Hal Linden - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Happy Birthday to Us Army Veteran "Korea". Linden, Hal - Actor, musician, television director. Hal Linden was born Harold Lipshitz on March 20, 1931 in New York, New York. Raised in The Bronx, Linden attended the High School of Music and Art and went on to study music at Queens College, City University of New York.He later enrolled in Baruch College and then City College of New York where he received a Bachelor of Arts in business. During his youth, Linden aspired to be a big band bandleader. Before embarking on a career in music, he decided to change his name stating, "'Swing and Sway with Harold Lipshitz' just didn't parse." He decided on the name Hal Linden, after seeing the name on the water tower while passing through Linden, New Jersey." During the 1950s, he toured with Sammy Kaye, Bobby Sherwood, and other big bands of the era. Linden played the saxophone and clarinet and also sang. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1952 where he was sent to Fort Belvoir and played in the United States Army Band. While in Fort Belvoir, a friend recommended that he see the touring production of Guys and Dolls playing in Washington, D.C. After seeing the show, Linden decided to become an actor. He was discharged in 1954. He is well-known for his role as Barney Miller in the television series Barney Miller.