Linda Thompson

Linda Diane Thompson (formerly Jenner and Foster; born May 23, 1950) is an American songwriter and actress. She is best known for being the ex-wife of Caitlyn Jenner and David Foster.

Early Life
Thompson was born in Memphis, Tennessee to parents Sanford Abel and Margie Thompson. She has one older brother, Sam Thompson who was one of Elvis Presley's bodyguards.

Beauty Pageants
Thompson was Miss Shelby County in 1969. In September 1970, she was named "Miss Mid-South Fair" in Memphis.

In 1970, she was named "Miss Memphis State University" and was third runner-up in the 1970 Miss Tennessee pageant (which is the state preliminary to the Miss America pageant).

She was Miss Tennessee Universe in 1972, which is also known as Miss Tennessee USA and under the Miss USA and Miss Universe umbrella.

Acting
In 1977, she became a regular on the television series Hee Haw. She later had small one-episode roles in such television series as CHiPs, Starsky & Hutch, Vega$, Fantasy Island, The Fall Guy and Beverly Hills, 90210.

Thompson starred in several television pilots, including "Mars Base One" and "Two for Two". She appeared in several films, including Three on a Meathook, Rabbit Test and Original Intent. She had a small role in The Bodyguard.

She appeared as herself in a workout video by then-husband Bruce Jenner, four documentaries about Elvis Presley between 1997 and 2004, and in the short-lived Princes of Malibu, a reality series about then-husband David Foster's efforts to improve her two sons and herself.

Songwriting
Thompson began her career as a lyricist with the Kenny Rogers single "Our Perfect Song" from his album The Heart of the Matter. Thompson collaborated with composer Richard Marx on Josh Groban's first hit record, "To Where You Are", with composer Steve Dorff on the Celine Dion hit "Miracle", with Andreas Carlsson for "Drowning" by the Backstreet Boys, and composer David Foster on several compositions, including "No Explanation" for the film Pretty Woman, and "I Have Nothing" for the film The Bodyguard, for which they were nominated both for the Academy Award for Best Song in 1993 and the Grammy Award for Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture of for Television in 1994, and "Grown-Up Christmas List".

In 1999, she, Clint Eastwood and Carole Bayer Sager wrote "Why Should I Care" for the film True Crime. In 2001, she wrote "Drowning" for the American boyband Backstreet Boys. In 2011, she, Foster and Jackie Evancho collaborated on the title track for Evancho's album Dream With Me.

Thompson and Foster received the 2003 Emmy Award for Outstanding Music and Lyrics for "Aren't They All Our Children" for "The Concert for World Children's Day", which aired November 14, 2002.

Writing
Thompson wrote a biography in May 2016.

Marriages and Children
In 1972, she attended a private movie screening hosted by Elvis Presley at the Memphis Theater in Memphis. She and Elvis hit it off and subsequently dated for four years before breaking up in 1976. The couple remained good friends until his death.

Thompson has been married twice. She married her first husband, Olympic gold medal decathlete Bruce Jenner (now known as Caitlyn) on January 5, 1981 and together they have two sons: Brandon William (born June 4, 1981) and Sam Brody (born August 21, 1983). The couple divorced in 1986.

She married her second husband, composer and producer David Foster on June 22, 1991. The couple also divorced in 2005.

She has three grandchildren from Brandon: Eva James (born July 22, 2015) and twins Sam Stoker and Bo Thompson (born February 18, 2020)

Family
Husbands and Partners


 * Elvis Presley (Ex-boyfriend; 1972-1976)
 * Caitlyn Jenner (Ex-husband; 1981-1986)
 * David Foster (Ex-husband; 1991-2005)

Children


 * Brandon Jenner
 * Brody Jenner

Grandparents


 * Eva Jenner
 * Sam Jenner
 * Bo Jenner

Parents


 * Sanford Abel Thompson
 * Margie Thompson

Siblings


 * Sam Thompson

Awards and Nominations
Thompson won a BMI Film & TV Award in 1994 for Most Performed Song from a Film ("I Have Nothing"), composed by herself and David Foster for the soundtrack for The Bodyguard. She shared Special Recognition Awards in 1997 and 2004 with several others for work related to the Olympics, including lyrics for the official 1996 Olympic theme song, "The Power of the Dream", sung by Celine Dion.