Linda Eder was born February 3rd, 1961 in Tuscan Arizona.
A surprise to vacationing parents from Austria, Linda’s arrival kept the Eder family in America, eventually settling near Brainerd, Minnesota. Excelling throughout her academic life in song and arts, Linda performed her first stage solo, ‘O Holy Night’ while attending Brainerd High.
Though excited by the arts, Linda’s greatest passion was, and continues to be, horses. While attending (and winning) a horse show at the Minnesota State Fair with her horse Mazda, Linda was informed that she had been accepted as a contestant on the competition television series Star Search, a 1980’s forerunner to The Voice and America’s Got Talent. Linda was the only contestant never defeated in 12 elimination rounds, in the end winning the grand prize.
Her motivation? “To win of course, and to meet Bruce Willis!”
Linda continued on through what she calls “singer boot camp”, performing in nightclubs and casinos, including Harrah’s of Atlantic City, before meeting the man and being cast in the stage roles that would offer her work a whole new direction.
Frank Wildhorn chose Linda to play Lucy in his theatrical production of Jekyll and Hyde. A lavish production that gave Eder the showcase for her talents. Linda’s performance garnered her the Theater World Award for Best Broadway Debut of 1997.
Linda had released several solo albums by 1997, and after 2 years of performing in Jekyll and Hyde Linda left the Broadway stage to concentrate on more personal projects. In 1999 she was rewarded with the best gift of all when she became a mother.
From ‘Playbill’ magazine, 8-25-1999:
Linda Eder, star of Broadway’s Jekyll & Hyde, gave birth to Jake Ryan Wildhorn in Putnam, NY, Aug. 23. The 8-pound-10-ounce son of Broadway composer Frank Wildhorn (the couple’s first child together) arrived at 6:20 PM. The name was suggested by Wildhorn’s son, Justin, who told the couple that no matter what they name the baby, he would call him Jake.
Jake is now a singer/musician with a style that sets his talents apart from the Broadway & big band that he grew up with. You can find Jake’s works here:
Now in her 40th year as a professional singer, Linda has recorded over 20 solo albums, appeared on numerous compilation albums, made over 1000 live stage appearances, and been seen a guest to hosts that include Rosie O’Donell and Kathy Lee Griffin.
Linda continues to perform a set schedule of concerts each year, often taking summer off to be able to spend time with her gardens, family, friends, and horses, at her home in upstate New York.
When performing, she often appears at Michael Feinstein’s 54 Below, in Manhattan NY.
She is an avid YouTuber, treating her fans to in-depth and often humorous looks into her life as an independent artist who writes lyric, composes song, performs, and produces her own albums which she makes available exclusively through her store at LindaEder.com
With no plans to leave performing any time soon, Linda Eder’s fans can continue to look forward to her stage performances and albums. Her range, strength, and clarity are as strong as ever, and Linda continues to reach beyond Broadway to include new genres and eras to her ever-growing repertoire.