When I learned (in a NYT article) about Ms Ronstadt's suddenly silenced voice, I had one of those 'the world stood still' moments. The same 'frozen in time' feeling I'd had upon learning that JFK had been assassinated. (What?....wait...WHAT??!!)
I love to sing and her songs have always been a part of my folk music repertoire...along with my other songbird idols (Emmy-Lou; Roberta Flack; Gillian Welch; Janis Ian...) Thank you for this article. What an inspiring piece.
7
I get all blubbery when I hear Linda Ronstadt. She was an integral part of my late teens and early twenties when I lived in Brooklyn, and went riding around with the windows open and the music blasting ('67+). I remember seeing her with my dear friend Laura at Lincoln Center. Can't remember the year, but I just feel in love with her music, and how 'breezy' she seemed to be. She has not diminished one bit in my view; she has not compromised what she has wanted to do with her life.
7
Those high notes... Just superb!
2
Gifted and creative, adventurous, intelligent, beautiful woman! Linda Ronstadt brought and still brings me so many hours of pleasure! From the first time I heard Different Drum on the radio (’67 I think) my reaction was ‘oh my god, who is that??’ I didn't hear her again until a friend introduced me to her self-titled album and then, of course, I had to have all her music. How I wish I could have heard her in person. The Parkinson’s which stole her voice robbed all of us, and the dignity and courage she has demonstrated since being diagnosed is consistent with the beautiful character she has always communicated in her work. I’ve thought of her often (and I’m surely not alone). I hope she has found some peace and fulfillment in the present. No one deserves it more.
10
She is just fantastic. One of my all time favorite musicians.
5
Probably the greatest instrument in popular music from the standpoint of power coupled with beauty. She approached pop music in an almost operatic way. She denigrates her phrasing, but with the enormous voice she had there was almost no other way for her to sing. The intimate way Bonnie Raitt, who she reveres, had with a song was not to be for Linda and that's just fine. Despite what she says she was a great rock singer. The Tumblin' Dice/You're No Good ending to her shows in the late 70s was pure rock power. I took two aspiring singers who are in their early 20s to the documentary. They were in awe. After years of not hearing her I believed greater singers had replaced her. I also left the movie in awe. The straightforward way she sang everything with the most magnificent sound made me realize I was in danger of melisma poisoning from the last 30 years.
12
The film was very good.
I didn't know all the details of her collaborations, the concert footage was great.
3
I'm also an Arizona girl and part Mexican/part German. Go figure.
I have always loved her music - all of it. That she never seemed to be about her image but always about the music, that's what impressed me.
She got Nelson Riddle to work with her on her albums of standards for God's sake.
She is fearless and beautiful and will always be my favorite singer.
Linda Ronstadt is a national treasure.
16
Her brilliance transcends. A treasure for all time.
13
If you love music, even if you think you don't care for Linda Ronstadt, see the documentary. I defy you not to be inspired and moved by her power, range and versatility. I can think of no other artist who has succeeded so spectacularly in almost every genre. Despite her insecurities about her voice, on stage she was in full command. The audience had no choice but to follow, and we did so willingly. Then there's Linda Ronstadt the person, whom I didn't know much about. She's candid, insightful, ferociously self-determined and independent, and extremely smart.
I wanted to cry many times because her singing was so moving. When we got to the end and saw her in her current condition, vocally impaired but still beautiful, dignified and down-to-earth, I lost it. Mortality is a bummer. But thankfully, great art is timeless.
35
Linda & Emmy once performed together at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga, CA, a small intimate outdoor venue. It was pure beauty. I will never forget Linda's strongly projected pitch perfect voice piercing the air and reaching the neighboring homes beyond the amphitheater.
Absolutely nothing can stir the should like live music. Linda had a wonderful career but there are many other great singers still performing with the same passion. Lila Downs is on tour, for example.
2
Just saw this wonderful documentary. Go see it.
4
Great interview. Thanks, Jim Farber.
1
linda is my absolute girl-crush hero. we are both of mexican and german descent so we share some of the same backgrounds and customs and even issues. i try to sing like her, have since i was young. when i think of the 1970s i hear her songs. so glad she’s getting the kennedy center honors. i’ll be watching for sure...
2
Saw Jim Morrison and the Doors at a party weekend concert in winter of 1966 at Colgate. Linda Ronstadt and the Stone Ponies were the warm-up band. Blown away!
9
My absolute favorite song of Linda's is "Silver Blue." Heart-melting and heart-breaking. If you haven't heard it, you should do so.
Loving you
Well I'm a fool for trying
'Cause I get so blue
That I don't know when I'm crying
If you are ever lonely
And you let me know
I'll come running right on time
and rock you gently home
Silver Blue
3
Linda Ronstadt, thank you.
11
Would you call a man "gutsy"?
4
@George Moseley Many men have been called that many times...from the military to the football stadium to the poker table. So, yes. Why not?
3
Goose bump inducing voice. Blue Bayou still stops me in my tracks!
10
I would believe Linda Ronstadt over Annie Leibovitz about the photo session. She always has a weird agenda. She photographed Miley Cyrus dressed very whorishly when she was a teenager. Miley has lived down to that photoshoot but it very inappropriate at the time.
None of this changes the fact the Linda Ronstadt is one of the few singers who can actually sing on key. Her voice is beautiful.
12
@S.L. Her sister was pretty good, too.
3
@kenneth - And her brother and father.
1
I knew I loved her singing, but didn't realize--my bad--how canny and intelligent she is. What a woman.
7
What's with all the lionizing this morally loose celebrity who stole other singers' tunes, arrangements, and musicians? Not to mention her wholesale imitation of the great Mexican Ranchera song bird, Lola Beltran. She finally admitted as an old woman buying Nelson Riddle's Sinatra arrangements for the album, Lush Life. And her pop covers of black musicians' tunes that made millions without a word of acknowledgement didn't help her reputation among minorities. Too bad Ronstadt can't keep her mouth shut and just fade away!
1
@Dusty Chaps
what are your hit record(s) ?
3
@Dusty Chaps "What's with all the lionizing this morally loose celebrity who stole other singers' tunes, arrangements, and musicians? "
Why are you picking on Sinatra?
23
Bravo Kenneth !
Back around the turn of the century *, I was building a home in a certain empty part of Arizona. So my wife (as she was wont to do) got a job in nearby town in a place you would think would be modern. I asked after the 1st day what it was like. She replied "simply prehistoric". So Dusty's comment doesn't surprise me at all. It goes right along with a place where lots of men just gotta wear their 6-gun while waltzing down to the local Dollar Store to be safe.
* Yes, the last turn,not the previous
1
Oh. man... Linda singing Orbison's "Blue Bayou"...
You owe me a Kleenex. It brought tears to my eyes.
3
From Blue Bayou to Warren Zevon's Poor Poor Pitiful Me to her most recent ballads. A great talent a great voice deserving of a Kennedy Center honor no matter who presents it
6
Too bad she didn’t bother to get the lyrics right for her cover of Tumblin Dice.
She’s responsible for the Eagles, I’ll never forgive her for that.
1
@Paulie
dude , at the time of the release of " Dice" she said she'd asked Jagger for the lyrics...." don'know , made 'em up , you can make some up "
gotta admit it's tough to hear his singing .
2
@Paulie I know. And she's spent years begging your forgiveness.
1
One of the many pleasures of Trio, her album with Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton, is picking out each singer's unique contribution. Not to mention that her attitude expressed here about singing with Emmylou is just beautiful and touching.
6
I was in love with Linda Ronstadt way back when. Still am, it seems.
3
Oh gosh. Heart Like a Wheel. Chills me now. What a stylist!
1
For Ronstadt fans: please, please listen to her album “Cry Like a Rainstorm- Howl Like the Wind.” It’s a treasure!
7
@Hal You act like nobody has heard it. It's one of her 3 best selling albums and won 2 Grammys. LOL.
1
The first time I heard The Stone Ponies and said, “listen to THAT voice,” and had to look her up, I have been such a huge fan. Her voice is unmistakable, pure and vibrant. So sorry her career was cut short, but we have records! Love Linda.
4
Saw Linda perform many times. She was always as humble and genuine and she sounds in this article. She was the real deal, a real talent and a significant supporter of other artists who were trying to make it themselves. The world needs more people like Linda.
10
Great read, a friend of mine in Mexico is her cousin -- forwarding on this article, she'll appreciate it!
2
I've known about Linda Ronstadt since I was a kid. But it wasn't until fairly recently, when I heard her vocals in Philip Glass's opera 1,000 Airplanes on the Roof that I truly understood just what an incredible range she had.
She may be modest about it, but I think we all appreciate the gift of her voice she's shared with us!
7
One of my favorites from the 70's and her greatest hits was one of the first re-engineered albums for my IPod. It brings me back to when I was that very cool, hippie chick. She is still inside although I no longer see her when I look in the mirror. I see my mother. Sigh.
9
I idolized Linda's vocals and used her records to teach me to sing. I was lucky to see her in concert
in the 70's in New Orleans, a dream come true!
I always watch the Kennedy Center honors, can't wait to see who sings her songs but there's nothing like Linda doing the singing.
The Trio albums were incredible. I wish I could have seen those 3 ladies in concert together.
I wish her well, it will be great to see her being honored in December
14
We listened to her all the time in the 70s, when we were kids. What a voice.
Such honesty, and such a natural (no autotune there).
Thanks for sharing it all with us Linda!
10
I had listened to Linda since the 70's but her first album with Nelson Riddle was for me, a profound experience. I wore it out playing it over and over again. She opened my mind to the great jazz standards and to the other jazz greats. I still get goose flesh just thinking about her interpretations of these songs.
Thank you Linda Ronstadt!
11
As a long time fan of Linda Ronstadt, I read her autobiography "Simple Dreams," and she candidly opens up about her Parkinson's. She writes that she got to the point she could no longer "hear" the correct notes and didn't know if she was singing on key. That was the end of her singing career, and how terribly sad.
It's not mentioned in the piece, but her back-up band later became the Eagles, including Don Henley and the late Glenn Frey.
8
I recall being at the CA State capitol one year in the late 70's, maybe early 80's to meet (with a group of college students) with Jerry Brown about protecting the environment, and sitting on the steps of the capitol building, wearing cut-off denim shorts and flowery blouse was Linda. Just chilling and enjoying the weather, I suppose. Didn't bother her, although I guess she probably wouldn't have minded. I was (and still am) a huge fan of Linda for her music, her love of her family and dedication to her background, her seemingly modest, unpretentious approach to her singing and life. Looking forward to the documentary. Thanks, Linda.
16
Linda Ronstadt has always been one of my favorite singers starting with "A Different Drum."
I was fortunate enough to see her in an outdoor concert in 1983 when she was at her best.
I wish her well.
11
She spoke to me through her songs at a time when I was on the edge. Thank you Linda for reattaching me to the ground. I will be forever grateful.
11
I started listening to Linda Ronstadt in 1971. In 1979 I made a mixed tape of all the heartbreak songs from her early albums and it got me through at least three disastrous relationships in the early 80s. Even though I’ve been happily partnered since 1985, I still know every word to all those songs and love singing along to them.
17
I met her when she was doing two shows a night on a bus tour with her post-Poneys band. I was 17 and she was 27. I proposed backstage next to the equipment cases. She still hasn't said no, so there's hope.
24
@Next Conservatism
It's a pretty long line for her hand, bro'
8
Her 1983 PIRATES OF PENZANCE is one of my favorite '80s films. Great beauty, great voice.
11
Wow! Forgot about that! With Kevin Kline. Brilliant.
3
@Blair Saw her perform it live in Central Park! Can't remember the year. Amazing that she excelled in so many musical genres, or even tried them.
2
Loved her since I was a pup. Every genre, every style. What a talented, brave and adventurous lady! Including her lead-performance (not mentioned, above) in both the Broadway and film version of The Pirates of Penzance, with Kevin Kline. Oh, Linda (Oh Mabel!) -- You are unforgettable and an absolute national treasure.
26
I am still thrilled to remember Linda twice in concert, after having been unutterably gratified by listening to her records since I was in my early teens. Although I am in fascinated agreement with her assessment of her recordings in terms of the fluidity of her own concepts of performance (especially where the standards albums are concerned), there are iconic recordings upon which her work and the production could not possibly be improved, among them "Heat Wave", "Prisoner in Disguise", "Try Me Again", "Don't Let Go", and the hair-raising Jimmy Webb gems on "Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind".
8
Linda, a beautiful name, but it still falls short of Ronstadt's voice and artistry. Many thanks for many beautiful moments.
11
LuvU Linda...and still have a crush on (for) you! Thanks for being so passionate about your music and for sharing the beautiful songs you always sang with every piece of your heart and soul! ♥️😎
19
Can I say this one thing? All my life, I havew anted to sing well. I have dreamed of it. You, LS, have been given the gift. You, and only you, understand that gift.
9
Growing up I always listened to Linda Ronstadt on long car rides with my mom. My mom has since passed, but whenever I listen to Linda Ronstadt its like she is sitting next to me again. Thank you for your beautiful, timeless songs, Miss R.
22
Most Mexican Americans are white, but Linda Ronstadt is of German, English and Dutch ancestry as well as Mexican ancestry. Her paternal great grandmother was Mexican. She grew up in an English-speaking household in Tucson and wasn’t fully bilingual. She studied Spanish in Mexico City to prepare for her recording of Canciones de mi Padre ("Songs of my Father”) on 1987.
8
@William Case
What are you talking about?
2
@Mrs. Claypool
+ 1
1
@William Case - Ronstadt may not have fluent in Spanish, but she and her family sang fluently in the language throughout her whole childhood. She identifies as Mexican, I believe.
Congratulations to Linda Ronstadt on a well earned and well deserved Kennedy Center Award.
NPR had a nicely done story on her and the new movie, out recently together with Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris, witch i am eager to see.
Her album, Cañciones de mi Padre, reminded me of my godfather who was an in demand local singer, like her father, and my father who was a bachelor until 45. Old enough to be my grandpa, and who were both from a different generation than my peers were.
11
Remember it like it was yesterday was 5 years old in 1967 and my mom was making lunch in the kitchen with the radio on, Different Drum started to play, thought and still do this is the voice of an angel. Have been a huge fan ever since.
21
"Long Long Time," wonderful song, brings back memories.
22
Likely I'll never meet Linda and thus not have a chance to tell this story to her personally.
To begin, my reward for behavior unbecoming of, well anybody in public high school it would have seemed in 1966 was to be banished off to an all boys prep school in Mass. A school who through the lens of memory was an amalgam of the core essence's of Dead Poets Society and Animal House.
Like everyone I was quite taken with Linda for all of the reason's so well expressed in these many commentary's. So much so that there was a chance to win the newly released Different Drummer album as a prize for the best Halloween costume. I had to have it. However, I was challenged with not being very original in the costume area but some of the women employees of the dining room, were. They said be back a 5 and, I was. Within 30 minutes or so they had transformed me from a fairly rugged guy in to, a girl. Perhaps not a very good looking one but one never-the-less . I simply agreed to cross-dressed to win the album. Yes, I have a picture to prove it once published in our year-book.
And win the album I did. I still have it.
I wish you very best Linda. Thanks for the memories and, umm, well you know.
36
@Albert LOL! Thank you for sharing your fun memory! I hope Linda reads your comment.
3
@LMLee Thanks. I have a copy of the picture for her if she wants.
3
I'm glad you profiled this somewhat forgotten gem of a singer from my favorite era, the '70s. I look forward to the documentary. I see Linda Ronstadt says she characterizes herself as a ballad singer, not a rock n' roll singer. Yet, my favorite song of hers is 'Heat Wave,' which she totally rocks. I still get tingles from her voice when she woo-hoos out the ending.
Interesting about the wardrobe dispute on the Annie Liebovitz photograph shoot. I wonder who is lying. My guess is: not Linda Ronstadt.
29
Her Spanish albums are absolutely the best and by far my favorites. It's a shame she no longer performs.
Congratulations on your Kennedy Center Honor!!!
18
One of the greatest songs I've ever heard, I'm Blowin' Away, was sung by Linda Ronstadt and Bonnie Raitt at a concert in memory of Lowell George, the front man for Little Feat.
9
One of my all-time favorite singers, no matter the type of music. Thanks for this update.
15
I used to listen to her "Long Long Time" repeatedly, as well as a number of her other songs. Such a talented singer. Her albums in Spanish and the standards with Nelson Riddle are AMAZING!
Thank you for the pleasure you've given us!
14
Thank you, Ms. Ronstadt, for sharing your talent and singing passions over the decades. I grew up with your songs and learned to harmonize listening to your singing. I am almost as old as you and have some health issues, too, but if I can wake up each day and still harmonize to my favorite singers, I know I'm alive and well. As you know, and showed folks like me, singing brings a joy that maintains the (my) life force. Accept the honors in humility (and a certain humor) and know that you are so loved !
21
Awesome woman and a great singer too!!!
13
Like many, probably, I first heard Ms. Ronstadt on AM radio in the late 60's and marveled at her voice, even in that venue. In 79 a young woman introduced me to Karla Bonhof and a Linda Ronstadt that I had never heard. I still listen to that old stuff. When that much older woman comes home tonight I will share this interview with her and I am sure that she will look forward to viewing the documentary as much as myself. Maybe we will put on some oldies, too. Great memories may fade but never disappear completely--that is what makes them great.
15
@Kevin Phillips
the music sits in a different part of the brain and surprises with all it can help one recall
4
@thostageo So right you are. When the trio I sing with (usually just for ourselves and for the pleasure of making resonant harmony) has sung at assisted living and nursing homes, something deeply limbic must be stirred, as we could see people who’d been stooped over in their chairs literally unfurl and join in song! Music is magic. Linda knows this; her songs are hardwired into so many of our souls. She is generous of spirit and still totally fierce yet loving. Read this piece after we saw the film and loved it!
2
@Hollis Rose - The Oliver Sacks book, "Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain", (2007) ISBN 978-1-4000-4081-0, covers the importance of music in the brains of people with a number of brain conditions, even of people with severe dementia.
A pure artist! She has always followed her heart and her whims wherever they took her. Congratulations to Linda Ronstadt on your Kennedy Center Honor!
14
Such a spectacular talent! I have been a fan since 1968 (I was 14). I have seen her in concert and on Broadway. Thank you, Ms. Ronstadt for enriching our lives. The Kennedy Center honor is well-deserved.
31
Nobody I'd rather listen to. Thank you, Linda, for years of pleasure & singing along with you.
21
"You're No Good" is on my desert island playlist, and the "What's New" and "Lush Life" LPs were my entree to the Great American Songbook.
Stoked to see this doc -- hope they included her appearance on "The Simpsons."
18
@Andrew Peterson I know many will disagree, but I think her version of the song "What's New" is the best ever.
5
Bless you, Linda Ronstadt! Eagerly awaiting your new documentary film. Songs that I grew up with.
35
I saw her in Ambler PA (near Philly) late '70's. Her voice was nothing less than miraculous: As she said, better than her vinyls. I'm sorry that Parkinson's has taken that away from her (and us).
55