Jaki Whitren

British singer/songwriter Jaki Whitren is best-known for her 1973 debut album Raw but Tender. Recorded when she was only 19-years-old, the album, a mix of folk, blues, country, and rock was generally well-received and has garnered a cult following over the years. A multi-instrumentalist, Whitren began her career in her early teens, eventually being signed by Columbia Records at age eighteen. A year later she released Raw but Tender and toured in support of guitarist John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra. She can also be heard singing on the Alan Parsons Project's 1977 release I Robot. Curiously, Whitren never pursued a follow-up album instead deciding to focus on her relationship with husband and fellow musician John Cartwright. Although she fell into relative obscurity, she and Cartwright continued to play music, albeit moving in a more avant-garde jazz direction. ~ Matt Collar, All Music Guide