Syd Straw

She began her career singing backup for Pat Benatar, then took her distinctive and powerful voice to the indie/alternative scene and joined the ever-evolving line-up of Golden Palominos from 1985 through 1987, appearing on their second and third albums.

She was a frequent lead singer and occasional co-songwriter for Golden Palominos, which was spearheaded by drummer Anton Fier and also featured vocal turns by Michael Stipe, Matthew Sweet, Don Dixon, Jack Bruce and others.

She appeared as a featured musical guest on many programs, including the initial episode of MTV's Unplugged, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and Late Night with David Letterman.

Straw in 1989 released her first solo album, Surprise,[2] which featured contributions by Stipe, Fier, Richard Thompson, Jody Harris, Peter Blegvad, and a number of other well-known musicians.

Syd Straw can be heard singing harmony and backing vocals on the Rickie Lee Jones albums Traffic from Paradise and The Evening of My Best Day.