1. Linda Ann Fredericks, better known as Linda Lewis, was an English singer, songwriter and musician.
22 Facts About Linda Lewis
1. 2.
Linda Lewis is best known for the singles "Rock-a-Doodle-Doo" and her version of Betty Everett's "The Shoop Shoop Song".
3.
Linda Lewis's discography includes solo albums, Lark, Not a Little Girl Anymore, Woman Overboard, and the later Second Nature, which became successful in countries such as Japan.
4.
Linda Lewis was the eldest of six children, three of whom had singing careers.
5.
Linda Lewis was a self-taught guitarist and keyboard player, influenced by Harry Nilsson, Billie Holiday and Smokey Robinson, drawing inspiration from others such as Joni Mitchell.
6.
Linda Lewis Fredericks was born in Custom House, Newham, in 1950.
7.
Linda Lewis was raised primarily by her mother, who was a jazz singer.
8.
Linda Lewis attended stage school and was regularly cast in non-speaking television and film roles such as A Taste of Honey ; she appeared as a screaming fan in the first Beatles film, A Hard Day's Night and sang to the public.
9.
Linda Lewis joined The Q Set, a British band who performed ska and blue beat, Jamaican-style music.
10.
Linda Lewis signed with Polydor and in 1967 recorded the single "You Turned My Bitter into Sweet", which is a collectable Northern Soul record.
11.
Linda Lewis recorded the album Ferris Wheel and the single "Can't Stop Now" with them before the band broke up the same year.
12.
On 19 September 1970, Linda Lewis appeared at the first Glastonbury Festival, having been booked by the DJ and concert booker Jeff Dexter.
13.
Records executive Ian Ralfini, Linda Lewis signed to the label's imprint Reprise.
14.
Linda Lewis worked as a session vocalist in this period, which led to her appearance on albums such as Possible Projection of the Future by Al Kooper, David Bowie's Aladdin Sane, Cat Stevens's Catch Bull at Four and Hummingbird's first album Hummingbird.
15.
Linda Lewis's first hit single "Rock-a-Doodle-Doo" reached No 15 in the UK Singles Chart in the summer of 1973, and it was followed by the album Fathoms Deep, which featured former Jeff Beck Group guitarist Bobby Tench.
16.
On 5 July 1975, Linda Lewis opened the Knebworth Festival, being followed by Roy Harper, Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band, the Steve Miller Band and Pink Floyd.
17.
Linda Lewis then returned to record Second Nature, which found success in the Japanese charts.
18.
Linda Lewis recorded Live in Old Smokey, which featured new and previously released songs and toured the United Kingdom the same year.
19.
In 2023, Linda Lewis collaborated with UK folk-funk band The Paracosmos.
20.
Linda Lewis married fellow musician Jim Cregan in 1977, but after three years they divorced.
21.
Linda Lewis was a member of SAG-AFTRA, Equity and Equity.
22.
Linda Lewis died at her home in Waltham Abbey on 3 May 2023, at the age of 72.