An Interview with Linda Eder

By Gregg Shapiro

The word “diva” tends to be tossed around too casually these days. Therefore, when you hear someone who genuinely deserves the title, it’s that much more satisfying. After more than 30 years as a recording artist, Linda Eder has more than earned the right to be called a diva. Additionally, her Broadway and concert credits speak (or sing) for themselves. Returning to live performance, accompanied by her legendary gay music director Billy Stritch, Eder is an entertainer of the highest order. Linda was kind enough to answer a few questions in late 2021.

Gregg Shapiro: Linda, I’m always interested in the ways that performers stayed busy during the pandemic. For instance, you taught private voice lessons via Skype, and you have also been making Tree of Life holiday ornaments. In addition to performing, you also express yourself through visual art. Do you remember when you first discovered that you had a talent for that?

Linda Eder: I actually was going to go into art right from the get-go as a kid because I was drawing from the time I was young. That was gonna be my career because I was so shy about singing. I never thought in a million years that I would do that. I was going to go to art school, but then I met a guy in choir who played piano. We started a duo and we started singing. Then one thing led into the other, and art became my side job [laughs].

GS: Your eponymous debut album was released 30 years ago. When you look back on that album now, how do you feel about it?

LE: It was probably the album that I was least good at. It was sort of R&B pop, which is really not my thing, but that’s what Frank (Wildhorn) was writing at that time. Beautiful melodies, but R&B is all about the licks and the groove and all that. That was definitely not my strength. I got better at it as I got older and matured. If I could have gone back and done that album again, I think I would have made it much better. My voice was this very Broadway voice trying to do pop R&B. I would say, not the album I was most comfortable with.

GS: In late 2021, you performed in concert at Feinstein’s/54 Below with Billy Stritch. How did that musical pairing come to be?

LE: I’ve had different musical directors over the years. I’ve been lucky and have worked with really wonderful people. I worked with Jeremy Roberts for about 15 years and then I worked with the wonderful John Oddo, who sadly passed away. After John, I worked with Billy Stein who used to play second keys in my band. He was really talented, and he worked with me for a number of years before going off to do his own thing. My band configuration changes up a little bit depending on the music I’m doing. I wanted to make an album of stuff that I like to write, which is country-pop. I knew that’s not what my audience knew me for, but I knew, as a person, that’s who I was. When you write, you write what you know, and that’s how it came out. I wanted to make this album called The Other Side of Me. David Finck, who’s been my bass player all along, said ‘Billy (Stein) might be a good guy to co-produce it.’ So, that’s how we hooked back up together making The Other Side of Me album. I asked him to be my musical director because we were going to focus on that kind of material for a while, anyway. We had many wonderful years working together. He’s become so in demand in the business. If you go to a Broadway show, chances are you’re going to see it’s his company that has programmed the tracks that they’re using. He’s so busy with two different recording studios, and life on the road takes time away from that. I think COVID made a lot of people realize we’re all getting a little older, and traveling is not so much fun when you’ve done it your whole life. He decided he really didn’t want to do live (performances) anymore because he just didn’t have the time. We both cried a little because I love him so much, but I understood completely. That’s when Billy Stritch came along. I had worked with Billy a couple of times. Every now and then Billy Stein couldn’t do a show and Billy Stritch was the first call because he’s such an amazing player. He said sure, he’d step in to take over the reins. I was so thrilled because it’s a scary transition. Now we’ve done about seven shows together and what’s so great about it is that each musical director that you work with is slightly different. They each have their strengths. I’m having fun because I feel I’m going into my next phase. I’m growing again because I’m hearing other sounds and chords. I’m hearing a stronger jazz influence. I’ve been going that way anyway over the years, so it’s fun. I’m excited to work up new material with him. Right now, we’re doing material that’s been in my shows for years. Currently, I’ve brought back the Judy Garland stuff, which I haven’t done for years. We have a show called Me and My Shadow, which is very heavy on the Judy Garland stuff, but we’re going to start working on new stuff together and I’m really looking forward to that.

GS: You’re returning to Feinstein’s/54 Below in February 2022. What do you like best about that venue?

LE: The venue is the one I played on March 6, 2020, and then the whole world shut down! That was the last place I played before I didn’t play anymore. I started back up in July, but to go back to 54 Below felt good! I don’t play a lot of small venues, and I get asked to play others of the smaller cabaret-type rooms in Manhattan, but I’ve always been loyal to 54 Below. It’s a wonderful room. How great is it to sit at that banquette table, eat a great dinner, and see a show? It has overtones of the glamour days of the past, doing those kinds of shows. I’m usually back there two or three times a year.