lyne
On 4th of July, my sister Lynda was killed in a drunk driving accident. She was probably asleep in the back seat when it happened. She was 26.
It has been a very difficult few weeks - the most difficult of my life. One thing that has helped is a gift from my good friend Andy. He managed to dig up a recording that he and I made with Lynda singing. This must have been recorded in '95 or '96. It's one of Lynda's favorites, "Half a Person" by the Smiths. Although she was 16, she wasn't very clumsy and she certainly wasn't shy.
At the time, Lynda liked a weird range of music. Elvis Costello and the Smiths are pretty typical for an intelligent girl her age, but she also loved Liza Minelli and Carol Channing. Their influence accounts for the flamboyant way she belts out the incongruously monotone melody.
I hope you enjoy this. Everyone remembers Lynda's humor and energy. I think those qualities come through pretty well in what we considered a forgotten throwaway until now.
It has been a very difficult few weeks - the most difficult of my life. One thing that has helped is a gift from my good friend Andy. He managed to dig up a recording that he and I made with Lynda singing. This must have been recorded in '95 or '96. It's one of Lynda's favorites, "Half a Person" by the Smiths. Although she was 16, she wasn't very clumsy and she certainly wasn't shy.
At the time, Lynda liked a weird range of music. Elvis Costello and the Smiths are pretty typical for an intelligent girl her age, but she also loved Liza Minelli and Carol Channing. Their influence accounts for the flamboyant way she belts out the incongruously monotone melody.
I hope you enjoy this. Everyone remembers Lynda's humor and energy. I think those qualities come through pretty well in what we considered a forgotten throwaway until now.
8 Comments:
Wow... I was a friend of Lynda's at UCLA and lost touch with her... thanks for sharing this. I'm so sorry for you and your family. Your parents invited me and my ex-boyfriend into their home our freshman year for Thanksgiving and are such amazing people.
Take care,
Andrea
awndie@yahoo.com
haven't heard her voice since june 3oth...harder than i wish it was...thanks andy (and jon)
I'm so sorry. Thank you for sharing this recording.
I'm so sorry to hear about Lynda. I met her in Tianjin, China. It was one of those life-changing phases in both our lives. Although we all went separate directions, she and I stayed in touch sporadically. But I always knew we would be able to write to each other and catch up. How could one know?
Loved her rendition of "Half a Person"....Lynda rocked.
Greta C.
Hey jon-
Little V was a dear friend. I was at her funeral.
I just smile when I think of her.
Thanx for posting the song..she was pretty good for being 16...fearless.
I'm so sorry for how difficult it is and has been. How are you doing these days?
Lynda's fam,
It was good to hear lynda's voice again! Escpecially in rock out mode, that was hillarious! The loss of lynda is still cut deep in my heart and soul. but the life and energy that lynda gave me when we were together makes me live forever! Lynda will always rock:)
Hope you all are having a happy Holla!-days. Merry christmas and a awesome New year! Cheers
I'm sorry this is so late in coming to you, Jonathan. I just found out today that Lynda has passed away. I am sooo sorry to hear this and quite sad. I met Lynda on a canceled flight from LAX to Chicago Midway after Christmas 2004. We were stuck in LAX for like 20 hours together, then took a red eye to Chicago via Philadelphia of all places, and thus a friendship was born. As I work in the theatre scene in Chicago, Lynda and I saw plays in Chicago a lot and liked to laugh ourselves silly.
Death is difficult. For many reasons. But the one thing death cannot do is take away the legacy Lynda left. I know we'd like to say that about everyone in the world. But for her, it really is true. I will never forget her laugh (how could you?! it happened like every 2 seconds!) and I will never forget her spirit. The last time I saw her (which was May 3, 2005 -- i know this because it was opening night of a production called "Silk" at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago; again, a play-going date), she had just broken up with her boyfriend and was dedicated to finding happiness again. She was resilient. She always was. But, what was amazing was that she always did it through a booming laugh. I didn't know Lynda long, but I'll always carry that gift from her around with me.
My deepest condolensces to you and your family, Jonathan. This truly is a loss.
Justin Palmer
jpwoven@hotmail.com
Hi Jon,
I went to high school with Lynda. She showed up senior year and had made friends with half the school, something that I have always been impressed with. Her and I quickly became friends and one of the memories I have is rocking out in her red Toyota Tercel (affectionately called 'Terri')to 80's music and going to Venice for her birthday. I wish we hadn't lost touch and that we could've reminisced about all the fun adventures we had. I am sorry for losing touch with her and wish that I could have made it to the memorial service last year. She was a bright person and the world is changed without her in it.
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