

Wendy Waldman, image from Wendy’s website
from wiki:
Wendy Waldman (nee Wendy Steiner) (b. 11/29/50) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer.Waldman grew up in the Los Angeles area and was raised in a musical environment. Her father, Fred Steiner, was a composer who wrote the theme music for Perry Mason and The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show; her mother was a professional violinist. In 1969 she married her first husband, Ken Waldman, and changed her name to Wendy Waldman.
Early Career
Waldman’s first recordings were made in 1970 as a part of Bryndle. Other group members included Karla Bonoff, Andrew Gold, and Kenny Edwards. When the group disbanded, she signed with Warner Bros. Records. Bryndle re-formed in the early 1990s and released two albums before disbanding again in the mid 2000s.
Waldman released her first album, Love Has Got Me, in 1973 and Rolling Stone named her “singer-songwriter debut of the year.”
Songwriting
Waldman left the Warner Bros. label in 1979. In 1982, she moved to Nashville to focus on songwriting. The songwriting team of Waldman, Phil Galdston, and Jon Lind wrote “Save the Best for Last” for Vanessa Williams, which was nominated for a Grammy. They have also written songs made popular by artists such as Madonna, Celine Dion, and Earth, Wind & Fire.
The song “Fishin’ in the Dark” was written by Waldman and Jim Photoglo. It was a hit in 1987 for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and has also been covered by Garth Brooks and Kenny Chesney.
Production
Waldman has been one of only a few women who produce records in a male-dominated profession.
The Refugees
In 2007, Waldman formed The Refugees with Cidny (aka Cindy) Bullens & Deborah Holland.
Discography
Studio Recordings = 9
Compilations = 4
Singles = 6
As a member of Bryndle = 2
As a member of The Refugees = 3
As Composer = 32
As Producer = 11
Other Appearances = 27
I took the liberty of lifting the following directly from Wendy’s official website:
Wendy Waldman is recognized as one of the leading recording artists and songwriters in music, beginning with her acclaimed solo LPs on Warner Bros. and later as a member of Bryndle (with fellow members Karla Bonoff, Andrew Gold, and Kenny Edwards). She has co-written dozens of songs for other artists, including Vanessa Williams’ “Save the Best for Last,” The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s (and later Garth Brooks’) “Fishin’ in the Dark,” and Aaron Neville’s “I Owe You One.” Her songs have also been recorded by Kenny Rogers, Alison Krauss, Linda Ronstadt, Robert Smith of The Cure, Kathy Mattea, Maria Muldaur, Kim Carnes, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Melissa Manchester, Johnny Mathis, Percy Sledge, CeCe Winans, Michael Martin Murphey, Bill Miller, and many more.
Wendy is highly regarded for her work as a record producer, overseeing countless projects across multiple genres. She began producing during her years in Nashville, working with artists including Suzy Bogguss, New Grass Revival, Bryndle, Karla Bonoff, John Cowan, Jonathan Edwards, The Forester Sisters, Ronny Cox, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Sweethearts of the Rodeo, H.B. Barnum and Life Choir, ShyBoy, Hypnogaja, and international pop star Mietek Szczesniak.
In recent years, she has produced The HercuLeons featuring John Cowan and Andrea Zonn, The Refugees, Jared Stein, and The Ash Grove Alumni, featuring the late Joe Chambers of The Chambers Brothers and other notable musicians.
A lot of music gets made at The Longhouse, her hilltop studio in Los Angeles, where she continues to write, record, and collaborate.
Wendy is a member of The Ash Grove Alumni and The Refugees with Deborah Holland and Cidny Bullens. She performs regularly with both groups as well as producing their albums, while continuing to write and perform as a solo artist.
Her forthcoming solo album, Caretakers, will be released in 2026.
As I had difficulty finding quotes by Wendy, I looked for an interview with her and found this one, that has conversation and music:
The band names I have links on will take you to YouTubes of songs by them. Good music! To whomever gave me Wendy’s name to feature for Women Music March, THANK YOU.

I had never heard of her or the Bryndals- but I had of course heard Fishin’ in the Dark. I love this series. Thank you for keeping it alive again this year. I learn so much!
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