The Superlative Linda Perry

A lot of people dream of being a successful musician but
very few actually succeed. Making a career of any dream takes hard work
and determination. This is a three-song look at the journey of Linda
Perry, how she went from one-hit-wonder, to unsuccessful solo artist
and the fortitude that finally brought her to be a highly demanded
writer and producer.


Today, Linda Perry is behind some of the most talented artist in
the business. If you listen to the radio you surely know her work. Most
likely you’ve heard of the Dixie Chicks, James Blunt, Alicia Keys or at
least the smash hit “Get the Party Started” by Pink. However, of all
the well-known titles she has penned, probably the most renowned is
“Beautiful” as sung by the pop princess Christina Aguilera. “Beautiful”
is by far one of the best depictions of Linda herself, though always
staying true to her unique style she still has the ability to put out a
mega-hit. It is this ability to transform her intensely personal and
emotionally charged conditions into recognizable beats and melodies
that make tunes like “Beautiful” so wildly relatable. Songs like this
can truly stand the test of time and it is quite a statement to this
fact that those who originally inspired her, such as the band Cheap
Trick, are now looking to her for direction on their current projects.
Before Linda made her leap into the production world, “Beautiful” was
meant to be the come back of her singing career after having last been
known as the front woman of the band 4 Non Blondes.


With the 4 Non Blondes, Linda rapidly gained widespread awareness
via her big personality and even bigger voice. The song “What’s Up?”
was ultimately the bands only success and became a commonly known
one-hit-wonder of the 90’s. Always seeming to be about making a
statement through her music, Linda belts the song’s chorus repeatedly
asking, “What’s going on?” followed by a final plea for “A revolution.”
Unfortunately, the true meaning of the song has been lost over the
years through extensive radio play and is now merely a karaoke
favorite. Due to her lack of creative control while in the band, she
still harbors a lot of resentment towards her work from that time. In
the end, it was the song’s massive popularity that led to the band’s
demise, driving Linda to pursue her solo career.


Linda’s solo albums, while remaining distinctive, were not
commercially expectable in their time. Aside from this saddening fact,
these projects have since gained much recognition from her fans and
from many respected musicians who now consider her to be one of the
best female vocalists of all time. The “Garden,” the opening track from
her second solo record, is a perfect example of her broad range and
soulful lower register, a feat accomplished by few other women in the
industry. Again, her lyrics are always deep, powerful and poetic, never
failing to extend her passion directly to her listeners. The bluesy
style of the song truly lets her integrity shine as she clearly drew
from her inspirations of classic rock such as Led Zeppelin and Pink
Floyd.


Finally after years of hard labor and many setbacks, Linda’s work
is being taken more seriously then ever and her history is getting a
second look. Even her, once thought to be, ineffective lows are
becoming much-admired high points. Her long list of hits is continually
adding up, motivating the hefty number of major artists’ that are
relentlessly seeking after the superlative Linda Perry.





[[Thank you Julia for staying on the phone for hours with me til 3 A.M.
discussing The Superlative Linda Perry! you should write her
Biography.]]