Covina performer takes final bow
COVINA - Linda Corwin, a musical performer known for her infectious smile, selflessness and singing talent, lost her battle with pancreatic cancer on Sunday. She was 55.
The West Covina native and longtime Covina-area artist spent most of her life performing, teaching and singing on stages in the San Gabriel Valley and around Southern California.
"We called her our little songbird," said Retha Champion, owner of the Covina Center for the Performing Arts. "She was always singing, even when things were bad."
Friends said that Corwin, a Chino Hills resident, considered the Covina Playhouse, which later became the Center for the Performing Arts, her second home.
At the playhouse and performing arts center, she appeared on stage numerous times, including her most recent performance as Mazeppa in "Gypsy."
Corwin, who was described as friends as having an outgoing and magnetic personality, passed on her passion and enthusiasm for theater to those who came to watch her on stage, as well as to those eager to learn.
It was at the center that she also had the Linda Corwin Vocal Studio, which she opened nearly 15 years ago and has since helped mentor hundreds of students, some of who have performed on Broadway.
She also helped cultivate talents that many students never realized they had before stepping foot into her studio.
Among them was the son of Covina Mayor Walt Allen.
"She convinced my son to participate in a number of musicals," Allen said. "I was shocked. Before Linda, my son had no rhythm, no voice. But she took my son and provided him with skills that he would have never had."
Corwin was also quick to volunteer her talents for local fundraisers and community events, such as the Covina Concert Band and the Covina Christmas Parade.
"She was the type of person that just wanted to give and give and give," Champion said.
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