Leah Kunkel

Leah Kunkel(néeCohen;June 15, 1948 – November 26, 2024) was an American singer and attorney.

Leah Kunkel
Kunkel performing in 1980
Background information
Birth name	Leah R. Cohen
Born	(1948-06-15)June 15, 1948 Baltimore,Maryland,U.S.
Died	November 26, 2024(2024-11-26)(aged 76)
Genres	Popular folk
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter
Years active	1968–2024
Website	coyotesisters

Music career

Leah Cohen was born on June 15, 1948. She was the younger sister ofCass Elliot,best known as a member of the folk rock vocal groupthe Mamas & the Papas.

After being signed toDunhill Records,Kunkel recorded her first record,Billy,under the name Cotton Candy.She performed with a few bands and continued growing as a singer and songwriter. In 1972, she sang the counter-melody for "From Silver Lake" onJackson Browne'seponymous debut album.Following additional session work withStephen Bishop,Carly Simon,andArlo Guthriein the early 1970s, Kunkel appeared onJames Taylor's 1977 albumJT.That same year, she appeared onArt Garfunkel's albumWatermark.Garfunkel relied on her vocal harmonies for his subsequent albumsFate for Breakfast(1979),Scissors Cut(1981), andLefty(1988), and he became something of a mentor to her, helping to get her a recording contract withColumbia Recordsin 1979.

In 1979, Kunkel released her first album for Columbia Records, which featured several of her own compositions.The self-titled album produced one single, "Step Right Up". The following year, she released her second solo album for Columbia,I Run With Trouble.

In 1980, Kunkel teamed up with Marty Gwinn to form theCoyote Sisters.In 1984, they released their first album,The Coyote Sisters,on Lorimar Records. A follow-up album,Women and Other Visions,was released in 2001. The Coyote Sisters continued to performwith Kunkel, who also continued to appear as a solo performer.

Legal career

Kunkel attendedSmith College,graduating in 1988, andWestern New England School of Law.She was in private practice for over 25 years. Licensed in Massachusetts, she concentrated her practice in entertainment lawbut worked in adolescent law, and served as an adjunct professor atWestern New England School of Law.She also worked with theACLU.

Personal life and death

In 1968, she married American drummer and music producerRuss Kunkel.Following her sister Cass's death in 1974, Kunkel was given custody of Cass's daughter, Owen. She and Russ Kunkel also raised their son Nathaniel,who later became anEmmy Award-winning sound engineer. Leah and Russ Kunkel divorced in the 1980s.

Kunkel died on November 26, 2024, at the age of 76.

Discography

Solo albums

• Leah Kunkel(1979) Columbia Records
• I Run With Trouble(1980) Columbia Records

With the Coyote Sisters

• The Coyote Sistersby the Coyote Sisters (1984)
• Women And Other Visionsby the Coyote Sisters (2001)

Vocal appearances

Kunkel appeared as a guest vocalist on the following albums:

• Dave Mason & Cass Elliotby Dave Mason and Cass Elliot (1971)
• Jackson Browneby Jackson Browne (1972) on "From Silver Lake"
• Another Passengerby Carly Simon (1976) on "In Times When My Head"
• Amigoby Arlo Guthrie (1976)
• JTby James Taylor (1977) on "Handy Man"
• Watermarkby Art Garfunkel (1977)
• Craig Fuller & Eric Kazby Craig Fuller and Eric Kaz (1978)
• Fate for Breakfastby Art Garfunkel (1979)
• An American Dreamby The Dirt Band (1979) on "Dance the Night Away" and one other song
• Scissors Cutby Art Garfunkel (1981)
• Angel HeartbyJimmy Webb(1982)
• Leftyby Art Garfunkel (1988)
• Life Is GoodbyLivingston Taylor(1988)
• Suspending Disbeliefby Jimmy Webb (1993)

External links

• Coyote Sistersofficial website
• Leah KunkelatIMDb
• Faculty profile at Western New England School of Law