Linda Lawley Pelfrey
The Society of Composers & Lyricists grieves the loss of SCL member
LINDA LAWLEY PELFREY (age 58)
Born April 18, 1949, Stillwater, OK
Died November 24, 2007, Woodland Hills, CA
She is survived by her loving husband, SCL Member DANNY PELFREY;
her sister, Kathy Lawley Kendrick; and, her brother, Eugene (Trey) Lawley III. She had two nieces, Tracey Gorenflo Dobbs and Shana Gorenflo Boggs. Linda was preceded in death by her mother, Ellena Lawley Roberts, and her father, Eugene Greene Lawley, Jr.
The Services celebrating Linda’s life will be held:
December 14th, 2007 at 11am
Shepherd of the Hills
19700 Rinaldi Street, Porter Ranch, CA.
Phone: 818.831.9333
In lieu of flowers, donations in Linda’s name may be made to the Sarcoma Foundation of America, 9884 Main St., P. O. Box 458, Damascus, MD 20872. If you go to the website curesarcoma.org you will see a donation form that allows you to remember Linda and help find a cure for this terrible disease.
*********************************************
Written by her husband, Danny Pelfrey:
Linda began her life in music at sixteen in Gulfport, Mississippi. Initially singing folk music in small clubs along the Gulf Coast, in 1966 she joined Eternity’s Children, a southern rock group. Her remarkable voice, beauty and gentle love of life proved just the catalyst the group needed. Performing on bills with The Rolling Stones, Eric Burdon, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder and many others, her dedication to Eternity’s Children led to four successful CD’s that are still popular throughout the world as well as a prized 1969 appearance on American Bandstand. When the group disbanded in 1970, she immediately sought new venues for her musical talents.
Linda arrived in New York City in the early 1970’s to appear in THE EARL OF RUSTON, a Broadway show that had had its first production in Baton Rouge. Following a short run, she next joined the legendary Hippie tribe in Broadway’s ground-breaking musical hit, HAIR.
Joseph Papp’s Public Theatre – the birthplace of HAIR and A CHORUS LINE – was Linda’s next stop. In IPHIGENIA, a rock musical based on two plays by Euripides, twelve young, unknown women created a unique ensemble cast. Following its New York run, the production moved to London’s Young Vic, the experimental wing of England’s National Theatre. With her incredible voice, great heart and radiant energy, Linda was a standout in a cast of newcomers that included Nell Carter, Madge Sinclair, Margaret Dorn, Marta Heflin, Leata Galloway and Patti Lupone.
Forming a best friend and song-writing bond with Margaret Dorn during the run of IPHIGENIA, their return to New York saw the two doing studio work with various artists including B J Thomas (Linda sang a duet with BJ on the album SONGS) and Wicked Lester – a group soon to be renamed KISS. Developing their own material, performing in New York clubs as LADY, Linda and Margaret next signed a publishing contract with Chappell Music. By the mid-70’s, Linda, Margaret and Beverly Smith were recording and touring world-wide with Petula Clark. A Las Vegas introduction to Karen Carpenter on that tour would lead to Carpenter later recording Linda and Margaret’s song KISS ME THE WAY YOU DID LAST NIGHT (released in 1990 on LOVELINES).
At the end of the 1970’s, Linda moved to L.A. to join the Michael Chapman-produced rock and roll band Thieves. Co-writing many of the group’s songs with fellow band mates, her nearly five-year association with Thieves resulted in one album for Arista Records. It is on that album, YUCATAN, that Linda’s own unique performance of KISS ME THE WAY YOU DID LAST NIGHT can be heard.
In 1982, Linda decided that she and former Thieves Jerry Donahue and Russ Buchanan would re-invent themselves. And so, Roommates was born. Moving into yet another new direction with her musical skills, with a repertoire running from hard rock to Broadway hits, for the next eight years Roommates became a well known Los Angeles cabaret act. But the true magic of Roommates happened in 1983 when a friend took Danny Pelfrey to see the group perform. Linda and Danny clicked.
On June 25, 1991, Linda and Danny Pelfrey were married in Carmel, CA. They were inseparable and perfectly completed every part of each other. After happily touring with Carole King for two years, they decided to change their career direction. Linda dedicated herself to helping Danny build his career in music for television and film as well as creating Amusicom, their music library. In addition to co-writing and producing music with her husband, Linda’s lifetime in the music business brought great business savvy and entrepreneurial spirit to their endeavors. Through her vision, talent and unceasing work, these ventures and several related businesses became very successful.
Not limited to music and business, Linda’s talents also made her famous among her friends as a painter, seamstress and, most notably, a cook. Her gumbo and the many other Southern-influenced dishes she crafted with special flair made her cooking just as artistic and creative as she was in every other facet of her life.
After discovering the beautiful central coast town of Cambria on their honeymoon, Linda and Danny returned to visit whenever they could. In 2003, they finally realized their long-shared dream of building a home overlooking the ocean in their beloved Cambria. It was here that they planned to eventually move and continue their music and life together.
Because of their unique bond, only Danny’s words can reflect the complete essence of Linda’s life: She was the perfect compliment to me in every way. I know there could never have been enough years to share with her, yet sixteen seems so incredibly brief. But, for however long we were given together, I felt lucky every day to be married to the love of my life and my best friend. It was my privilege to be her husband. And, like anyone who knew her, I will always love and cherish her.