  linda diane creed (december 6, 1948 â april 10, 1986) also known by her married name linda epstein, was an american singer-songwriter and lyricist who teamed up with songwriter-producer thom bell to produce some of the most successful philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s. ==career== born in philadelphia, creed was raised in the city's mt. airy section. her career was launched in 1970 when singer dusty springfield recorded her song "free girl". that same year, creed teamed with bell, a staff writer, producer, and arranger at kenny gamble and leon huff's record label philadelphia international records. their first songwriting collaboration, "stop, look, listen (to your heart)", became a top 40 pop hit for the stylistics, beginning an extended collaboration that also yielded the group's most successful recordings, including "you are everything", "betcha by golly, wow", "break up to make up", and "you make me feel brand new". creed and bell also paired on a number of hits for the spinners, including "ghetto child", "i'm coming home", "living a little, laughing a little", and "the rubberband man". linda creed also worked with fellow philadelphia native phyllis hyman on many of her songs, most notably "old friend". ==death== though diagnosed with breast cancer at 26, creed kept on working, teaming with composer michael masser and writing the lyrics to "greatest love of all" for the 1977 muhammad ali biopic the greatest. in the spring of 1986, the song topped the charts for singer whitney houston. weeks before houston reached number one, creed died on april 10, 1986, at the age of 37. the following year, her family and friends established the linda creed breast cancer foundation. in 1992, she was posthumously inducted into the songwriters hall of fame. ==songwriting highlights== *"stop, look, listen (to your heart)" â originally recorded by the stylistics *"you are everything" â originally recorded by the stylistics *"betcha by golly, wow" â originally recorded by connie stevens as "keep growin
1949_births 1986_deaths American_female_singers American_lyricists Cancer_deaths_in_Pennsylvania Deaths_from_breast_cancer Musicians_from_Philadelphia,_Pennsylvania Songwriters_Hall_of_Fame_inductees Songwriters_from_Pennsylvania