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Linda Perry Reveals She Had 'Hard Time' in 4 Non Blondes; Wasn't Sure About 'Kind Of Music' She Wanted To Create
Linda reflects on her hard time with 4 Non Blondes, sharing about the whirlwind of early fame following the success of What's Up? She mentioned that walking away from it all was no big deal for her.
Linda Perry, the singer-songwriter, who rose to fame in the group 4 Non Blondes speaks about her stay in the group and her decision to leave even after releasing a hit song, What’s Up? As she talks to PEOPLE in the week’s edition, the now 59-year-old singer opens up about how early success was not always a piece of cake and how the music industry was not always receptive to what she wanted to achieve.
Perry formed 4 Non Blondes in San Francisco between 1989 and 1992 with other members including Christa Hillhouse on bass, Shaunna Hall on guitar, and Wanda Day on drums. Their first album Bigger, Better, Faster, More! of 1992, has the single What’s Up? Despite this, during the track’s recording, there was stress as the record company wanted them to record a version that Perry herself did not like. Ignoring such advice, she recorded her original piece against the label's advice, which became a charting hit.
In recalling those days, Perry could never dispute that she must have been grappling with her identity within the band.
“I knew from then on out, ‘You’re going to have to constantly be surviving here if you’re going to be alive,’” she says. “I had a hard time in the band; not because of them, because I wasn’t clear on the kind of music I wanted to do yet. I was just really finding myself.”
Recently, Perry premiered her documentary Linda Perry: Let it Die Here at the Tribeca Film Festival giving the audience more information about her further creative experience and her life.
Linda Perry reflects on musical evolution and personal journey in new documentary
Linda discusses her relatively short time in the spotlight with the band 4 Non Blondes and the obstacles that she and the rest of the band faced in the music industry as young stars. In an interview with PEOPLE, the 59-year-old Perry notes that she was still in the learning process while the band was enjoying platinum and rehearsing to perform before thousands of enthusiastic fans and followers, including 80,000 attendees in some events.
On the same note, Perry did not hesitate to walk out on 4 Non-Blondes in 1994 because she knew she could overcome breaks. “I’m figuring out all this stuff as we’re getting platinum records and playing to 80,000 people,” she says. “That’s why it was so easy for me to walk away — because I know what it’s like being down. Being at the bottom is easy breezy. I know how to climb. I’m a great climber. So to me, walking away from all of it was no big deal.”
Perry left 4 Non Blondes in 1994 and went on to create her solo albums In Flight (1996) and After Hours (1996) three years apart. Of her former bandmates, Perry says, "We don't talk much at all."
With years shifting to the early 2000s, Perry had carved a niche for herself as a successful songwriter as well as a song producer for other celebrities including Pink, Christina Aguilera, and Gwen Stefani. Her talent in nurturing artists as well as churning out successful songs further endeared her and established her as the powerhouse that she is in the music industry.
Today, Perry’s transition from being a member of a group to an individual artist who immensely contributes to creating new hit songs shows the tenacity of Perry to successfully carve out her niche in the music industry while positively affecting other musicians as well.
Linda Perry rocks genre-hopping freedom and self-discovery
Linda Perry comes to Performing Songwriter to talk about her ever-changing musical career and the satisfaction she gains from the freedom of experimenting with various genres, having recently co-written with the Dixie Chicks and writing with Jonathan Davis of Korn. In an interview, she has described this period as very enjoyable and productive, during which she ventured into other genres that she found most suitable for her creativity.
Her journey to stardom and/or transition to EM is also depicted in her new documentary, in which Perry talks about her troubled early childhood, stages of rehabilitation before her mother died, and happy parenting of her 9-year-old son Rhodes. Her recent breast cancer diagnosis in 2021, which left a positive impact on her life is also discussed in the documentary.
“I am really finally enjoying this person I’m becoming,” Perry says. “I’ve always had this thing where I just want to be the best. So much pressure to be the best. But now I’m like, I just want to be the best at who I am. And that takes a lot of pressure off. I don’t want to be f---ing Superman. I don’t want to save the world. I just want to save the people I can, and I want to be the best person that I am.”
This story defines every woman and more so Perry; it explores her growth from a musician who was discovering her voice to a woman, artist, and performer who recognises and accepts herself for who she is and is unafraid to push and demand change.
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