The Houston-born, Lake Charles, Louisiana-reared[1] Lynde began her career with the Dallas Symphony, both as a pianist and as a vocal soloist.

[1] After she graduated from college, she began a career in acting in New York City, where her Broadway credits include Applause,[4] The Me Nobody Knows, and Butterflies Are Free.

[5] In 1973, she moved to Los Angeles, where she was among the original cast members of the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless,[2] playing "Leslie Brooks".

She appeared in several film and television programs, including a notable role in the episode "A Hand for Sonny Blue" of Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected (1977) as well as Match Game.

Lynde also appeared on an episode of the game show Tattletales along with her Young and the Restless co-star William Gray Espy.