Vonda Shepard is a Rock-Soul-Urban singer who was born in New York City but grew up in California. Vonda has studied piano since she was very young and also took voice lessons as a teenager. Vonda Shepard has worked with several people including Denise Williams, singing backup for Jackson Browne, Rickie Lee Jones and Julia Fordham , and has toured with Jackson Browne and Al Jarreau . She was originally signed to Reprise Records (Warner Entertainment), however, they, as well as her manager, released her one month after her second album 'The Radical Light' dropped. Shepard kept a small but local following including David E. Kelly and Michelle Pfeiffer who chose her to do the music for 'Ally McBeal '.

Vonda Shepard's song Naivete ' includes the lines "I was born in a cardboard box New York City, 1963". That year is consistent with when she attended Birmingham High, Van Nuys, CA. She was born in New York City, but her family moved to California when she was young. Her father, Richmond Shepard, taught acting workshops, he was also a director and mime. Vonda Shepard studied piano from the time she was a small girl. Her father says she practiced 6 - 8 hours a day since age 7. She studied voice as a teenager. I don't know when she took up the guitar.

Vonda Shepard's mother, Hadria (a former fashion model), left the family when Vonda was 10. Hadria's reason for leaving is not disclosed. The departure of their mother was devastating for Vonda and her three sisters.

Vonda Shepard set out on her music career when she was quite young. She started singing in LA clubs when she was a teenager. When Vonda Shepard was 16 her father allowed her to pursue her music career full time after she passed her high school equivalency exam. She has gone back and forth from CA to New York, I don't know how many times. She had moved to New York only few months before being signed for "Ally McBeal ". She worked with Denise Williams. She worked with Chaka Kahn. She has sung backup for Jackson Browne, Rickie Lee Jones and Julia Fordham . She toured with Jackson Browne and Al Jarreau .

Vonda Shepard developed a small but loyal following but was dumped by Reprise Records (owned by Warner Entertainment) only a month after the release of "The Radical Light" due to office politics and lost her manager as well. She persisted in her career and lugged her keyboard to tiny venues in the Los Angeles area. She borrowed $100,000 from friends and family to produce "It's Good Eve". Among her following was future show business power couple David E. Kelly and Michelle Pfeiffer. Later, Kelly picked Vonda to do the music for "Ally McBeal ". Pfeiffer and Vonda were friends for years before Vonda was picked to do the music for "Ally McBeal " (they had the same vocal coach).

A little about her creative process: Vonda Shepard spends her time writing in a journal for an hour a day, and up to five hours composing.

"It really starts with a feeling inside; it's almost visceral," she said of her song writing, which tends toward introspective folk rock. "I can tell when I'm inspired, and even before I touch the piano I turn on the tape recorder because I know something good is on the horizon. Usually, in those moments of great inspiration, it comes out as a melody and then sometimes gibberish or actual words. . . .

"I think of it as letting go of the controlling part of the brain and letting the subconscious take over."

By the way, Vonda Shepard says she is a very happy person. She gets all dark broody stuff out in her music. I believe her. If you ever see her perform I'm sure you'll believe her too.