Linda Hart | |
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| Born | (1950-07-05)July 5, 1950 (age 74) |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, singer, musician |
| Years active | 1969–present |
Linda Hart (born July 5, 1950) is an American singer, musician, and actress, mainly appearing inmusical theatre.
Hart was born inDallas,Texas, United States. As a child, Hart sang in her church choir; at age seven, she joined her father, the late Rev. Ralph L. Hart, (a preacher) and the rest of the family inThe Harts, a weeklygospel television series. Her father and uncle, the Rev. Doyle Hart, visited Detroit in 1954 and cut a 45 of "Ain't No Grave Gonna Hold My Body Down", later released by Ralph Hart and The Texas Musical Harts.[2] Hart attendedLos Angeles City College as a theatre major. During college, however, her family received a recording contract withColumbia Records; Hart joined them and moved toNashville for the job. The group recorded several gospel albums, many nominated forGrammy Awards and one a winner.
Solo work included appearances withThe New Christy Minstrels as their only female leader, a stint onJohnny Cash'sABC television show, where she also served as a talent coordinator for an episode, and opening act performances forcountry musicians such asHank Williams, Jr.,Mel Tillis,Roy Clark, andThe Oak Ridge Boys. She joinedBette Midler's backup troupe, theStaggering Harlettes, and later appeared in the Midler filmStella and the television special ofGypsy: A Musical Fable in 1993, which also starred Midler. She costarred asMinnie Driver's mother in the filmBeautiful.
Hart's Broadway debut was in the 1987 revival ofCole Porter'sAnything Goes;[3] for this role, she won a 1988Theatre World Award. Originally portraying Erma, she later played the role of Reno Sweeney. Subsequent roles includedSid Caesar & Company and originated the role of Velma Von Tussle inHairspray.
On television she had a starring role in the short-lived sitcomThe Winner in 2006. Prior to this she had appeared in episodes ofThe Dukes of Hazzard,Night Court,Hill Street Blues,Major Dad,Touched by an Angel,The Practice,Desperate Housewives, and others, starting in the early 1980s. Among her film appearances areA Perfect World,Get Shorty,Tin Cup andShowtime.
She performed in theSeattle run of the musicalCatch Me If You Can as Carol at the5th Avenue Theatre, from July 28, 2009, to August 14, 2009, and returned to the role when the show premiered on Broadway in April 2011.[4]
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