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Linda Lee
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KNOW MORE |
Linda Lee will host her Keep On CD release party at the
Moose Lodge, 950 Field Drive in Noblesville, from 3 to 6
p.m. Sunday. Lee will perform songs beginning at 3 p.m.
and sign autographs afterwards.
Lee will also be performing in or
around Hamilton County on the following dates:
*June 16 - 7:30 to 9 p.m. as part of
the Movie or Dinner Train Entertainment (which departs
Forest Park in Noblesville) in the Courthouse Lawn, 101
E. Jefferson St. in Tipton. The concert is free.
*July 4 - 8 to 10 p.m. on the main
stage of the Lights Over Morse Lake festival in Cicero,
on Jackson and Main streets.
*July 17 - 8 to 10 p.m. at the Tipton
County 4-H Fair main stage, 1200 S. Main St. in Tipton.
*Sept. 4 - 7 to 9 p.m. White River
Campgrounds, 11299 E. 234th St. in Noblesville.
*Sept. 10 - 7:15 to 8:30 p.m. at the
Tipton County Pork Festival. Lee will perform on the
main stage as the opening act for headliner Lee
Greenwood.
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By Mark Johnson
For the Times
Upon meeting singer Linda Lee, two aspects of her personality
immediately shine through: First, she is the "anti-diva" - warm,
sincere, gracious; Second, she really enjoys making music. In fact,
when asked which she preferred - stage or studio - she doesn't
hesitate.
"Oh, the stage," she says, beaming. "I love seeing
the parents and children dancing and singing along with the music!"
And it is a love of music that drives Lee. Born and
raised in Cicero, Lee grew up listening to music and credits her
grandmother as her biggest influence. It was her grandmother who
introduced her to the singers that would help Lee to shape her own
style as a vocalist - Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn and Jerry Lee Lewis.
"Yes," Lee laughs, "from Jerry Lee Lewis I learned
how to just have fun with songs."
That led to Lee's participation in various karaoke
competitions at a very early age.
"There were a lot of really great people who very
supportive of me and helped me," she recalls.
Help included setting up Lee with performances at
the local area malt shop, "T & B," as well as the V.F.W. lodge.
After completing her education, Lee decided that
she wanted to continue the pursuit of her dream of a musical career.
With that in mind, she also decided that she needed a band. This was
instrumental in the formation of the Noble Creek Band, Lee's
performance group, in 2009. Soon, Linda Lee and the Noble Creek Band
found themselves booked into numerous venues in Northern Indiana,
and shortly thereafter, around the Midwest.
It wasn't long before Lee's voice caught the ears
of Misty Records founder Don Jones. Nashville-based
Misty Records, an independent label with a 43-year history, is where
Lee would eventually cut her latest CD, Keep On. Lee becomes even
more excited when describing her experience recording in the
legendary country-music capital of the world.
"I was so very nervous at the beginning of the
session, but after the first song, I really calmed down," said Lee.
"It was a great experience to work with all of the musicians in the
recording band. The best part was meeting [songwriter] Judy Rodman."
Rodman had penned the LeAnn Rimes hit, "One-Way
Ticket," a song which Lee had sung to win her first vocal
competition.
Perhaps less enjoyable was the task of picking the
songs that would actually appear on the CD.
"There were so many, about five CD's worth. I had
to settle on 19, and then I had to pick 15. I got it down to 16, and
then they said I had to pick 10!" she says, laughing.
Despite that process, Lee is happy with the 10
songs that make up the disc, particularly the title track, which she
refers to as her "signature tune."
However, audience connection remains a priority to
Lee. Although she enjoyed recording Keep On, she still prefers the
live performance of the material.
"I really like the slow songs, because I can put a
lot of heart into them, but the fast songs are the best because I
can make them fun and really get the crowd involved," Lee said.
You can learn more about Linda Lee and the Noble
Creek Band at http://lindaleeandthencb.com and at mistyrecords.com,
where she is featured as artist of the month.
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