Rosemary Butler
Rosemary Ann Butler is an American singer. She began her career playing bass guitar and singing in an all-female band named the Ladybirds while attending Fullerton Union High School in Fullerton, California. The band appeared on several Los Angeles area television shows before opening for the Rolling Stones in 1964. She then joined all-female hard rock band Birtha who released two albums for Dunhill Records. After they split in 1975, she became a popular back-up singer in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Her vocals were featured on Bonnie Raitt's album, Sweet Forgiveness, on songs "Gamblin' Man", "Runaway", "Sweet Forgiveness" and "Two Lives."
Butler has worked extensively as a back-up singer for Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, Warren Zevon, Neil Young, Bonnie Raitt, Boz Scaggs, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Jackson Browne, and Rosanne Cash among others. She released a solo album, Rose, in 1983.
She achieved her greatest visibility and success as a solo artist in Japan in the early 1980s, contributing songs such as "Riding High" to the movie Dirty Hero and "Children of the Light" to the anime film Harmagedon. She was also co-contractor of the 100-voice choir on Neil Young's album Living with War. She cofounded "The National In Choir," an LA-based volunteer holiday choir with singer/lyricist Deborah Pearl.
After 30 years, Butler's second solo album, You Just Watch Me, came out in 2013.
