Linda on stage at Carnegie Hall, November 9, 2005.

We would like to send our best wishes to Linda's fans for a very happy and healthy 2006! We are so fortunate that Linda and Animal Planet have given us a reason to celebrate in this first month of the New Year with the premiere of Trail MIX. We have looked forward to this ever since Linda first spoke of her plans for the show, and now the time for this eagerly anticipated project has finally arrived.

Once again, this edition of THE VOICE opens with Linda's letter to you, her devoted fans. From the feedback we receive continuously, we know that you treasure this special contribution from Linda in each edition.

Of course, the main focus of the Winter 2006 edition is the premiere of Trail MIX on January 29, 2006. This section is jam packed with great reading including an amazing interview with Linda about the Trail MIX project, and an in-depth interview with Maureen Smith in which she provides some insight into her duties at Animal Planet and the show itself. A very special feature of the Trail MIX page is an interview with Mrs. Eder about the love of animals that Linda developed early on in her life with comments from Linda as well. Also, you'll get to know a little about Sara Whalen and Pets Alive, the shelter which has benefited from your generous quarter donations.

2005 saw Linda's introduction of her new musical director, John Oddo, and those fans who have attended concerts since August 2005 have been very fortunate to experience his incredible talent first-hand. John has had an amazing career, which you will learn more about in his candid interview.

Carnegie Hall… the perfect venue for Linda Eder! Once again, she filled this historic venue to capacity and brought the fans to their feet time and time again as she paid tribute to her inspiration, Judy Garland. This incredible review captures the essence of the evening for the fans to enjoy. Whether you were fortunate enough to be in the audience that evening or not, you will experience the excitement through the words and pictures on this page.

Just as Linda was inspired by hearing Judy Garland, Eileen Farrell and Barbra Streisand, so too have young artists been inspired by Linda. As you read their stories on the "My Inspiration" page, you will realize what a positive effect Linda has had on these young people as a performer and, more importantly, as a person.

We all know about Linda's love for animals. She surrounds herself with quite a group of them at home, so we thought this was a perfect time to feature the fans' pets and their Linda connections on the Linda Pets page.

For those of you not able to attend Linda's first Judy Garland Concert following the release of BY MYSELF: THE SONGS OF JUDY GARLAND on October 6, 2005, and the concerts in Houston, Texas, that same month, several of Linda's fans have written reviews of those shows for the readers of THE VOICE. We know you will enjoy reading these reviews penned by Kris Johnson, Amanda Perry and Connie Brady on the FAN-tastic Reviews page.

Life is indeed a song! You'll see how this is true as you read the winning entries of THE VOICE Winter 2006 Contest. Also, don't miss the announcement of the Summer 2006 Contest.

As the EDER-tors of THE VOICE, it is amazing and gratifying to know that we have reached so many new fans from around the country and from around the world. Hardly a day goes by when we don't receive at least one message in our e-mail box from you, Linda's fans. You will see many new faces and read the messages from these Linda fans in Fan Corner.

Members of Linda's incredibly talented band and her team of creative geniuses continue to have busy and productive careers. David Finck, Linda's gifted bass player, has been busy with other aspects of his career when not appearing on stage or recording in the studio with Linda. He did some work on Gladys Knight's new CD, which will be coming out in early 2006, as well as two tunes on Jessica Simpson's upcoming CD. David traveled to Rio de Janeiro for a week to record with the Brazilian composer Ivan Lins, and he will be going to Japan with The Great Jazz Trio at the end of February. For more information on David's career, you can visit his Web site at www.davidfinck.net.

It seems like yesterday when Linda was wowing audiences in CAMILLE CLAUDEL at The Norma Terris Theatre in Connecticut. At that time, THE VOICE did a feature article on the show's writer and lyricist, Nan Knighton. We know Linda's fans are interested in Nan and her career, and she has provided an update on what's been happening in her career and her life. "For the past year, my career has been marrying off my two daughters. Eliza was married in May and Nola was married in September. It's very crazy to have both your daughters get married in a four-month period. I am only now beginning to float back down to earth, clear my desk and have finally started thinking about putting pen to paper again. I am leaning primarily toward my mystery play — simply because it's more commercial and I felt so burned by the dismissal of "Camille" because of its non-commerciality. I also just plain love my mystery. It's called "Bad Dreams" and I've been kicking it around for a long time. Maybe now I'll finally get to it. As you probably know, "Vienna" will open in Vienna in May of 2006. I still have song lyrics in that show, so I'll probably continue minimal involvement there as well. I have other ideas and I have also become really enamored of photography this past year, so as you can see it's been a very different sort of year for me and I myself am intrigued with what I will do next." You can keep abreast of Nan and her career by visiting her Web site at www.nanknighton.com.

And last but certainly never least, Jack Murphy shares the news that he has penned the words and music for the Trail MIX theme song, "Nothin' But Free." Listen for it! For the latest on Jack's career, please visit his Web site at www.jackmurphymusic.com.

As EDER-tors of THE VOICE, we are humbled by the tremendous amount of support we receive from so many people...

To Linda: Thank you for continuing to provide new and exciting happenings in your career for us to highlight in each edition of the newsletter. Your willingness to respond to all our requests (which at times are quite numerous!) is deeply appreciated. It is an honor and privilege to work so closely with you. You're the best!

To Mrs. Eder: It was such a pleasure interviewing you and hearing about Linda's relationship with animals, especially horses, from the time she was a little girl. Thank you for taking the time to speak with us.

To Maureen Smith: Trail MIX seemed so far off when we first spoke with you about our plans to make the show the focus of this edition of THE VOICE. The time has finally come… just a few more days until we all sit in front of our television sets and view the show you created with Linda. Thank you for working with us to make this edition truly special.

To John Oddo: It's been an amazing ride since you became Linda's musical director, and we believe, "The best is yet to come." Thank you for taking time out of your very busy schedule to participate in THE VOICE. The fans will enjoy learning more about you and your very successful career.

To Sara Whalen: It was so nice learning more about the wonderful work you do at Pets Alive. You truly make a difference in the lives of God's creatures. Thank you for letting Linda's fans know that their quarters do a world of good!

To Kris Johnson: Thank you for being our "official photographer" at Carnegie Hall! Your pictures are beautiful and captured the magic of the evening perfectly. You are the best!

To Connie Brady, Kris Johnson (again!) and Amanda Perry: Thank you for reviewing Linda's Lenape and Houston concerts. Your words have brought those shows to life for the fans.

To all of our "inspired artists" and "Linda pet owners": Thank you for submitting your stories and photos. Your contributions make THE VOICE extra special.

To Jeffery Osborne: For all of your "behind-the-scenes" help, thank you! You're too cool for words.

To Jill Siegel: Thank you for always being our "go-to" person and our cheerleader. Your role is invaluable.

To Dave and Ronni Hart: Our sincere thank you for your continued support of THE VOICE. We are very appreciative.

To the fans: Wow! Your messages have come from near and far. Thank you, thank you! THE VOICE is for you. Enjoy!

Warmest regards,

THE VOICE EDITORIAL STAFF

Amanda Christensen (Webmistress and Editor), Ellen Jacobs (Editor) and Lori Phelan (Editor)

PS- Please be sure to check out the Future Issue page for information on how you can be a part of THE VOICE Summer 2006 issue. We also welcome your feedback on THE VOICE section of the Linda Eder message board.

THE VOICE Team Jill Siegel, Amanda Christensen, Linda Eder, Ellen Jacobs, and Lori Phelan

We would love to hear from you! Please write to THE VOICE at lethevoice@comcast.net
or feel free to share your comments in THE VOICE section of the Linda Eder Message Board.