David C. Linton
(August 31, 2011)–David C. Linton is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to loving golf and he satisfies the needs of his passion by holding several club memberships: his home course, Crystal Lake Golf & Country, Hampton Ga., (since 2005), Eagle’s Landing Golf & Country Club, Stockbridge, Ga., (since 2010) and Eagle Brooke Golf & Country Club, Griffin, Ga. (since 2010).
The 21 handicapper –and dropping he says–is a Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity life member who just, this past July, celebrated 30 years of marriage to his wife, Elnora.
“Elnora doesn’t play golf, but she does have a set of clubs and a strong appreciation for the game,” says Linton, who plays rounds most often with his neighbors and fellow club members.
“Arnold Cole, Coy Leverette, Spike Burns, Bob Doleman and others; they all know who they are. These guys are in our regular rotation, as we like to call it,” he chuckles.
Linton was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. and now resides in Hampton, G.A., an Atlanta suburb. He and his wife are members of the Greater Travelers Rest Baptist Church in Decatur and he serves as President of The Living Legends Foundation.
The non-profit organization is dedicated to recognizing those members of the entertainment industry whose efforts and contributions have paved the way for many in the entertainment industry, especially, minorities and women. He and his wife also sit on the Board of Visitors at Livingstone College, in Salisbury, N.C., a Historically Black College.
“I still believe that education is the key and that our HBCU’s are vital institutions in our communities and we cannot allow them to perish,” Linton states.
“To be honest, I first got introduced to the game when Tiger Woods made the sport ‘cool’,” says Linton, who attended two Historically Black Colleges/Universities: Shaw University in Raleigh North Carolina where he received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Radio/TV/Film (1980) and North Carolina Central University in Durham, N.C., where he earned a Masters of Arts degree in Instructional Media (1984).
“In addition, several of my colleagues played the game so, I considered the game and began going to the driving range with a friend. However, I didn’t really start trying to play consistently until I moved into a golf community, when my wife and I relocated from Los Angeles in late 2005.”
Today Linton (53) enjoys working as a music and record label consultant specializing in marketing, promotion and organizational structure. He works with CO5 Music, LLC as Executive Vice President of Urban Promotions.
He is also a licensed insurance agent in the state of Georgia. Among his career highlights includes actually starting WRVS-FM, a 45,000 watt radio station located at Elizabeth City State University, Elizabeth City, N.C. (HBCU).
As a former music label executive he’s worked with the biggest artist in the world including Whitney Houston, P-Diddy, Aretha Franklin, Usher, Quincy Jones, and Outkast, to name a few.
“I’ve spent the last 20 years a senior level executive at several major record labels. When I left the major label system, I had served as Senior Vice President Urban Promotion & Marketing at Capitol Records,” says Linton, who also manages the singing career of actor/singer and international television star Lance Reddick.
Linton plays golf about eight times a month and says he enjoys the unpredictability of the game.
“It’s never the same from day to day. It requires mental concentration and skill versus brute strength. It also teaches you about yourself, in terms of how you handle situations. And, of course, the social aspect of the game is tremendous and nothing beats being out in a tranquil setting to clear your head from everything except your next shot.”
