Linda Diane Creed was born on December 6, 1948, in the Mount Airy section of Philadelphia to a Jewish family.

During her high school years, she was fronting her own band, Raw Soul, which made frequent appearances at the Philadelphia Athletic Club and at Sid Booker's Highline Lounge.

[1] After graduation, Creed left Philadelphia for New York, where she became a secretary at Mills Music, Inc. She also utilized the time to develop her skills as a lyricist, but after eight months of little success, and feeling defeated, she returned to her hometown, which later became the inspiration for the song "I'm Coming Home".

Creed and Bell also paired on a number of hits for the Spinners, including "Ghetto Child" and "The Rubberband Man".

[5] The following year, her family and friends established the Linda Creed Breast Cancer Organization in her honor, and it serves women in Pennsylvania and the surrounding counties.