“'American Idol' is a machine. It's a machine that's making a lot of money, that's selling a lot of product. It's 'American Marketing.'”

American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer, born 1965

Linda Perry is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. She was born in 1965 and is best known as the lead singer, primary songwriter, and guitarist of 4 Non Blondes, the band behind the 1993 hit "What's Up?". After 4 Non Blondes, Perry built a major career in songwriting and production. She founded two record labels and worked on songs for other artists, including "Beautiful" for Christina Aguilera, "What You Waiting For?" for Gwen Stefani, and "Get the Party Started" for Pink. She also contributed to albums by Adele, Alicia Keys, and Courtney Love, and helped sign and distribute James Blunt in the United States. In 2015, she was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.