More about Linda Hopkins:
Linda Hopkins was born November 9, 1925 in New Orleans,La. She grew up singing and studying with the great Mahalia Jackson and is truly a New Orleans hidden treasure. She left New Orleans in the 50's to become one of the great blues and gospel singers of our time.  Linda has been heralded for her starring roles in such Broadway hits as “Jazz Train”, “The Last Minstrel Show”,  “Black and Blue”, and most significantly, “Me and Bessie”, her highly successful musical portrayal of Bessie Smith in which also wrote . Linda has been performing since the late 1940s and has recorded with Jackie Wilson,Branford Marsalis, Johnny Otis and Esther Phillps just to name a few.. She also recorded  the R&B hit “Shake a Hand” with Jackie Wilson   She appeared on the “The Late Show” with Johnny Carson over 200 times and still sneaks in every now and then with Jay Leno. Last but now least Linda has appeared in over twenty films.

An extremely versatile singer and performer with extensive stage credentials alongside her vocal skills, Linda Hopkins has been a major artist since the early '50s. She has recorded classic, traditional, and urban blues, done R&B and soul, jazz, and show tunes, all with distinction and style. Hopkins has long idolized Bessie Smith and won critical plaudits for her rendition of Smith in the theatrical presentation "Jazz Train." She has recorded for numerous labels since the '50s, but has only earned one chart hit, a duet with Jackie Wilson for Brunswick in 1963. "Shake A Hand" narrowly missed the R&B Top 20, peaking at #21. She remains active, but with only a limited amount of material in circulation, especially on domestic labels. ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide