In 1970, Carter auditioned and then sang on tour with The Garfin Gathering and bandleader Howard (Speedy) Garfin. After being voted 'Most Talented', she dropped out to pursue a career in music. Ĭarter attended Arizona State University. The group opened at the Sahara Hotel and Casino lounge in Las Vegas for three months because Carter was under 21 she had to enter through the kitchen.
Actor Gary Burghoff was the drummer for the band. When she was 16 she joined two of her cousins in another band called The Relatives. At age 15 Lynda began singing in the local pizza parlor to earn extra money. The band played a marimba, a conga drum, an acoustic guitar, and a stand-up bass which was played by another girl in the group. During high school, Carter performed in a band called Just Us. Carter made her public television debut on Lew King's Talent Show at age 5. She has one brother, Vincent and one sister, Pamela. Her father is of English and Scots-Irish ancestry, and her mother, whose family hailed from Mexico, is of Mexican, Spanish, and French descent.
