Linda Hayes (born Bertha Lulu Williams, December 10, 1923 – May 26, 1998) was an American rhythm and blues singer.

Biography

She was born in Linden, New Jersey and was the sister of

The Platters The Platters was an American vocal group formed in 1952. They are one of the most successful vocal groups of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound bridges the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the new burgeoning genre. The a ...

' lead singer, Tony Williams. The family moved to

Hollywood, California Hollywood is a neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Its name has come to be a shorthand reference for the U.S. film industry and the people associated with it. Many notable film studios, such as Columbia Pictures, ...

. In the early 1950s she recorded two singles backed by the

Red Callender George Sylvester "Red" Callender (March 6, 1916 – March 8, 1992) was an American string bass and tuba player. He is perhaps best known as a jazz musician, but worked with an array of pop, rock and vocal acts as a member of The Wrecking Cr ...

Sextet,45 Discography for Hollywood Records
/ref> with Callender on (bass),

Maxwell Davis Thomas Maxwell Davis, Jr. (January 14, 1916 – September 18, 1970), was an American rhythm and blues saxophonist, arranger, bandleader and record producer. Biography Davis was born in Independence, Kansas in 1916. In 1937, he moved to L ...

(tenor sax), Floyd Turnham (baritone sax), Chico Hamilton (drums) and Monroe Tucker (piano). The first, "Yes! I Know" – an answer record to

Willie Mabon Willy or Willie is a masculine, male given name, often a diminutive form of William or Wilhelm, and occasionally a nickname. It may refer to: People Given name or nickname * Willie Aames (born 1960), American actor, television director, and scree ...

's " I Don't Know" – entered the '' Billboard'' R&B chart on February 7, 1953 and reached No. 2 while the second single, "What's It to You, Jack"/"Atomic Baby" was recorded in spring 1953. She had a second hit when "Take Me Back" reached No. 10 on the R&B chart in 1954. In late 1954 and early 1955 she recorded a series of singles for King Records with

accompanying her. She was also backed by Big Jim Wynn's Band. In the mid-1950s she headed the billing of the Hollywood Records Revue, which included Roy Brown, Johnny "Guitar" Watson, and the Tommy Jones Orchestra. She recorded in 1956 with the

Earle Warren Earle Warren (born Earl Ronald Warren; July 1, 1914 – June 4, 1994) was an American saxophonist. He was part of the Count Basie Orchestra from 1937. Early life Warren was born in Springfield, Ohio, on July 1, 1914. "He played piano, banjo, an ...

Orchestra and in 1959 with the Ray Scott Band. She died in 1998 in Atlanta, Georgia, at the age of 74.

References

*Liner notes by Clive Richardson from the CD ''Linda Hayes: Hollywood R&B from the Original Platters' "Dish"'' (2008) on Shout! Records {{DEFAULTSORT:Hayes, Linda 1923 births 1998 deaths American blues singers Singers from New Jersey People from Linden, New Jersey 20th-century African-American women singers