Linda Thompson Explained

Linda Thompson
Birth Name:Linda Diane Thompson
Birth Date:23 May 1950
Birth Place:Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Othername:Linda Jenner
Linda Foster
Yearsactive:1976–present
Spouse:
    Children:Brandon Jenner
    Brody Jenner

    Linda Diane Thompson (born May 23, 1950) is an American songwriter, former actress and beauty pageant winner.

    Thompson began her acting career as a "Hee Haw Honey" on the American television variety show Hee Haw. She was also a girlfriend of Elvis Presley, before marrying Olympic decathlon champion Bruce Jenner, and later music producer David Foster.

    Early life

    Thompson was born on May 23, 1950[1] in Memphis, Tennessee, the daughter of Margie (née White) and Sanford Abel Thompson.[2] Her older brother, Sam, was one of Elvis Presley's bodyguards.[3]

    Career

    Pageants

    In 1969 Thompson was named Miss Shelby County. [4] In 1970, she was named "Miss Mid-South Fair" in Memphis.[5]

    Also in 1970, Thompson was named "Miss Memphis State University" and was third runner-up in the 1970 Miss Tennessee pageant.[6]

    Thompson was named Miss Tennessee in 1972. [7]

    Jeanne LeMay Dumas, Thompson's best friend, recounts this first meeting with Elvis in an interview for her book, Elvis, Linda and Me[8] " and later became Elvis' personal secretary.[9] Dumas said:

    Acting

    In 1977, Thompson became a regular on the television series Hee Haw. She later had small one-episode roles in such television series as CHiPs, Starsky & Hutch, Vega$, Fantasy Island, The Fall Guy and Beverly Hills, 90210.

    Thompson starred in several television pilots, including "Mars Base One" and "Two for Two". She appeared in several films, including Three on a Meathook (1972), Rabbit Test (1978) and Original Intent (1991). She had a small role in The Bodyguard (1992).

    She appeared as Linda Jenner in a workout video by then-spouse Bruce Jenner, four documentaries about Elvis Presley between 1997 and 2004, and in the short-lived Princes of Malibu, a reality series about then-husband David Foster's efforts to improve her two sons and herself.

    Songwriting

    She began her career as a lyricist with the Kenny Rogers single "Our Perfect Song" from his album The Heart of the Matter (1985). Thompson collaborated with composer Richard Marx on Josh Groban's first hit record, "To Where You Are", with composer Steve Dorff on the Celine Dion hit "Miracle", with Andreas Carlsson for "Drowning" by the Backstreet Boys, and composer David Foster on several compositions, including "No Explanation" for the film Pretty Woman (1990), and "I Have Nothing" for the film The Bodyguard (1992), for which they were nominated both for the Academy Award for Best Song in 1993 and the Grammy Award for Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television in 1994, and "Grown-Up Christmas List".

    In 1999, Linda Thompson, Clint Eastwood and Carole Bayer Sager wrote "Why Should I Care" for the film True Crime. In 2001, she wrote "Drowning" for the American boyband Backstreet Boys. In 2011, Thompson, Foster and Jackie Evancho collaborated on the title track for Evancho's album Dream With Me.

    Thompson and Foster received the 2003 Emmy Award for Outstanding Music and Lyrics for "Aren't They All Our Children" for "The Concert for World Children's Day", which aired November 14, 2002.[10]

    Author

    In 2016, HarperCollins imprint Dey Street Books published Thompson's memoir, A Little Thing Called Life, which featured on The New York Times Best Seller list.

    Personal life

    Life with Elvis

    On July 6, 1972, Thompson attended a private movie screening hosted by Elvis Presley at the Memphian Theater in Memphis. Thompson was 22 at the time.[11] She and Presley subsequently dated for four years before breaking up around Christmas 1976. They broke up because, like Priscilla before her, Thompson wanted a "normal" life, which was not possible with Presley's lifestyle. However, they broke up on good terms and remained good friends until Presley's death.[12]

    Marriage to Jenner

    In 1980, Thompson began a relationship with Olympic gold medal decathlete Caitlyn Jenner prior to Jenner's transition. The couple married on January 5, 1981, in Oahu, Hawaii.[13] They have two sons together, Brandon and Brody.[14] The couple separated in 1986 after Jenner came out to Thompson as a trans woman, and they eventually divorced after going through counseling.[15]

    Marriage to David Foster

    On June 22, 1991, Thompson married Canadian composer and record producer David Foster; they divorced in 2005.[16] [17]

    Honors and awards

    Thompson won a BMI Film & TV Award in 1994 for Most Performed Song from a Film ("I Have Nothing"), composed by Thompson and David Foster for the soundtrack for The Bodyguard.[18] She shared Special Recognition Awards in 1997 and 2004 with several others for work related to the Olympics, including lyrics for the official 1996 Olympic theme song, "The Power of the Dream", sung by Celine Dion.

    Notes and References

    1. "Linda Thompson Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic
    2. http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/latimes/obituary.aspx?n=sanford-abel-thompson&pid=132965620 Info re parents
    3. http://www.reviewjournal.com/columns-blogs/doug-elfman/elvis-baby-faced-bodyguard-what-life-was-king Elvis Presley profile
    4. Web site: Miss Memphis and Shelby County Pageants . 2014-07-19 . 2014-07-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140728012606/http://www.missmemphispageant.com/MSC.html . dead .
    5. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/local-news/mid-south-memories-our-fair-02 Memphis Commercial Appeal, "Mid-South Memories"
    6. Web site: Miss Tennessee Titleholders. March 25, 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120925011623/http://www.misstennessee.org/titleholders.htm. September 25, 2012.
    7. Web site: Hall of Fame. Misstennesseeusa.com.
    8. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1251863.Elvis_Linda_Me Elvis, Linda and Me
    9. http://www.elvisinfonet.com/interview_dumas.html Interview with Dumas
    10. https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2003/outstanding-original-music-and-lyrics 2003 Emmy Award - Outstanding Music and Lyrics
    11. News: Interview with Linda Thompson Elvis Articles . 13 November 2021 . Elvis.com.au.
    12. News: Linda Thompson memoir recalls loving Elvis Presley, Bruce Jenner. 20 August 2016. The Commercial Appeal. August 19, 2016.
    13. News: Notes on People; Bruce Jenner Married 'Hee Haw' Entertainer; Hawaiian Wedding. January 7, 1981. The New York Times. January 29, 2015.
    14. News: Brody Jenner joins 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians'. Los Angeles Times. March 5, 2013. Nardine. Saad. January 29, 2015. April 3, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130403192928/http://articles.latimes.com/2013/mar/05/entertainment/la-et-mg-brody-jenner-joins-kardashians-20130305. live.
    15. Web site: EXCLUSIVE: Linda Thompson Opens Up About Caitlyn Jenner Marrying Kris After Coming Out as Transgender Entertainment Tonight . 2022-05-27 . Etonline.com . en-US.
    16. News: Television & Radio; 'Princes': royal flush; The Malibu-based reality series slipped on the grain of truth from which it sprang. Fox's failed show had little chance from the outset. Reality, it seems, got in the way.. Los Angeles Times. Gina. Piccalo. August 22, 2005. E1. 2010-03-12. 2013-06-06. https://web.archive.org/web/20130606072852/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/885071681.html?dids=885071681:885071681&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Aug+22%2C+2005&author=Gina+Piccalo&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Television+%26+Radio%3B+%27Princes%27%3A+royal+flush%3B+The+Malibu-based+reality+series+slipped+on+the+grain+of+truth+from+which+it+sprang.+Fox%27s+failed+show+had+little+chance+from+the+outset.+Reality%2C+it+seems%2C+got+in+the+way.&pqatl=google. dead.
    17. Divorce for Mom on Princes of Malibu. Silverman. Stephen M.. People. July 22, 2005. 2010-03-12. 2016-04-23. https://web.archive.org/web/20160423112715/http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,1085553,00.html. dead.
    18. Borzillo. Carrie. 28 May 1994. TV Composer Post Takes BMI Award. Billboard. 106. 72.