Obituary of Linda M Russo

Linda M. Russo, 74, who resided in Brick, NJ, passed away on February 19, 2019 at Ocean Medical Center in Brick, NJ.  Linda was born in Newark, NJ on July 7, 1944 to Ziggy and Mae Jankowski. She spent her early years growing up in Hillside, NJ on Silver Avenue, with her parents and since deceased younger brother, Gregory.  She met her surviving husband, musician Sal Russo, while attending Hillside High School. Also surviving are Linda and Sal’s twin sons, Anthony and Joseph, as well as a grandson, Anthony, who all currently reside in North Brunswick, NJ.  Linda spent most of her life as a career singer and entertainer, most notably with the iconic 60’s girl group, The Angels. As the original lead singer of The Angels, she recorded the hit songs “Til” in 1961 and “Cry Baby Cry” in 1962 on the Caprice record label, with both songs reaching the Billboard Top 20 and Top 40, respectively.  In 1965, she married Sal Russo, and continued to sing and entertain with him as both a group and duo act. Linda also continued her early 60’s singing legacy later in life by performing with her own version of The Angels called Linda Jansen’s Angels, the name she used with the original group. She performed primarily on the east coast at various Doo Wop and oldies revival shows.  In 2005, she, along with the remaining members of The Angels, was inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame for the group’s vocal contributions to early Rock and Roll music. Her surviving twin sons, Anthony and Joseph, remain active in the entertainment industry as tribute artists, both as lead singers of their respective groups. A private memorial service is being planned in the coming months to celebrate her life.

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