Linda Perry to play rare set at Swing into Spring | Getout

Each year, the Singletons — an organization dedicated to helping single-parent families facing cancer — raise money through a social called Swing into Spring. 

This year’s fundraiser features an appearance by renowned singer/ songwriter/ producer Linda Perry on Saturday, March 23, at the Sub-Zero, Wolf and Cove Showroom in Scottsdale. 

The fundraiser is a rare chance to see Perry, who no longer performs often. She keeps busy writing music for film and TV, producing and being a mom. 

Perry is a Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee who has worked with artists such as Pink, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, Britney Spears, Adele, Ariana Grande, Celine Dion, Miley Cyrus, James Blunt and Alicia Keys. She was the leader singer/ songwriter for 4 Non Blondes, best known for their hit “What’s Up?”  The YouTube video for “What’s Up?” garnered more than a billion views. 

In 2019, Perry earned a Producer of the Year Grammy nomination, becoming the first woman in 15 years to do so. She also received Grammy, Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice Award nominations for “Girl in the Movies,” a song she co-wrote with Dolly Parton for the film “Dumplin’.” 

Along with live music from Perry, The Singletons social will also showcase the culinary talents of Emmy-nominated chef and six-time cookbook author Adrianne Calvo, who has appeared on “Chopped” and is known for her YouTube series “Maximum Flavor with Chef Adrianne.” 

Culinary stations will be set up around the showroom. Attendees can also partake in craft cocktails, games and a silent auction.  

VIP ticketholders will receive open bar access, seating near the celebrity chef station and a swag bag. 

Proceeds from the event will help to support The Singletons’ programs and provide nutritional meal kits, household supplies and monthly activities for families whose parents or children are facing cancer. 

Perry became familiar with the social because her brother Jay Perry is a chef involved with the event. 

“I do a lot of philanthropy,” she said. “I have a lot of organizations that I help out. I’ve done a lot of fundraising. I’ve put on many, many, many events. It’s just something that I do, and my brother brought the awareness as it being something that’s important to him. If it’s important to him, it’s important to me. We’re family, and we support each other.”

Last year, she asked Jessica Simpson to donate clothing to The Singletons. This is the first time Perry will perform at the event.

“Music, of course, to me is the end-all of everything. It’s a universal language. It’s healing. It’s a lot of things. That’s what I do. That’s the way I could support,” she said. 

Perry — who scored films such as “Luckiest Girl Alive,” “To Leslie” and “Citizen Penn” — said she does not plan a set list. 

“I don’t really perform,” she said. “I’m doing this as a favor for my brother and to be supportive of the organization. I’ve been so busy working I haven’t thought about it. I will play whatever feels right for me to play.” 

She is a staunch advocate for creator’s rights who participates in the Recording Academy’s Grammys on the Hill, a music advocacy event that brings together musicians and lawmakers. 

A philanthropist, she and other prominent artists participated in the One Love Malibu benefit concert, which helped to raise over $1 million for people impacted by the Malibu fires. She is on the board for Sean Penn’s CORE, a nonprofit organization that curates and produces musical performances for fundraisers in LA and Nashville. 

Perry also gives back through an initiative she co-founded with Alisha Ballard called EqualizeHer, which seeks to achieve equal representation in the music industry by exposing young women to various career paths. 

“What we do is help young females find their way into the music business that’s not the obvious pop-star route,” Perry said.

“We help them to get educated on being tour managers, live sound engineers, managers, lighting, producers, engineers, mixers, mastering engineers… We do meet-and-greet. We just got one for Olivia Rodrigo, where we’ll bring our girls to her soundcheck. They will ghost the sound engineer. They will go onstage and watch the roadies. They’ll meet the band. They’ll ask questions about what it’s like to be a tour manager, what is expected. It gives them education, and it helps inspire and motivate.”

Perry said her background makes her unique in the music business.

“I have a very rare story,” Perry said.

“There is no person like me in the business. There are no women who write songs, play multiple instruments, produce, sing, engineer, all of that stuff. I didn’t find it difficult. It was a natural progression for me. I’m very lucky. I’m very rare in this business. That’s why I bring my voice to this subject because it’s important to bring awareness.

“I also fight for what I believe in. I’m not one that you can easily push around, and people know that very quickly when they meet me.”

As a songwriter, she works with a range of artists. She said she approaches each project differently based on the artists with whom she is working. 

“Every project I work on is a boutique situation,” Perry said.

“I start from scratch, and I try to understand the emotions and feelings of the artist. I try to bring the best out of them. That’s how I cater to every project. It’s a very unique and very specific to that artist.”