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person_profile-Linda Hopkins

Linda Hopkins Died at age: 92

Actor | Producer

Fullname:

Linda Hopkins

Date of Birth:

Dec 14, 1924

Country of birth:

USA

Died:

Apr 10, 2017

Biography of

Linda Hopkins

    Linda Hopkins (born Melinda Helen Matthews; December 14, 1924 – April 10, 2017) was a Tony Award-winning American actress and blues and gospel singer. She recorded classic, traditional, and urban blues, and performed R&B and soul, jazz, and show tunes.

    Hopkins was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, the second child of the Reverend Fred Matthews, Sr. and Hazel Smith, Hopkins grew up in the section of New Orleans known by the locals as "Zion City". She went to school in "Gert Town" which bordered the Xavier University of Louisiana.

    Known as "Lil Helen Matthews" as a child, she was discovered at the age of eleven by Mahalia Jackson when she persuaded Jackson to perform at a fundraiser at her home church, St. Mark's Baptist Church. Lil Helen opened the children's fundraising program with a rendition of Jackson's gospel hit, "God Shall Wipe Your Tears Away". Jackson was reportedly so impressed by Helen's determination and talent that she arranged for the young girl to join the Southern Harp Spiritual Singers in 1936. Hopkins remained with the group for a decade.

    She first saw Bessie Smith perform Empty Bed Blues at The New Orleans Palace Theatre in 1936. Hopkins greatly admired Smith and later won critical plaudits for her rendition of Smith in the 1959 theatrical presentation Jazz Train. Matthews left New Orleans in the 1950s, and, in 1951, began performing at Slim Jenkins' Night Club in the Oakland/Richmond area. There she met Johnny Otis and Little Esther Phillips who created her stage name, Linda Hopkins. In 1952, Hopkins toured Hawaii and Japan for two years which included a stint with Louis Armstrong at The Brown Derby in Honolulu. She recorded for the Savoy, Crystalette, Forecast, Federal and Atco labels and often appeared at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem.

    In 1960, Hopkins first toured Europe in the Broadway Express, the restaged production of Jazz Train. She recorded "Shake a Hand" with Jackie Wilson on the Brunswick label, which is her sole hit single reaching #21 on the US Billboard R&B chart. She also recorded "I Found Love" and "There's Nothing Like Love" with him on Brunswick in early 1962. She attended Stella Adler's Acting School in New York City.

    During the 1970s, Hopkins performed in the Broadway musical, Purlie, and with Sammy Davis Jr. for nine months. In addition, she performed at President Jimmy Carter's 1977 inaugural ball. In 1972 she was awarded a Tony and Drama Desk Award for her performance in Inner City. She sang "Do You Believe" at the political event Star-Spangled Women for McGovern–Shriver, bringing 19,000 people to their feet.

    Hopkins starred in Me and Bessie, a one-woman show paying homage to blues singer Bessie Smith, conceived and written by Hopkins and Will Holt. The world premiere was in Washington, D.C., in 1974. After a run in Los Angeles it transferred to the Ambassador Theatre on Broadway. The critically acclaimed show ran for thirteen months and 453 performances, and Hopkins was nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience. ...

    Source: Article "Linda Hopkins" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Photos of

Linda Hopkins

Photos ( 1 Photos

Filmography of

Linda Hopkins

Found 12 Movies in total

Cries in the Dark

Mom ( Actor )

... 2006

Broadway's Lost Treasures III: The Best of The Tony Awards

Singer (segment "Black and Blue") ( Actor )

... 2005

Piano Blues

Self (archive footage) ( Actor )

... 2003

Leprechaun 2

la femme au foyer ( Actor )

... 1994

... 1993

The Colored Museum

Aunt Ethel ( Actor )

... 1991

Go Tell It on the Mountain

Sister McCandless ( Actor )

... 1985

Honkytonk Man

Blues Singer ( Actor )

... 1982

Purlie

Sister Hopkins ( Actor )

... 1981

... 1976

The Education of Sonny Carson

Lil Boy's Mother ( Actor )

... 1974

Rockin' the Blues

Self ( Actor )

... 1956