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Lynda Carter Is Finding Happiness in Music After Losing Husband Robert: ‘I Miss Him Terribly’
In the past year, actress and singer Lynda Carter rediscovered the power of music. “It feeds your soul and your memory,” she shares with Closer. “It imprints itself on your heart and brings your mind alive.”
The Wonder Woman alum, who has put out five studio albums over the years, returned to songwriting after the passing of her husband of nearly 40 years, Robert A. Altman, in 2021. “I miss the everyday things: saying good morning, goodbye, good night. What would you like for dinner? Simple things,” says Lynda, 72. “Just having your best friend there for you.”
During the pandemic, it was too easy for her to hide with her grief. “I probably isolated a little too much, but I was licking my wounds and I miss him terribly,” says Lynda, who adds that her children and her close friends were a real balm. “My son is the greatest supporter of both his sister and me,” she says. “And, yeah, my women friends saved me.”
Lynda’s daughter, Jessica Carter Altman, an up-and-coming singer-songwriter, encouraged her mother to return to music. “She said, ‘Mom, you should write. You have a lot to say.’ She really was an inspiration for me to get back up on the bike, so to speak.”
Lynda’s first single, “Rise Up!,” is an anthem about letting your voice be heard. “It’s about rising up for our democracy,” says the performer, who notes that every vote counts more than ever these days, especially when it comes to women’s issues. “In my lifetime, we didn’t have rights over our own bodies, then we did, and now we don’t again. It’s unacceptable. We have to get it back. We are women, and we can get it done.”
The singer admits that she feels “excited” to be in the spotlight for her music again. “I’m very happy with “Rise Up!,” she says. “I’m very happy with the lyrics and the video. I think it’s inspirational, fun and something to get behind.”
Lynda’s still open to acting roles, but she notes that the competition for parts is as fierce today as it was when she was a young actress. “There are an awful lot of great older actresses now, and we’re all looking for the same jobs,” she says. “But I’ve also turned down quite a few things. A lot of it comes down to timing.”
When she’s not working, Lynda likes to hike and bike, but she confesses she’s not as fanatical about workouts as she used to be. “I don’t go crazy anymore because I’m not wearing a Wonder Woman costume in public!” she says with a chuckle.
Three years after Robert’s passing, Lynda feels ready to start dipping her toes into the dating pool. She even went on a blind date recently. “It was fun,” Lynda admits. “My kids are for me. They’re like, ‘Mom, if you want to date, you should!’ Right now, it might be nice to meet somebody that you can go out with in the evenings. I’d like to have somebody to do things with. It gets a little lonesome.”
She’s not planning on touring with her new music, but Lynda is open if the right opportunity presents itself. She admits that performing live and meeting fans has always been a thrill. “If [my daughter] Jess would consider going out with me a little bit — maybe I’ll do a guest spot in her show,” says Lynda. “There is nothing like a live audience.”
