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Growing up in Florida in the 1980s, Kevin Dotson (b. March 4, 1973, in Omaha, NE) took an immediate interest in music. He began playing guitar at the age of five, eventually learning drums, piano, and bass as well, and immersing himself in every style of rock and popular music throughout his teenage years, at first gravitating towards then-popular new wave and heavy metal sounds, but eventually finding the Beatles, Beach Boys, and Zombies as his songwriting and playing skills began to improve. He moved to Los Angeles in the summer of 1994 to pursue music as a profession, and immediately earned the nickname Linus (for his tendency to wear T-shirts in the style of the Peanuts character). The nickname stuck and Linus of Hollywood became his professional nom de plume thenceforward. By mid 1995, he had formed the punk-pop band Size 14 (named after his shoe size) and they landed a major-label deal within a year, ultimately releasing a well-received self-titled album on Volcano in 1997. Follo...