Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

HARGROVE, Linda

(b 3 February 1950, Tallahassee FL) Country singer-songwriter whose LPs failed to achieve success critics said they deserved. She played piano and French horn in her teens and joined a local rock band on organ. She had no interest in country music until she heard the Bob Dylan album Nashville Skyline. She went to Los Angeles in 1970; Sandy Posey was one of the first to record one of her songs. A contract with steel guitarist Pete Drake's Window Music led to more songs being recorded by Jan Howard, Olivia Newton-John (‘Let It Shine’), etc. With Michael Nesmith she wrote ‘I Never Loved Anyone More' (a hit for Lynn Anderson, covered many times). More songs included ‘Just Get Up And Close The Door’ (a hit for Johnny Rodriguez) and ‘Tennessee Whiskey’ (George Jones). She made an unreleased album for Nesmith’s experimental label, which folded; then Music Is Your Mistress and Blue Jean Country Queen '73-4 on Elektra, included such stunning songs as ‘New York City Song' and ‘Don't Let It Bother You'. She continued writing good songs, switched to Capitol and made the country top 40 with ‘Love Was (Once Around The Dance Floor)’ from the album Love, You're The Teacher '75, followed by Just Like You '76 and Impressions '78, all on Capitol. She signed with RCA '78, made a couple of singles, became a born-again Christian and stopped singing her secular material. She released two Christian albums in the 1980s under her married name, Linda Bartholomew, and in 2005 came back with a new album, One Woman’s Life.