Born in London, Linda Lewis made her stage debut as a child, performing alongside her mother and father in the clubs near her East End home. In 1961, again encouraged by her parents, Lewis landed a bit part in the swinging film #A Taste of Honey; another small role found her playing a star struck fan in the Beatles' 1965 film #Help.
Acting, however, was never her first ambition. Rapidly building a reputation as a singer, she performed alongside bluesman John Lee Hooker and R&B band Herbie Goins & the Nighttimers.