Her father Henry was a professional musician originally from Dexter, Kansas, who re-located to Great Falls two years after marrying his first wife, Arvilla Elaine Anderson, in 1931.
While majoring in anthropology at the University of Colorado, Hansen participated in a singing group to help pay the tuition, which led to her being discovered by talent scout Jerry McClain.
Having scored a big hit with a cover of Jorge Ben Jor's "Mas que Nada", the Brazilian-inspired pop group, Brasil '66, were riding high on the charts; the demand for touring increased.
Bandleader Sérgio Mendes was in need of a second vocalist to complement lead singer Lani Hall after original member Bibi Vogel left the group to pursue an acting career.
In 1968, Hansen joined the Going Thing; a project that Love Generation alumni John and Tom Bahler organized in conjunction with the Ford Motor Company.
Under the direction of Howe, music accompaniment for the project was provided by L.A.'s first-call studio musicians (retroactively dubbed the Wrecking Crew), which included industry stalwarts such as Hal Blaine and Larry Knechtel.
A single culled from the aborted sessions, "Where There's a Heartache (There Must Be a Heart)" b/w "The Truth About It", was released in March 1971 through United Artists Records (which took over after discontinuing Liberty that year).
Departing from the overt psychedelic soul influences permeating the group's sound; the single hinted at what would have been their move towards a much mellower direction, in tune with the burgeoning soft rock movement of that period.
Despite the shift in occupation, according to a September 1976 interview, Hansen was still open to singing and forming vocal groups[5] (even composing her own songs and becoming proficient in playing a variety of musical instruments).
[1] Sometime after going back to Los Angeles during the 1980s; she recorded her own compositions in the contemporary new wave sound, featuring occasional guitar work provided by Russ Freeman.
For RDK, Hansen was a key force in the development of The Bible Adventure Club project; writing the stories (which were illustrated by Wendy Francisco) and songs, and guiding the artistic overview of the entire series.