Linda Lou McCall is a songwriter and music industry consultant specializing in entertainment marketing, street promotion, and creative development. She has notably worked with many artists over five decades, from veterans like The Delfonics and Con Funk Shun to contemporary superstars like MC Hammer, Eminem and Lil Wayne
Born in Washington DC as Linda Lou Bolden, she graduated from Calvin Coolidge High School. She then attended Howard University’s School of Drama, majoring in Technical Production with an emphasis on Stage Lighting & Set Design. While attending college, Linda Lou also worked on the university newspaper “The Hilltop” as a sports photojournalist. She then went in to be the first female Sports Editor of the college yearbook, “The Bison”. Linda Lou graduated with Bachelor of Fine Arts. She also attended law school at the University of California-Davis.
Her work in photography came to the attention of the Grammy Award winning trio The Delfonics. Linda Lou traveled with them for 2 years as a photographer. She was also a contributing photojournalist for major black entertainment magazines of that time. In 1973, Linda Lou was hired by Stax Records songwriter/producer, Josephine Bridges. It was while working at Stax, she met her future husband Louis Anthony McCall, founder & drummer of the band Con Funk Shun. They married in 1976 and became the parents of two children, Lindsay Chérie and Louis Anthony II.
Linda Lou was instrumental part of the band as the Production Assistant on most of its 10 Mercury Records albums. She changed the original spelling of the band’s name from 'Confunkshun” to its current well-known "Con Funk Shun” and designed the logo which the band still uses today. She also designed the band’s album covers, wrote liner notes and served as Creative Consultant. As an American Federation of Musicians (AFM) booking agent, she secured the band’s first major tour which resulting in a Billboard “ 1 With A Bullet” hit single and the first of its four RIAA Gold Album Awards. Linda Lou wrote several songs for Con Funk Shun, including the Billboard Top 20 R&B single “Bad Lady”, “California 1”, “Honey Wild” and “Promise You Love”. Her publishing company Exxtra Foxx Music (BMI) was started in 1981. As Exxtra Foxx Music LLC, it became the umbrella company for both both music publishing and the business of music, in the areas of contracts, copyrights, and entertainment marketing & promotion.
In the decades after her contribution to her husband’s band, Linda Lou worked for rap megastar and pioneer MC Hammer Later, she formed her own company, The Entertainment Qartel, Inc, (EQartel), specializing in music business administration and entertainment marketing and promotions. She and Louis discovered and managed several young musicians like songwriter/vocalist Keith Eric Martin. She relocated from Los Angeles to Atlanta in 1994 and quickly built up a solid client base with artists like OutKast, Goodie Mob, Notorious B.I.G., Puff Daddy, T.L.C., Jay-Z, Will Smith, Three-6 Mafia, Tupac, Mariah Carey, Faith Evans, 112, and Gerald Levert. As a member of the first Interscope Records Street Team, her Atlanta-based Rhyme Scene Unit Street Marketing Task Force was instrumental in the success of the debut albums of Eminem, Mya, Black Eyed Peas, and the platinum-selling "Bulworth" soundtrack.
Tragically, Louis was killed in a home invasion robbery in June 25 1997 while visiting a friend in Stone Mountain GA. Linda Lou spent the next decade fighting to keep Louis' case from going cold, even persuading the Governor of Georgia to reopen the case in 2003. Her hard work finally paid off - on January 18, 2007, a Dekalb County, GA grand jury indicted a suspect on a felony murder charge. The case went to trial on July 21, 2008. However, due to problems with the state's presentation of the case, the judge declared a mistrial just hours after the jury began deliberation. Linda Lou asked that the defendant not be retried until the prosecution could build a more solid case. As of 2024, the remains unsolved.
The songs that Linda Lou wrote for Con Funk Shun continue to be in demand. In fact, one of them, “Honey Wild”, was used by rapper Lil Wayne on his triple Platinum, Grammy Award winning album, "Tha Carter III” (2008) and his EP “The Leak” (2007). In addition, she has been a voting member of The Recording Academy ("The Grammy Awards") for over 40 years. People magazine and the Dove Pro*Age ad campaign named Linda Lou one of "The 50 Most Beautiful Women Over 50" in the "Most Beautiful People" issue (May 7, 2007)
In 2010, the Smithsonian Institute used one of Linda Lou's early photos of The Delfonics in its exhibit and its accompanying book, both entitled "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing: How The Apollo Theater Shaped American Entertainment". The exhibition was on view first in Washington DC, then toured nationally through 2012. It will be permanently housed in the new National Museum of African-American History and Culture opening on the Washington Mall in 2015. She has appeared in several music documentaries including "Howard Theater: A Century of Song" (2010) on PBS and two episodes of TVOne's hit show "Unsung" about Con Funk Shun (2012) and The Delfonics (2013). Her vintage photographs of these subjects were used in each of the films.
Recently Linda Lou has mentored young people like multi-Platinum producers Curtis Richardson (Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, John Legend), Charlene “ Charlie Vox” Gilliam (Rihanna) and vocalist/songwriter Diondria “Dria” Thornton (Logic, Lecrae, Ray J, Rick Ross). In 2018, Exxtra Foxx Music LLC partnered with veteran music company H & H Music LLC. Linda Lou and Matt Haag worked tirelessly for four years collecting unpaid royalties for producers who had contributed to artists like Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne and Drake.
Louis and Con Funk Shun were honored by the National R&B Music Society Inc. (NRBMS) with a Lifetime Achievement Award on September 21, 2014 at its 4th Annual Black Tie Dinner & Award Ceremony in Atlantic City. At the same event, Linda Lou McCall was given the “Unsung Heroine” Award (along with recording artists Jean Carne and Meli’sa Morgan) for her work behind the scenes for artists for over 4 decades, In October 2021, Linda Lou was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Music Business Empowerment Conference for her contribution to the music industry. In 2022, she was also recognized given an Alumni Award by Calvin Coolidge High School.
Photo courtesy of The National R&B Music Society - All Rights Reserved
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Discography
"I Think I Found The Answer” - Con Funk Shun
"Honey Wild” - Con Funk Shun
"Welcome Back To Love” - Con Funk Shun
"Hide & Freak” - Con Funk Shun
"Love's Memories” - Con Funk Shun
"California 1” - Con Funk Shun
"Bad Lady” - Con Funk Shun
"Promise You Love” - Con Funk Shun
"T.H.E. Freak” - Con Funk Shun
"All Up To You” - Con Funk Shun
California 1 - Keith Martin f/Jazzy Jim Oliver
“Kush” - Lil Wayne
Documentary Film Appearances
"Howard Theater: A Century of Song” - PBS (2010)
"Con Funk Shun" - "Unsung" for TVOne (2012)
"The Delfonics" - "Unsung" for TVOne (2013)