How did YOU discover MARY CATHERINE LUNSFORD?

When you purchase one of my recordings I ask you to share with me how you discovered me. Here are some of YOUR stories.

From

From Heidi: February 2016

HI! I’m Skips daughter. Just wanted to say…HI!
You can reach me via Facebook or email me!

From Thomas: August 2014

Cathy, here’s my story of how I got your album.

From Celia: January 2012

I was listening to some old folk songs via YouTube and did a search on your name to see if anything came up. I don’t know if you remember but there used to be a radio show I Los Angeles in the late 60s and early 70s hosted by Skip Weshner. I listened faithfully and know he was playing your album when it came out. I loved the song “My Captain” and have always been sorry I did not buy the record. So over the years I have searched periodically on a handful of singers, hoping old LPs have become available again as CDs. So that was the search that led me to the Etsy shop.

I recently tracked down another song from that era that I’d been searching for and when I heard it, it sounded even better than I remembered. I bet yours will too. I’m really looking forward to hearing it again.

From Frank: December 2011

Hello there! I came across some old live recordings of you on my late friend Skip Weshner’s radio show from about 1971. I’d be happy to send you copies of this beautiful music!

From Diane: December 2011

I was a waitress at Gassy Jacks Tavern in Portland, Oregon in the early 70′s. I remember you well. You were great. I even came in on my nights off to listen to your music. Gasy Jacks was a hip and happening bar in the early 70′s. Great to know how well your career progressed. You probably remember Jack Stutzman the owner of the tavern. Those were the good old days…The best days of my life.

From Wendy: December 14, 2011

Hello “cousin!” My husband, Doug, found your first album while we were in school in Durham, NC, before we were married, and decided you must be a distant relation. We always wondered what happened to you, and were delighted when he searched for you and found your website. We made a tape of your music (also have it on our Ipods) and have enjoyed it ever since! I always thought your songs were some of the most beautiful and haunting melodies, and the most interesting words, I have ever heard, and I’m really glad to be able to actually communicate that to you.

From Brent: May 14, 2011

Oh. My. Gosh! Here you are on Facebook! I first heard you on WOXR out of Oxford Ohio in 1974, and spent two years looking before i could find a copy of your LP. I am still transported to a place that’s simpler, happier, and with just a twinge of longing every time i hear it. My daughter recently asked me what music would bring me to tears. There are some wonderful pieces of classical that do it for me, but very little popular music will. I realized that some of your songs will do that to me…thank you for sharing your gift with me.

From Lloyd: March 3, 2011

Hey MC!! Just wanted to let you know I’ve really enjoyed the ‘Cowgirl…’ and ‘You Men’ cd’s. I apologize for not having contacted sooner. I really liked “Indecision”, “La Naissance”, “Heartfire”, “Sid & Harry”, and your wonderful version of “Shenandoah”. I’m just very glad you had the opportunity to show off those pipes after the MCL release. It sure is something nowadays that the “young’uns” can make records at home and at independent studios, whereas we had to go through so much to get stuff recorded. Charlie Wilkinson and I can still be counted on as self appointed officers of the National MCL fan club, Virginia Chapter!!

best, Lloyd

From Nathanael: November 2, 2010

I work at a record store and someone sold a copy of your first record the other day. I put it on for about half a minute and took it home, listened over and over again and started raving to my girlfriend about how amazing it is to hear something that sounds so good in a time when it’s hard to find anything worth listening to. Really love the blog too. My new goal is to search out your other records, I can’t get enough! If you have any leftover vinyl, please get in touch. I would love to buy copies and I’m sure the store would buy stock if you had many. Hope you are well, thanks for the beautiful songs.

From Craig: September 4, 2010

I’ll bet ya don’t remember me…but….I played with you, along with John Jarvis, after Maury and Bruce decided to move on to their own projects back in 1971. We did some live gigs, no recordings, and played an outdoor event at Glendale College. What happened next, I don’t recall. One thing is certain though…I grew by leaps and bounds prepping for that gig with you. Of course, John Jarvis went on to become a studio musician extraordinaire. I still perform professionally here in Ventura County where I live.

It was truly a privilege to have played music with you…and as a lifelong Joni Mitchell fan, I’d like to assert that your music stands on its own and doesn’t make you sound like a “Joni wannabe” which I read somewhere Craig

From Peter: August 31, 2010

Well, Ms. Lunsford, this is a letter that has been forty years in the making. When your album came out I was a DJ at WEBN, Cincinnati. We were an album oriented rock station with many eclectic qualities that each of us brought to our radio shows. It was a very creative, open, yet commercially driven format that did quite well and won over a large audience in the Queen City at the time. I played the hell out of EMPTY CHANGES, I’M AWAITIN’ & TOGETHER SOMEDAY off your initial album. I still have my original copy which I am listening to at the moment. The cover has the look of 40 plus years, but the record is pristine.

After four years at WEBN, I traveled on to Chicago and then to LA, where I lived and worked in network television for over twenty years. Music stayed in my profesional life as I worked on, among others, DON KIRSHNER’S ROCK CONCERT, SOLID GOLD, THE GRAMMYS, and spent a year with Michael Jackson and his family, (minus Jermaine), on the CBS TV Show THE JACKSON’S. I’ve had the opportunity and pleasure to work with many from Sinatra, to Joe Walsh, Ringo, to Dionne Warwick, Stevie Wonder, Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins and the band Chicago.

You are extreemly talented, a wonderful collaberation of writing and performing capabilities…and your voice climbs inside me and lets me soar. I have always wondered what became of you.

I was raised on classical music, grand opera and jazz. I added rock and roll as I came of age, (but not all of it). I need melody, lyrical in nature, (with or without words) in the music I love.

I could hope that there is more to come of your talents, as in more M.C.L. music!

Feel free to contact me…need a video producer-director.

From Deborah: June 7, 2010

In the mid- to late-70s, I listened to a wonderful radio station based in Oxford, OH, tagged WOXR; they played a fabulous mix of music of the genre currently termed “adult alternative”, and it included such artists as Tom Rush, Tim Buckley, Judee Sill, Rotary Connection, the Strawbs, Ralph McTell, and Fairport Convention. I still remember the first 2 songs of yours that I heard the station play: “Empty Changes” and “Together Someday” – I thought I was hearing the voice of an angel! The music went straight to my heart. I rushed to my favorite “cool” record store (back when they still had those!) and placed a special order for the album. It immediately became one of my favorites, and I wore it out! Because I’ve stored all of my music on my computer for years, I’ve searched to find the album on CD, and to my extreme delight recently purchased one. Oh, happy day! I only wish I’d ever had the opportunity to hear you in person. Thank you, Mary Catherine, for all the pleasure your music has given me!

From John: May 25, 2010

I heard about you from a guitar player friend named “Butch” Keeney. He said you were recording an album with him and to bring my drums to the studio to see if it all clicked. I was blown away when I heard your voice. The beautiful, thoughtful, intelligent lyric’s. Your musical insight and phrasing was a joy. Your interpretation of “Windy Wednesday” was awesome. The whole experience could only be described as magical/mystical in scope and magnitude….. maybe it was just me…. but then again, some friends came to the studio from Newport Beach and wondered how you could “just walk around and act like ‘normal’ people”. hehehe

From James: May 25, 2010

Good story, I bought your album from a music shop that I frequented. The clerk knew my tastes and every time I went in she had a few recommendations. She played the first cut “Care…” then I asked her to play a random one which was “My Captain.” I bought and played the grooves off. Of course, it didn’t hurt that your cover portrait was of a beautiful, haughty woman. With digital music today, I could never get a CD until searched Google today and found your site. Made my day. I don’t know why you weren’t a star because you certainly had the voice.

From Len: May 22, 2010

I haven’t been on my Yahoo account since I purchased the CDs, so sorry for the delay in responding. Thank you very much for signing the CDs! It must have been in the early 80′s…. I was listening to a radio show late one night on WMUB-FM, Oxford, Ohio, I believe (then run by Miami University). Anyway, I heard a song that really caught my attention (it was “Care, Care, Care”, as it turns out, I found out years later), and I listened all the way through as the album played. As fortune had it, I was recording that radio show that night; they were playing your self-titled album. I noted your name (remembered with help of having friends named Lunsford here in SW Ohio), and began a quest to locate your album. This was before the internet, so my search was through all of the used record stores I often visited wherever I went. The search continued when I moved to France and went to many record conventions throughout Europe. I kept searching, just with your name and with that tune in my head, for many years, but I could not locate a copy.

Eventually I returned to the USA and the internet came along. I finally found and purchased a vinyl copy thru GEMM on the internet. Lately, I found your website and found that that album is now available through you on CD, along with other works. Something about your album really struck a chord with me; I don’t really know why. Of course it’s a solid album and you have an extraordinary voice. You efforts with Hide a Heart are also commendable.

From Clarke: May 20, 2010

Dear Mary Catherine:

I was just playing the album pictured on this site and now with the internet thought I would see if you could be contacted. In approx. the year 1970 I saw you perform live in a small club in Glendale Calif. (near los Feliz where I was living at the time.) I sat through a few hours of your wonderful performances. Shortly thereafter I purchased the album and worked in Palm Springs, Calif. for the next 4 years. I met a local disc jockey and loaned him your album, requesting him to play it on his station in hopes of promoting you, I considered you that good. Unfortunately,(he DID listen to it), but decided not to play it on his station. I wanted you to know that I did this for you many years ago. People come into our lives and we never know what becomes of them, what they mean to us, or how they are instrumental in our lives. I’m glad you are doing well. Best wishes

From Beth: December 9, 2009

Thank you! I really enjoyed the cuts. Sorry I didn’t get back to you about your questions about the radio broadcast. I am a little hazy because I haven’t heard the tape lately (my copy broke several years ago). I think it aired sometime in the 80′s if I had to guess but it could have been earlier. Forgive me if I don’t get the facts exactly straight, but they told the story of how your record was made on Polydor & then got lost in the shuffle when they merged with another record company. They had gotten an advanced copy of the record & thought it was a shame that it did not get distributed on a wider scale because they really liked it. I can ask my dad after Xmas because he would know more details & has the tape. Thanks again

From Beth: November 23, 2009

Hi! My dad is a huge fan of yours. He has your first album & I don’t think he knows you have more albums. I would like to purchase CDs for “You Men at the Bar” & “Cowgirl in the Wind” if they are available. They would be the perfect Christmas gift! Please let me know details about availability, cost, shipping & payment options. Thanks,

From Lloyd: October 7, 2009

Hello finally!!

I got one copy of the Polydor release when it arrived at Va.Tech’s radio station. Knowing that their only existence was to play the Archies and top 40 pop, no college album scene, I promptly lifted it, taking it back to our apartment, and proceeding to share with the rest of the music hounds. Resulted in a dozen or so special orders for it. Wore my copy out and have replaced it twice.

Having searched for years and years to find out whatever became of you, and as a musician myself, I found your site yesterday.

That record was and still is, fabulous. Also know first hand just how fickle the music business is, regarding support of their artists. Killer production on Care Care Care, and all songs are very strong. We all just wished we had a chance to see you perform these songs. And no way to find out anything about your later work.

I’m so glad to see you still working with music things, given what life throws at us all over time.

My friends Litt Roden and Charlie Wilkinson figured a way to transfer the Polydor LP onto a disc. So yes, we have bootleg copies of Mary Catherine Lunsford on disc. I’ll order the other two, and if you get around to re-releasing the first one, I would order it too.

Thanks very much for the website, as it’s solved a nearly 40 year old riddle for a group of us in Richmond, Va.

take care and best

From Charlie: October 7, 2009

Well, there you are! You have a considerable fan club here on the East Coast and were once almost the object of a “Bug the Star” phone call after we used internet devices to unearth your phone number a few years ago. (It turns out that although we are guilty of many things, stalking, even by phone, isn’t one of them.) Your debut album is still in rotation, stands up after these several years, still makes us shake our heads at its beauty and then at the mysteries of the music business. I can’t wait to listen to the other releases, now that I know they are out there. It’s good to know that you, too, are out there. Thanks!

From Dave: June 25, 2009

I bought your album when is was first released. I never compared you with anybody. You were you. It’s still one of my favorite albums. It seems there is no date stamp with this one. I still love it. Here is my problem. Its made of vinyl and is sounding pretty scratchy. Can I get a CD or even a new album. I hope your doing great. You know as time goes by I have these old friends (albums) that just seem to never come out on CD. Even if yours isn’t one on them goofy old vinyl things will do. Let me know what I can do. Oh yea, as were all getting older I have this memory that I thought I heard you play at the Ice House in Pasadena. Could that be true or have am I just slipping into….well something.