Shepard signed a solo deal with Reprise Records in 1987 and released two albums, but her big break came when producer David E. Kelley and his wife, Michelle Pfeiffer, spotted her at a club. Kelley was developing the television series “Ally McBeal,” and cast Vonda Shepard as the resident singer in the local bar frequented by the star of the show and her legal co-workers. Shepard’s “Searchin’ My Soul,” which originally appeared on her second album, was used as the theme tune to the hit series. An album of songs from the series, which cannily used a picture of the star Calista Flockhart on the cover, climbed to number 7 on the U.S. album chart in May 1998 and sold more than one and a half million copies. The album also broke into the U.K. Top 5, while “Searchin’ My Soul” reached number 10 in the singles chart in December 1998. The following year’s “By 7:30,” which appeared on Jacket Records, was a far more satisfactory overview of Shepard’s talents, and included a reworking of a track from her debut album, “Baby, Don’t You Break My Heart Slow,” recorded with Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls. Two further collections of “Ally McBeal” songs have subsequently been released. Shepard continues to tour and remains a big draw.
