Editing Hal Linden (section)

==Early life==
Hal Linden was born on March 20, 1931, in [[The Bronx]], [[New York City]], [[New York (state)|New York]], the youngest son of Frances (née Rosen) and Charles Lipshitz, a [[Lithuanian Jew]] who immigrated to the United States in 1910 and owned a printing shop. Hal's older brother, Bernard, became a professor of music at [[Bowling Green State University]].<ref>{{cite book| title=Current Biography Yearbook| year=1987| publisher=H. W. Wilson Company| page=364}}</ref> Linden attended [[Herman Ridder Junior High School (Public School 98)|Herman Ridder Junior High School]] and the [[The High School of Music and Art|High School of Music and Art]], going on to study music at [[Queens College, City University of New York]].<ref name="landmark">{{cite web |last=Bradley |first=Betsy |date=December 11, 1990 |title=Herman Ridder Junior High School (Public School 98) |url=http://www.neighborhoodpreservationcenter.org/db/bb_files/90-HERMAN-RIDDER-J.H.S..pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303204352/http://www.neighborhoodpreservationcenter.org/db/bb_files/90-HERMAN-RIDDER-J.H.S..pdf |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |access-date=August 15, 2016 |publisher=Landmarks Preservation Commission |page=10}}</ref><ref>{{cite book| last1= Bordman| first1=Gerald| last2=Hischak| first2=Thomas S.| title= The Oxford Companion to American Theatre| url= https://archive.org/details/oxfordcompaniont0000bord| url-access= registration| quote=linden.| edition= 3rd| year=2004| publisher=Oxford University Press| isbn=978-0195169867| page=[https://archive.org/details/oxfordcompaniont0000bord/page/389 389]}}</ref> He later enrolled in [[Baruch College]] and then [[City College of New York]], where he received a [[Bachelor of Arts]] in business.<ref name="easy">{{cite news |last=Schleier |first=Curt |date=August 14, 1998 |title=It's Easy Being Green: Hal Linden has played 'old' before, so taking over for Eli Wallach as the cranky octogenarian in 'Visiting Mr. Green' is a natural |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/362481784/ |work=The New York Jewish Week |page=30}}</ref><ref name="zosky">{{cite news| url= https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9DIwAAAAIBAJ&pg=1657,2524658&dq=an+evening+with+hal+linden&hl=en| title='Barney Miller's' Hal Linden is his own toughest critic| last=Zosky Proulx| first=Brenda| date=July 19, 1982| work=[[Montreal Gazette]]| access-date=February 8, 2013}}</ref>

During his youth, Linden wanted to be a [[big band]] singer and 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." While riding on a bus from Philadelphia to New York through the town of [[Linden, New Jersey]], he saw the name Linden on the water tower and changed his name to Hal Linden.<ref name=pfefferman>{{cite news| url= http://jewishjournal.com/news/los_angeles/community/5268/| title=Barney Miller and Big Band| last=Pfefferman| first=Naomi| date=December 13, 2001| newspaper=[[The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles]]| access-date= February 8, 2013}}</ref> 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.<ref name=pfefferman /><ref name= lovece>{{cite news| url= https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=f1daAAAAIBAJ&pg=3249,3940049&dq=hal+linden+fran+martin+1958&hl=en| title=Hal Linden patrols a new precinct| last=Lovece| first=Frank| date=February 10, 1993| work= [[Waycross Journal-Herald]]| page=P–5| access-date=February 8, 2013}}</ref>

He enlisted in the [[United States Army]] in 1952 and was sent to [[Fort Belvoir]] and played in the [[United States Army Band]]. While he was 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.<ref name="stewart">{{cite news| url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-05-17-ca-5428-story.html| title=Hal Linden: Song and Dance (and Clarinet) Man| last=Stewart| first=Zan| date=May 17, 1996| newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]| access-date=February 8, 2013}}</ref><ref name=sharbutt>{{cite news| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=h3FQAAAAIBAJ&pg=5261,3998409&dq=getting+to+the+top+wasn-t+in+hal+linden%27s+career+plan&hl=en| title=Getting to the top wasn't in Hal Linden's career plan| last=Sharbutt| first=Jay| date=March 29, 1978| work= [[St. Petersburg Times]]| page=3D| access-date=February 8, 2013}}</ref> He was discharged from the Army in 1954.<ref name= easy/>