Carol Hunter
Encyclopedia
Carol Hunter is an American guitarist and vocalist notable for her work with Neil Diamond
, Bob Dylan
, Richie Havens
, Janis Ian
and others. Hunter was also one of the first prominent female instrumentalists in rock music.
in New York City. Hunter was a teenager playing in New York clubs, allowing her the opportunity to jam with numerous prominent musicians including Jimi Hendrix
at The Scene club. Her first recordings were with the folk singer/guitarist Richie Havens
, and she also worked as an arranger with singer Janis Ian
. Hunter was also recorded as part of the Music From Free Creek
supersession album in 1969, appearing with Keith Emerson
, Buzz Feiten
and numerous others.
After leaving Juilliard, Hunter moved to Los Angeles and became a session guitarist before being hired by Neil Diamond
as the lead guitarist for his live band from 1969-71. Hunter's guitar and vocals were included on the Diamond record Gold
, recorded live in Los Angeles in 1970, and she contributed guitar and vocals to several subsequent studio recordings by Diamond in the 1970s.
In 1971, Hunter chose to leave Diamond's band to pursue other projects and a solo recording, releasing "The Next Voice You Hear" on Purple Records
in 1973. Hunter returned to her role as a studio guitarist and singer, including recording with Bob Dylan
on the soundtrack for the movie Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid
. Hunter reportedly turned down an offer from Dylan to be the lead guitarist for his Rolling Thunder Revue
, a role eventually filled by Mick Ronson
.
Hunter is also the mother of model/actress/dancer/choreographer Dusty Paik.
Neil Diamond
Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
, Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, Richie Havens
Richie Havens
Richard P. "Richie" Havens is an African American folk singer and guitarist. He is best known for his intense, rhythmic guitar style , soulful covers of pop and folk songs, and his opening performance at the 1969 Woodstock Festival.-Career:Born in Brooklyn, Havens was the eldest of nine children...
, Janis Ian
Janis Ian
Janis Ian is an American songwriter, singer, musician, columnist, and science fiction author. Ian first entered the folk music scene while still a teenager in the mid-sixties; most active musically in that decade and the 1970s, she has continued recording into the 21st century...
and others. Hunter was also one of the first prominent female instrumentalists in rock music.
Biography & Musical History
Carol Hunter is a self-taught guitarist who began learning the instrument in her teens after receiving her first guitar at age 13. She shortly added 12-string and bass guitar, eventually being admitted to the prestigious Juilliard SchoolJuilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
in New York City. Hunter was a teenager playing in New York clubs, allowing her the opportunity to jam with numerous prominent musicians including Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
at The Scene club. Her first recordings were with the folk singer/guitarist Richie Havens
Richie Havens
Richard P. "Richie" Havens is an African American folk singer and guitarist. He is best known for his intense, rhythmic guitar style , soulful covers of pop and folk songs, and his opening performance at the 1969 Woodstock Festival.-Career:Born in Brooklyn, Havens was the eldest of nine children...
, and she also worked as an arranger with singer Janis Ian
Janis Ian
Janis Ian is an American songwriter, singer, musician, columnist, and science fiction author. Ian first entered the folk music scene while still a teenager in the mid-sixties; most active musically in that decade and the 1970s, she has continued recording into the 21st century...
. Hunter was also recorded as part of the Music From Free Creek
Music From Free Creek
Music From Free Creek is an album from a series of 1969 "super session" recordings by Free Creek, a group composed of a number of internationally renowned musical artists of the time, including Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Keith Emerson, Mitch Mitchell and Linda Ronstadt...
supersession album in 1969, appearing with Keith Emerson
Keith Emerson
Keith Noel Emerson is an English keyboard player and composer. Formerly a member of the Keith Emerson Trio, John Brown's Bodies, The T-Bones, V.I.P.s, P.P. Arnold's backing band, and The Nice , he was a founder of Emerson, Lake & Palmer , one of the early supergroups, in 1970...
, Buzz Feiten
Buzz Feiten
Howard "Buzz" Feiten is a North American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and session musician.He is best known as a lead and rhythm electric guitarist, and for having patented a unique, scientifically designed tuning system which re-configures its stringboard / neck for more accurate tonality...
and numerous others.
After leaving Juilliard, Hunter moved to Los Angeles and became a session guitarist before being hired by Neil Diamond
Neil Diamond
Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
as the lead guitarist for his live band from 1969-71. Hunter's guitar and vocals were included on the Diamond record Gold
Gold: Recorded Live at the Troubadour
Gold: Recorded Live at the Troubadour is a live album by singer/songwriter Neil Diamond.- Track listing :Side One:# Lordy # Both Sides Now *# Solitary Man # Holly Holy # Cherry Cherry Side Two:# Kentucky Woman...
, recorded live in Los Angeles in 1970, and she contributed guitar and vocals to several subsequent studio recordings by Diamond in the 1970s.
In 1971, Hunter chose to leave Diamond's band to pursue other projects and a solo recording, releasing "The Next Voice You Hear" on Purple Records
Purple Records
Purple Records is a record label established in 1971 by Deep Purple's management. Their releases were distributed by EMI. The label was run until 1979. In 1997 Simon Robinson from RPM Records established a second label releasing rare and previously unissued recordings...
in 1973. Hunter returned to her role as a studio guitarist and singer, including recording with Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
on the soundtrack for the movie Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid
Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (album)
Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid is a soundtrack album released by Bob Dylan in 1973 for the Sam Peckinpah film of the same name. Dylan himself appeared in the film as the character "Alias"...
. Hunter reportedly turned down an offer from Dylan to be the lead guitarist for his Rolling Thunder Revue
Rolling Thunder Revue
The Rolling Thunder Revue was a famed U.S. concert tour consisting of a traveling caravan of musicians, headed by Bob Dylan, that took place in late 1975 and early 1976; the prevailing theory was that the tour was named after the Native American shaman Rolling Thunder. Others maintained that tour...
, a role eventually filled by Mick Ronson
Mick Ronson
Michael "Mick" Ronson was an English guitarist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer. He is best known for his work with David Bowie, as one of The Spiders from Mars...
.
Hunter is also the mother of model/actress/dancer/choreographer Dusty Paik.