadt.

Singer-songwriter Karla Bonoff was an integral part of this scene, not only as a performer but also as a songwriter whose work was covered by artists such as Bonnie Raitt, Nicolette Larson, and, most notably, Linda Ronstadt.

Songs like “Someone to Lay Down Beside Me,” “Home” and “All My Life” have stood the test of time and sound as good today as they did when they were first released.

You can hear some of these songs and more when Karla Bonoff performs at the Shea Theater Arts Center in Turners Falls on Friday, June 27, at 8 p.m.

“I guess when you’re in the middle of it, you don’t realize it’s going to be iconic someday,” said Bonoff in a recent phone interview reflecting on the music scene that she was a part of.

“Looking back, it’s sort of amazing how many people out of that group became extremely successful,” Bonoff continued. “But like I said, when you’re in it, it just kind of seems everybody must be doing this in every city you know.”

Bonoff’s musical journey began at a young age, as she started songwriting and performing with her sister when she was just 15 years old.

“We started going to the Troubadour when I was about 16, and they had an open mic night that we all used to do,” Bonoff recalled. “So, yeah, I started pretty early. But I was kind of in the right place at the right time.”

Article continues after...

Yesterday's Most Read Articles

Greenfield resident wanted by FBI for illicit marijuana operation

After ‘Herculean’ effort, Bridge of Flowers reopens in Shelburne Falls

A comforting craft: Greenfield knitting circle donates to hospital, police and school

Greenfield Truck & Equipment to open on Beacon Street

‘Lots to celebrate in the village’: Visitors rejoice over Bridge of Flowers opening

Greenfield Fire Lt. Taylor retires after 33 years

Your Daily Puzzles

Cross|Word

Flipart

Typeshift

SpellTower

Really Bad Chess

It did prove to be the right place at the right time, as it was at the famed Troubadour club in Los Angeles where she met fellow artists such as Kenny Edwards, Jackson Browne, Ronstadt, and others who would prove vital to her career. It was also while playing at the Troubadour that Columbia Records signed her after she spent years working as a solo artist as well as with the group Bryndle.

However, six months before Bonoff’s debut record hit the shelves, Ronstadt covered three of her tunes: “Someone to Lay Down Beside Me,” “If He’s Ever Near,” and “Lose Again” on her 1976 album “Hasten Down the Wind.”

Bonoff explained how this all happened simultaneously, which had both benefits and drawbacks. Ronstadt’s version of her songs brought more attention to Bonoff’s debut when it was released in 1977, but it also led to some confusion among listeners because they used the same musicians in the studio.

Bonoff’s vocals may not be as strong as Ronstadt’s, but her voice is softer, prettier, and no less expressive when it comes to delivering her emotional lyrics.

“Some people have asked me ‘why did you let Linda cover your best songs?’ But how could I have turned her down? I had no guarantee that my record would go anywhere, and I was a starving songwriter,” she said. “I went from having absolutely no money to being able to buy a house because of her record. So, you know, you have to keep all those plates spinning and try to make the best choices you can.”

Bonoff went on to release six more albums and had a hit in 1982 with the song “Personally.” Artists like Wynonna Judd and Lynn Anderson would go on to cover her songs. She also contributed to the soundtrack of the films “8 Seconds” and “Footloose.”

She has experienced a long career in which she has managed to endure the massive changes in the record industry.

“Back then, to make a record you had to get a record deal, and somebody had to give you $100,000 to go in a recording studio,” Bonoff said. “I look at somebody like Billie Eilish where she just makes this music and puts it out there and it goes viral, and then she’s a star. That could have never happened back then.”

Since she mentioned Eilish, I wondered if there were any other contemporary songwriters that she admired.

“I’m a Swifty,” she said. “I think she’s pretty incredible. I came to her kind of late and got into a lot of it, especially the stuff she did during COVID.”

She also admires how prolific Swift is — something that she admits she herself is not.

“I was never that prolific, and even when I went to make my first album, which I’d been writing for years, I mean, I still had to stretch to kind of find songs,” she said. “It has always been hard for me to write a lot.”

Her last recording was a Christmas album that she released independently. Bonoff isn’t currently interested in recording new music. She says it’s not about writing the songs — it is that she is frustrated with the streaming model. Unless you’re at the level of an artist like Beyoncé, who receives millions of streams, the payouts for streaming are minimal.

“You know, to pour all your resources into making a record that brings so little in return, streaming doesn’t make sense,” Bonoff said. “I concentrate on doing my tours and playing live. For artists today that is how you survive.”

She is touring with guitarist Nina Gerber who she has worked with for 20 years.

“I’m doing songs from all my albums and a couple of other people’s songs, like Jackson Browne songs, so it’s pretty unplugged,” she said. “I’ll also be telling some stories and I think it’s a really good show. We just got back from the East Coast and it went really well, so I am looking forward to coming back again.”

Doors open at 7 p.m. The show is all ages. Tickets and more information available at sheatheater.org.

Green River Festival 2025 was one for the history books. Fortunately, Mother Nature was kinder this year, and the weather, although a bit toasty, was a significant improvement over the torrential downpours and tornado threat that impacted GRF 2024. This was the year that indie rock arrived at the festival in a big way with crowd-winning performances by Illuminati Hotties, Courtney Barnett, Mt. Joy, Kevin Morby, and a few others. The women ruled, especially when it came to shredding on the electric guitar, and nobody did it better than 18-year-old Grace Bowers, backed by her band, the Hodge Podge. If I had to choose a musical discovery at this year’s festival, it was Bowers, who, at 18, has a command of the guitar and the stage that is far superior to that of many of her much older peers. The country rock band Chaparelle was another great discovery, as was Kabaka Pyramid, who brought his uplifting reggae to the event.

Green River may be over, but it’s still only June, and there is so much music ahead this summer. For starters, head over to Peskeompskut Park in Turners Falls this Thursday, June 26, at 7 p.m. when southern Vermont pianist and composer Dan DeWalt presents a sextet concert of original compositions, with Green Mountain Mambo. The band includes John Clark on French horn, Wes Brown on bass, Julian Gerstin on congas and percussion, Gary Fielding on drums, and John Wheeler on trombone. They describe their music as “Afro-Latin musical traditions and New Orleans brass band all served piping hot!”

Who can resist a description like that? So grab your chair and a picnic and head to the park.

This is a free show sponsored by RiverCulture and funded through the Turners Falls Cultural District. In the event of rain, the show will be rescheduled.

Sheryl Hunter is a freelance writer who resides in Easthampton. Her work has appeared in various regional and national publications. She can be reached at soundslocal@yahoo.com.