NEW VIDEOS! AND YES, LINDA IS BACK!

Oh Linda, oh Linda, you were once always just a remote click away. We took you for granted. And then you were gone, replaced by a bunch of souless big box operators. You were funny, you were short, you graciously signed an autograph for me while my family visited Santa Claus at North Park Mall so very long ago.

Linda Soundtrack's real identity was Linda Verin. She began her career as Linda Soundtrak in 1975, when she and husband Rick Clay started an electronics business called Soundtrak. Lack of capital combined with a need to advertise resulted in the couple's decision to make their own commercials starring Verin as Linda Soundtrak.

"By default, I think I got the job as the talent; and talent is in quotes," Verin said in a 2005 interview with The Oklahoman.

Linda Soundtrak did just about anything to sell a stereo, including dressing up as a chicken and chirping, "cheap, cheap prices" to donning Uncle Sam garb for a liquidation sale. She kept the costume shops hopping until the chain closed in 1993.

Since putting away her chicken costume, Verin has sold cars, been a marketing director and worked at a weekly newspaper. As of 2005 Verin was back to her business roots as owner of an advertising company called Ads That Work!

Verin said she and her husband moved to Alabama to open a store similar to Soundtrak, but the venture was shortlived.

UPDATE:

Soundtrak, and Linda Soundtrak are back!

Local businessman Russell Kim brought back the legendary Linda Verin in December, 2009 to promote Soundtrak, his new electronics store at Hefner Road and Pennsylvania Avenue.

The ads have Linda swapping VCRs for flat screen televisions, but otherwise the same crazy Linda is back.

"She's smarter, sharper and more energetic than ever," said Kim, who also owns Audio Dimensions, which has six stores in four states.

Now 60, Verin said she's not ready to move back to Oklahoma, but will make regular visits for her new spokeswoman role. A grand opening party drew more than 300 people, many of whom just wanted to meet her and get her autograph. 

"It's heartwarming in a way that people remember from 20 years ago," she said in an interview with The Oklahoman. 

Her two young sons appeared in some of the commercials as Slugo 1 and Slugo 2; they are now 26 and 30 years old.

Kim said he incorporated the name Soundtrak five years ago for his new business venture. It took a while, but he eventually gathered the gumption to give Verin a call.

"I asked if she'd come back and do commercials," he recalled. "She paused and said, 'Why not?' "