Linda Hoover is a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist best known for her 1970 collaboration with Walter Becker, Donald Fagen and Gary Katz. 

In the second edition of the book Steely Dan – Reelin’ in the Years, biographer Brian Sweet dedicates 7 pages to Linda’s story. "I Mean to Shine is a fine album and it was a tragedy for Linda that it didn't come out at the time," Sweet writes after hearing Linda’s never released album.  In the book he compares Linda’s version of the song I Mean to Shine with Streisand’s. "Linda Hoover's version…… was certainly better than Perry managed to achieve with Barbra Streisand's effort and, according to Becker and Fagen, truer to the original song." In the 2017 book, Steely Dan FAQ, Anthony Robustelli writes, “The song has a middle section and outro that were dropped from Streisand’s version, and some of the lyrics were changed as well, making her [Streisand’s]version a bit more generic than Hoover’s, which is superior.”

After nearly five decades, Linda Hoover’s never-released album I Mean to Shine is to be made available along with her newest original album, Another World, produced at 9b Studio by her son Toft Willingham, a Berklee College of Music graduate and a founder of the band Spiritual Rez.  Keep an ear open as Linda plans to release not only I Mean to Shine and Another World, but other live and studio recordings made along her journey.  Toft plans to record Linda’s entire original catalog.  “I have always loved my mother’s voice but until I studied music at Berklee, I didn’t understand the scope of her writing.  She uses odd time signatures and complicated Jazz changes without realizing it.  She’s self-taught.  Her voice has aged like a fine wine, maturing but maintaining a youthful quality, and her delivery only gets better.”  Linda says, “I’m so happy to be able to share my music.  It’s been a long time coming and I am thankful for every note.  I’m especially excited about my new album, Another World.  My son Toft produced and played on it and my husband, sons, daughter-in-law and nieces sang harmonies.  “I know that I am truly blessed.”

Followers of Linda Hoover