Linda Creed | |
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| Background information | |
| Born | Linda Diane Creed (1948-12-06)December 6, 1948 |
| Died | April 10, 1986(1986-04-10) (aged 37) Ambler, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Genres | R&B,soul,pop |
| Occupation(s) | Songwriter, lyricist, record producer, background singer |
Linda Diane Creed (December 6, 1948 – April 10, 1986), also known by her married nameLinda Epstein, was an American songwriter, lyricist, background singer and record producer who teamed up withThom Bell to produce some of the most successfulPhiladelphia soul groups of the 1970s.
Linda Diane Creed was born on December 6, 1948, in theMount Airy section of Philadelphia to aJewish family. Creed was active in music atGermantown High School. During her high school years, she was fronting her own band, Raw Soul, which made frequent appearances at the Philadelphia Athletic Club and at Sid Booker's Highline Lounge.[1]
After graduation, Creed left Philadelphia for New York, where she became a secretary atMills Music, Inc. She also utilized the time to develop her skills as a lyricist, but after eight months of little success, and feeling defeated, she returned to her hometown, which later became the inspiration for the song "I'm Coming Home".[2] Her career was launched in 1970 when singerDusty Springfield recorded her song "Free Girl". That same year, Creed teamed with Bell, a staff writer, producer, and arranger atKenny Gamble andLeon Huff's record labelPhiladelphia International Records.[3]
Their first songwriting collaboration, "Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)", became a Top 40 pop hit for theStylistics, beginning an extended collaboration that also yielded the group's most successful recordings, including "You Are Everything", "Betcha by Golly, Wow", "Break Up to Make Up", "People Make the World Go Round", "You Make Me Feel Brand New", and "I'm Stone in Love with You" (the latter with Thom's brother Tony). Creed and Bell also paired on a number of hits for theSpinners, including "Ghetto Child" and "The Rubberband Man".[4]
Linda Creed also provided background vocals, including on"I'll Be Around", "Could It Be I'm Falling in Love","Mighty Love" and "One of a Kind (Love Affair)" by the Spinners and on the first three Stylistics' albums.
Though diagnosed withbreast cancer at 26, Creed continued working, teaming with composerMichael Masser on the song "The Greatest Love of All". Creed wrote the lyrics in the midst of her struggle with cancer. They describe her feelings about coping with challenges one faces, being strong whether you succeed or fail, and passing that strength on to children to carry with them into their adult lives.[citation needed]
"The Greatest Love of All" was the main theme ofThe Greatest, a 1977 biopic of boxerMuhammad Ali. It was originally recorded byGeorge Benson and released as a single in 1977, peaking at No. 2 on theR&B chart. In December 1984, the song wasrecorded byWhitney Houston for her1985 self-titled debut album; it topped the singles charts in May 1986.
Weeks before Houston's version reached number one, Creed died of breast cancer on April 10, 1986, at age 37.[5] The following year, her family and friends established the Linda Creed Breast Cancer Organization in her honor. The organization serves women in Pennsylvania and the surrounding counties.
In 1992, Creed was posthumously inducted into theSongwriters Hall of Fame.[6]
This is a partial list of songs written or co-written by Linda Creed.
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