Rare Family Photos: Hal Linden with His Wife Frances Martin and Their Four Children Through the Decades

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Born Harold Lipshitz in the Bronx on March 20, 1931, Linden grew up during the tail end of the Great Depression. His father, Charles Lipshitz, worked tirelessly as a printer, instilling in young Harold a blue-collar work ethic that later defined his acting style. Before catching his big acting break, Linden pursued music with feverish focus. He studied classical clarinet, toured the country playing big band jazz with Sammy Kaye and Bobby Sherwood, and served in the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict, playing in the military band.

Show business demanded a stage name. Legend has it that he spotted an overhead transit sign pointing toward Linden, New Jersey, during a commuter ride and clipped Harold down to Hal. The transformation from big band musician to musical theater star was swift. He captured the 1971 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his commanding performance as Mayer Rothschild in The Rothschilds. That Broadway triumph caught the eye of network producers, paving the path to his defining role in 1974 as the grounded anchor of ABC's hit sitcom Barney Miller.