Linna, Miriam

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Origin: Sudbury, Ontario, 🇨🇦 - Ohio - York City, NY, 🇺🇸
Biography:

Miriam Linna: Drummer, Label Founder, Author, and Collector
Miriam Linna (born October 16, 1955) is a Canadian-American musician, writer, and record label owner, best known for her work as a drummer, her leadership of Norton Records, and her contributions to the worlds of rock & roll and vintage publishing. Over the decades, she has carved out a unique space in music history, playing a vital role in punk, garage rock, and underground publishing.

Drumming Career & Musical Legacy
Linna was the original drummer for The Cramps, performing with the band from their first-ever show in 1976 until mid-1977. After leaving The Cramps, she went on to join Nervus Rex, a new wave band, before shifting into garage rock with The Zantees and later The A-Bones, a high-energy rock & roll band she co-founded with her husband, the late Billy Miller. The A-Bones, known for their raw, party-driven sound, released several albums and performed with legends like Andre Williams, Little Richard, and The Great Gaylord.

Linna’s drumming earned her wide recognition, including a shout-out from Bob Dylan on his XM Theme Time Radio Hour in 2007. She also contributed drums to projects by other notable artists, including Maureen Tucker’s 1994 album Dogs Under Stress and the proto-punk band Figures of Light.

In 2014, Linna reinvented herself as a solo artist, releasing her debut album Nobody’s Baby under the name Miriam. The record, featuring Phil Spector-style arrangements and deep-cut ‘60s covers, was followed by 2015’s Down Today. Both albums showcased her honeyed, nostalgic vocals and an aesthetic deeply rooted in Brill Building pop, girl-group sounds, and cinematic orchestration.

Norton Records & Publishing
Linna and Miller founded Norton Records in 1986, a label devoted to raw, forgotten rock & roll, rockabilly, and garage rarities. Under their leadership, Norton became a mecca for record collectors, reissuing lost gems from the likes of Hasil Adkins, Esquerita, The Sonics, and Link Wray. Their extensive catalog, combined with Linna’s wild, humorous, and enthusiastic liner notes, helped shape the label’s cult following.

Beyond music, Linna has been deeply involved in underground publishing. She co-edited Kicks Magazine, a passionate, over-the-top fanzine dedicated to obscure rock & roll. She has also published numerous books through Kicks Books, including titles by Sun Ra, Harlan Ellison, Andre Williams, and Kim Fowley.

Her literary projects include:

The Great Lost Photographs of Eddie Rocco (1997)
Sin-A-Rama: Sleaze Sex Paperbacks of the Sixties (2004)
I Fought the Law (2015), a biography of Bobby Fuller, co-written with Randy Fuller
Linna’s love for vintage pop culture extends beyond music. She owns one of the largest private collections of vintage paperbacks, specializing in juvenile delinquent fiction, pulp crime novels, and obscure imprints like Avon and Signet. Her collection inspired the Bad Seed postcard book and numerous publishing ventures.

Legacy & Influence
Whether behind the drums, running a record label, curating lost sounds, or reviving pulp fiction, Miriam Linna has remained a tireless champion of underground culture. Her work has helped preserve some of rock & roll’s wildest, most overlooked voices, ensuring that the raw, unfiltered sounds of the past continue to inspire new generations.