Linda Lewis -

Linda Lewis (Sept. 27, 1950 – May 3, 2023) was an English soul-pop signer who emerged in the 1970 second lineup of Ferris Wheel. As a solo singer, she made the 1971–73 Reprise albums ‘Say No More…’, Lark, and Fathoms Deep, followed by the 1975–77 Arista titles Not a Little Girl Anymore and Woman Overboard. She landed UK hits with “Rock-a-Doodle-Doo” and the Betty Everett cover “It’s in His Kiss.”

Background

Linda Lewis was born Linda Ann Fredericks on Sept. 27, 1950, in Custom House, East London, England. Her mother, Beatrice Lily “Lily” Allen, aspired to a professional singing career. Lewis was the eldest of six children. Younger sisters Dee and Shirley later became professional vocalists. Allen enrolled Lewis at Peggy O’Farrell’s School of 100 Wonderful Children in East London, where she received early stage training. Lewis left the school at about seven years of age and subsequently attended St Joachim’s Catholic Primary School in Custom House and St Angela’s Ursuline School in Forest Gate. She taught herself piano on a school instrument and later took up guitar. Lewis also worked as a child extra, with non-speaking appearances in A Taste of Honey and the Beatles feature A Hard Day’s Night.

Allen took fourteen-year-old Lewis to a John Lee Hooker performance in Southend-on-Sea in 1964 and urged her onto the stage for “Dancing in the Street.” Hooker brought Lewis into contact with manager Don Arden and songwriter-producer Ian Samwell. Polydor asked Fredericks to adopt another surname because labelmate Linda Kendrick shared her given name; Fredericks chose Lewis after American R&B singer Barbara Lewis. Lewis joined ska/bluebeat group the Q-Set in late 1966, then sang briefly with American R&B singer Herbie Goins and the Night-Timers the following spring. Polydor issued “You Turned My Bitter into Sweet” on June 23, 1967 (b/w “Do You Believe in Love”). Ian Samwell produced the session.

Lewis left the family home at seventeen for a Hampstead Way commune shared with Samwell. Singer-guitarist John Martyn visited the house and showed Lewis guitar chords, then secured her first solo guitar appearance at Les Cousins in Soho. Lewis also reconnected with Night-Timers guitarist Junior Kerr, later known as Junior Marvin, and formed White Rabbit around November 1967 with lead guitarist Andy Rickell, drummer Terry Stannard, rhythm guitarist/vocalist Brian Henderson, and bassist Ralph Richardson. Managers Ian Samwell and Laurie O’Leary took White Rabbit through club bookings in Britain, Italy, and France.

Lewis and Rickell formed a second White Rabbit lineup in late March 1968 with singer Rod Goodway, drummer Ron Berg, bassist Pete Pavli, and organist Mick Aron. White Rabbit spent three weeks at the Papagayo Club in St Tropez, then opened for Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band on May 25 at Middle Earth in Covent Garden. The group also supported the Crazy World of Arthur Brown around August. Lewis and Goodway left White Rabbit around August or September; Rickell and Berg continued the group.

Lewis joined Ferris Wheel around mid-October 1968 as successor to singer Marsha Hunt. Ferris Wheel then paired Lewis with keyboardist/vocalist Michael Snow, saxophonist/vocalist Dave Sweetnam-Ford, bassist/vocalist George Sweetnam-Ford, guitarist Keith Field, and drummer Dennis Elliott. Ferris Wheel worked British clubs through 1969 as guitarists Terry Edmunds, Bernie Holland, and Jim Cregan successively replaced Field. Polydor issued the Ian Samwell-produced “Can’t Stop Now” on Jan. 9, 1970 (b/w “I Know You Well”). Ferris Wheel recorded a self-titled second album for Polydor, then split later that year and returned Lewis to solo work.

DJ and concert booker Jeff Dexter booked Lewis for the June 1971 Glastonbury Fayre at Worthy Farm. Lewis joined singer-guitarist Terry Reid and guitarist David Lindley onstage, and filmmakers captured the performance for Glastonbury Fayre. Warner Bros. executive Ian Ralfini subsequently signed Lewis to Reprise. Lewis entered Trident Studios in London with producer Ian Samwell for the sessions that became Reprise debut Say No More.

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