Linda Clifford (born June 14, 1948, Brooklyn, New York, USA) is an American R&B, disco and house music singer and actress.
She is a former Miss New York State and fronted a jazz band before moving to R&B. After winning her title, Clifford worked as an actress, playing minor roles in films. She recorded some singles at Paramount Records before signing with Curtom. She released 9 albums between 1977 and 1985, among them a whole duet album with her producer
Curtis Mayfield. Her breakthrough single was her cover version of the 1966 Broadway tune If My Friends Could See Me Now, a hit for
Shirley MacLaine in the late 1960s. Other highlights from her career include the one-vinyl side long cover version of
Simon & Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water, her cover of
Rod Stewart's Tonight's The Night, Runaway Love, Red Light (from the Fame soundtrack), Shoot Your Best Shot Don't Come Crying To Me and the original 1982 version of All The Man That I Need, a hit later for
Sister Sledge,
Whitney Houston and
Luther Vandross. She is considered a legendary diva by the newer house music generation and she is often a guest on modern house records like
Ralphi Rosario's Wanna Give It Up and
Akabu's Ride The Storm.
In 2015, Clifford formed the
First Ladies of Disco originally with
Martha Wash and
Evelyn King. Clifford released two singles with the group: Show Some Love (2015) and Don't Stop Me Now (2019).