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When Linda Hargrove arrived in Nashville 40 years ago this July she was without peer or role
model. There were no women playing guitars on sessions, much less playing on master
sessions.There were less than a handful of women songwriters. Within a year, Linda was
playing on records with A-Team players and having her songs recorded by major recording
artists.
Linda recorded for 3 major labels throughout the 70's, releasing 5 albums and charting a
number of singles. She toured extensively with her band throughout the US playing
concerts, fairs, festivals and clubs. The Country Music World wasn't ready for a
"Redneck Woman" much less a "Blue Jean Country Queen" in the 70's and
80's.
Linda got married in 1980 and made a major change in her career, focusing her music in the
gospel and inspirational genre. She released two gospel albums in the 80's. She continued
to tour and perform in the U.S and in England.
Linda's career took an even more drastic turn and was literally "put on hold"
when she was diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia in 1986. She was given the
prognosis of death within 6 to 8 years, but three years later in 1989 she was told that
her death was imminent without intervention. She underwent an experimental bone marrow
transplant in 1990 at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, FL. She was the only patient
out of 30 others in the study to survive and remains Moffitt's longest surviving
transplant patient.
Linda returned to Nashville to resume her career in 1993 only to put it on hold again in
1995 while she took care of her husband, Charlie, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's
disease. Charlie moved to a veterans home in 1997 and Linda left Nashville in 1999,
relocating to Panacea, FL. near Tallahassee where she grew up.
Linda released her CD "ONE WOMAN'S LIFE"
in 2005. She also worked with other bands, musicians, and songwriters in addition to performing in local venues, like Hook Wreck Henry's and Angelo's.
..LINDA TRIVIA..
The 1st master session Linda played on was Tommy James and the Shondells' "MY HEAD,MY
BED, AND MY RED GUITAR" in Nashville, 1971. Tommy James also recorded Linda's first
cut by a major artist on that album. It was a song entitled "Rosalee".
Michael Nesmith heard Linda singing and playing in Nashville in a publisher's studio in
December 1972 and flew her to LA the same day to record (guitar) on an artist's album he
was producing for his Countryside label. He also introduced her to the VP of A&R of
Elektra, Russ Miller and she was signed to Elektra 4 weeks later in January 1973. Michael
and Linda also wrote "I've Never Loved Anyone More" and "Winonah" on
that trip to LA. In 1979 she also sang background vocals on Michael's album "FROM A
RADIO ENGINE TO THE PHOTON WING" including the popular cut "Rio" which was
also in "Elephant Parts" video -- the 1st Grammy award winner in 1981 for a
video
Linda played guitar on Leon Russell's cut of "Wild Horses" which was recorded at
Pete Drake's Studio "B" in Nashville on January 6, 1973. It was a "spur of
the moment" session in the early morning hours while Leon was recording "Hank
Wilson's Back" at Bradley's Barn. The cut is featured on "GIMME SHELTER: THE
BEST OF LEON RUSSELL".
Linda sang background vocals on John Stewart's "CANNONS IN THE RAIN" at RCA
Studio A in 1973.
Linda sang on some very popular commercials in the 1970's. "Baseball, Hot Dogs, and
Chevrolet";"Bob Evans Down on the Farm"; "This Bud's for You";
"Valvoline". She also wrote and produced "Join the Plymouth Convoy"
Linda was booked to open for the Eagles on their 1st US tour in September 1974 in 3 major
cities,but had to cancel 3 days before the tour started because she was diagnosed with
Hepatitis A.
Linda opened for George Carlin at Indiana University in 1973. She has also opened for Mac
Davis, Jackson Browne, Waylon Jennings, and many others.
Linda is the longest surviving Bone Marrow Transplant recipient at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer
Center in Tampa, FL receiving her transplant from her brother, Mark in 1990. She is the
only one out of 30 patients going through the same protocol that survived the procedure.
Linda appeared on Austin City Limits (with Johnny Rodriguez - 1977), That Good Ol'
Nashville Music (with Hank Williams, Jr -1974), Hee Haw (1978), Tom Snyder's Tomorrow
Show(1974), the Merv Griffin Show(1975), "Musical Chairs" - a game show (1975).
Linda signed Phil Vassar to his first publishing and production deal in Nashville in 1987.
She also produced his demos for "My Next Thirty Years", "I'm Alright"
and others in 1993.
Linda produced Mark Miller, of Sawyer Brown, first sessions in Nashville in 1980. He was
actually the first artist to record "Tennessee Whiskey".
Check out www.lindahargrove.com for a complete discography of other artists that have
recorded Linda's songs and other cool facts.
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