Singer Linda Lewis, whose five-octave vocal range saw her enjoy solo success with hit It’s In His Kiss and provide backing vocals for David Bowie and Rod Stewart, dies aged 72
- Lewis had four top 40 hits in the 70s – the first coming with Rock-a-Doodle-Doo
Singer-songwriter Linda Lewis, whose career spanned more than four decades, has died at the age of 72.
Known for a five-octave vocal range and ability to perform a wide array of genres, she enjoyed solo success in the 1970s with hits ‘It’s In His Kiss’ and ‘Rock-a-Doodle-Doo’.
Lewis also provided backing vocals for artists such as David Bowie, Rod Stewart and Cat Stevens.
In a statement on social media, her sister Dee Lewis Clay said: ‘It is with the greatest sadness and regret we share the news that our beloved beautiful sister Linda Lewis passed away today peacefully at her home.
‘The family asks that you respect our privacy and allow us to grieve at this heartbreaking time.’
Singer-songwriter Linda Lewis, whose career spanned more than four decades, has died at the age of 72
Lewis had several top 40 hits and provided backing vocals for artists such as David Bowie, Rod Stewart and Cat Stevens
Born Linda Ann Fredericks in West Ham, she attended stage school and appeared in a non-speaking role in the British film A Taste of Honey in 1961 and as a screaming fan in the first Beatles film A Hard Day’s Night three years later.
A self-taught guitarist and keyboard player, she appeared at the first Glastonbury Festival in 1970. She described taking LSD the night before the festival as ‘not a sensible move’.
Lewis had four top 40 hits throughout the next decade – the first coming with Rock-a-Doodle-Doo which reached number 15 in the UK in 1973.
Her biggest hit came with It’s In His Kiss – a cover of Cher’s The Shoop Shoop Song – which reached number six in 1975.
She also toured with Cat Stevens, one of many big names for whom she provided backing vocals, including Bowie – on the Aladdin Sane album – Stewart, Steve Harley and Cockney Revel, Rick Wakeman, Joan Armatrading and Jamiroquai.
She dated Stevens on and off for several years, once writing that late at night she asked her then boyfriend who fast asleep: ‘Sammy, is it OK if I sleep with Cat Stevens?’
She wrote: ‘There was no reply, so I took his silence as approval and went ahead.’
She described taking LSD the night before the first Glastonbury festival as ‘not a sensible move’
In 1977 she married fellow musician Jim Cregan, but they divorced three years later, with Lewis writing: ‘We were apart too much – especially after Jim joined Rod Stewart’s band – and we were both unfaithful.’
In 2004, she married music agent Neil Warnock, who survives her.
Lewis continued to perform for the rest of her life, with her last track Earthling released in March this year.
Paying tribute, fellow musician Midge Ure said: ‘Really sad to hear this. I had a massive crush on Linda Lewis.
‘Not A Little Girl Anymore [the title track from her 1975 album] was a great song and beautifully sung by her.’
Mike Scott, frontman of Scottish band The Waterboys, said she had been ‘fabulous’ and that he was ‘very sorry’ to her death.
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