Linda Maria Ronstadt, a singer and actress, was born in Tucson, Arizona, on July 15, 1946. She is best known for her roles in the films “The Pirates of Penzance,” “An American Tail,” and “The Abyss” from 1983, 1986, and 1989, respectively.
Rock, country, rock ‘n’ roll, rhythm and blues, new wave, reggae, big band, jazz, opera, folk, Cajun, Latin American, Broadway, Afro-Cuban and Mexican, kids’ music, adult contemporary, acoustic rock, gospel, and art rock are among the genres she is reported to have played and recorded in. She is also said to have done recordings in gospel and art rock.
Ronstadt has received numerous honors and recognition, such as 11 Grammy Awards, three American Music Awards, and an Emmy Award. The singer-songwriter was enshrined in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 10, 2014.
The Grammy-winning singer claimed it took her a long time to inform Clooney that she and Brown had given her used roses.
Additionally, the “Long Long Time” vocalist was nominated for a 1981 Tony Award for Best Actress (Musical) on Broadway for “The Pirates of Penzance”; she played the same role in the 1983 film adaptation of the same name.
Additionally, she formed The Trio with prominent country musicians Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris, and the group put out two hugely successful albums in 1987 and 1999. The three women watched as “To Know Him is to Love Him,” their debut song, topped Billboard Magazine’s country singles list in 1987.
The multi-talented Ronstadt was previously regarded as one of the highest-paid female rock musicians. Her distinctive voice allowed her to win numerous accolades, control the charts, and receive a ton of praise even on Broadway. But it didn’t end there.
Barack Obama, the former president of the United States, and Kermit the Frog are said to have had crushes on her due to her enchanted voice and ageless aura. As the lead vocalist of the L.A. band “Stone Poneys” in the 1960s, Ronstadt enjoyed her first period of fame.
Ronstadt is well-known for her extraordinary soprano, which solidified her reputation as one of the best song interpreters of her time. She also has a reputation for favoring seclusion in her private life. The legendary singer said that her voice began to change at the age of 50 when she sat down to talk about her biography, “Simple Dreams,” in 2013.
Although the book made a veiled reference to when she had a healthy voice, the 67-year-old Ronstadt didn’t give a clear explanation for quitting music in 2009.
The ex-musician denied having tick sickness but admitted to getting two extremely painful tick bites in the 1980s, following which her health never got better. Ronstadt claimed that because she couldn’t sing, she didn’t discuss the details in her book and that as a result, she wasn’t seen much after that.
Ronstadt added that she had Parkinson’s disease, which might have been brought on by the tick bite, in yet another surprising admission. She remembers her doctors telling her during the same conversation about the connection between tick bites and Parkinson’s disease and the possibility that a virus may activate a gene or cause neurodegeneration.
After struggling for over six years on stage, Ronstadt quickly came to the conclusion that she couldn’t sing. She laughed as she thought back on the entire incident and added that she had considered singing upside down and juggling in an effort to rekindle her musical side.
Unfortunately, nothing worked, and Ronstadt’s attempts were futile. She allegedly only understood that her problem was either mechanical or muscular. Later, after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s, she discovered the cause of her diminished singing voice.
Only then did she realize that, despite their best attempts and efforts, people with Parkinson’s disease cannot sing. For the megastar to say that she couldn’t sing a note was very upsetting.
Ronstadt discussed her experience of falling sincerely and passionately in love with music as a young child in 2021. She claimed she first realized she wanted to sing when she was just two years old. After that, she sung constantly and relished the opportunity.
She didn’t know it at the time, but many years later, she would go into music professionally and become well-known. Her reputation as the most adored and sought-after performer of the 1970s grew over time.
Billboard’s Top 10 list featured ten of Ronstadt’s singles, including the standards “Blue Bayou” and “You’re No Good.” She published an album of traditional Mexican folk songs in 1987, which was regarded as her most personal work because it reflected her ties to her family and heritage. In 2020, the outstanding album was honored with a Grammy Hall of Fame induction.
In addition to creating songs that broke records, Ronstadt has garnered attention for her distinctive sense of style. She once referred to herself as a geek who didn’t feel pushed to dress up or style herself and who didn’t start wearing cosmetics until she was in her mid-20s.
The singer claimed that she took inspiration for her look from the club’s waiters, particularly from the glitzy Betsey Johnson outfits they wore to gigs. She carried her purple-striped outfit, washed it in the sink each night, and eventually donated it to Goodwill, the “Don’t Know Much” singer remarked.
Ronstadt grew up with a passion and appreciation for singing and everything that came out of her family’s kitchen because both of her parents had a musical bent. The “Just One Look” singer claimed to love ranch food, which includes cheese, beans, and tortillas.
Along with her love of music, Ronstadt also wrote about her former sweetheart, Jerry Brown, whom she dated when he was the governor of California for the first time. She claimed that she frequently heard from him and described him as a good guy when questioned if they were still friendly.
Ronstadt also discussed her relationship with American director George Lucas and whether she had any creative plans for the future. The “It’s so Easy” diva acknowledged being friends with her ex, but she never blended her personal and professional lives.
Furthermore, Ronstadt expressed her happiness that Lucas had begun a family and had wed a gorgeous woman. She acknowledged that while having a deep love for others, she wasn’t the marrying kind. Ronstadt dated “The Mask” star Jim Carrey in 1983 when he was 21 years old. Ronstadt was 37 at the time.
The well-known music icon chose adoption in her early 40s. Although Rondstadt had never entertained the idea of getting married to any of her ex-boyfriends—Brown, Lucas, or Albert Brooks—she had always known she wanted to experience motherhood.
In an exclusive interview with Playboy magazine in 1980, Ronstadt stated that after giving the matter some thought, she discovered how much she cherished children. She claimed that people had children because they yearned for them above all else, and if she ever got to that point, she wouldn’t give a damn about being single.
“Whether I’m married or not, I won’t care. The “Love Is a Rose” singer continued, “I’d love to be with the kids’ father because I think that would geometrically quadruple the happiness and richness of the experience, but I don’t think it would be impossible to do it alone.
Since none of her romances lasted very long, the “Hurt So Bad” singer adopted a daughter named Mary Clementine in December 1990, fulfilling her desire of becoming a mother. In 1994, she adopted a kid named Carlos, who was born four years later.
Ronstadt had to juggle parenting and her singing career while a new parent. She resigned from singing in 2011 after spending more than ten years juggling being a mother in San Francisco with going to concerts.
Mary Ronstadt worked as an art assistant at the Guadalupe Art Program in San Francisco from 2009 until 2019 according to her LinkedIn page.
Her mother fostered her love and passion for the arts by supporting the nonprofit “Los Cenzontles Cultural Arts Academy.” For more than three decades, the group has been committed to educating children traditional Mexican dance and music.
Ronstadt has cultivated a sweet relationship with her adoptive children, whom she brought up in the state of Arizona. Additionally, she has an exceptionally strong bond with Mary, her daughter.
The “Heat Wave” singer’s youngster prefers to stay out of the spotlight, just like his older sister did when he was growing up. The mother of two children revealed in an open and honest interview that her children have always had a passion for music and have always asked that their mother sing to them before bed. She also enthused over her daughter’s incredible ability to harmonize, and her son’s lightning-fast learning of how to play the guitar.
Carlos was interested in technology, and he had a respectable profession as well as a wonderful girlfriend despite his talent. The elated mother shared that her children did not pursue music as a profession but did it for their own personal enjoyment.
Ronstadt noted that her life had settled down into a tranquil rhythm and that she counted herself fortunate to be surrounded by loved ones who were encouraging to her. Her favorite things to watch on YouTube were opera and ballet performances, and she longed for the day when people would go to the theaters to be a part of something truly great.
The state of Ronstadt’s health prevented her from traveling to Brooklyn for the 29th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in 2014. The event took place in 2014. She stated, however, that she was unconcerned about missing the event because she had never thought of herself as a rock ‘n’ roll vocalist.
On another occasion, she disclosed that her ongoing struggle with her health prevented her from engaging in casual travel; hence, she only engaged in travel for topics that were urgent and significant because otherwise it was too difficult.
Ronstadt has apparently done a good job of dealing with the terrible challenges posed by her health situation. She has connected with other people who are coping with Parkinson’s disease and is investigating various therapy options. She has also preserved her humorous side and has not lost her amazing sense of humor. She has done this by not letting it go.
The Arizona native’s final album was released in 2006, capping up a fruitful music career spanning four decades and spanning the recording of more than 30 albums. After that, in November of 2009, she gave a performance at what turned out to be her final concert in San Antonio.
Ronstadt has stated that she has never worked for accolades or acclaim throughout her whole career, despite the fact that she has sang in a variety of musical genres.
In addition to residing in Tucson, Arizona, the singer best known for her hit “Somewhere Out There” has also called San Francisco, California, home. There, she raised her children. She lived in one of the cottages on her land alongside her son Carlos, while her daughter Mary resided in the other. Both cottages were located on the same property.
In an interview that took place in 2013, Ronstadt revealed that her son, who was then 19 years old and had a strong interest in physics, intended to move to Santa Cruz with his fiancée, which would leave the property in her possession. Ronstadt was excited about the prospect of inheriting the home. However, in her son’s absence, she would spend time with her daughter, a creative person who enjoyed sculpting, drawing, and painting. Her daughter would keep her company.
In an exclusive interview that took place in November of 2022, Ronstadt disclosed yet another disturbing fact. She was initially given a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease in 2013, but it was later determined that she actually suffered from progressive supranuclear palsy, which is a condition that is very similar to Parkinson’s disease.
In the beginning of 2019, she discussed the difficulty she had in coming to terms with the fact that she has Parkinson’s disease and in describing her illness to other people.
She described how simple activities like brushing her teeth and picking things up were difficult for her, and how she frequently lost her balance and dropped items.
After receiving her diagnosis, Ronstadt said that she was unable to sing or play the piano or guitar when she was asked if she could still play music. The singer continued by saying that she wistfully missed picking up her knitting needles.
During an interview with Rolling Stone magazine in the late 1970s, the star of “I Can’t Help It” stated that she had been suffering from severe depression.
Ronstadt’s life has been turned upside down since she received the diagnosis, and despite the fact that her weight gain is directly related to her health struggle, she has been called fat-shamed. In January of 2023, a user on Twitter expressed their disapproval of the singer by writing:
“Linda Ronstadt grew overweight. If I had to choose, I’d much rather have a plump Karen Carpenter than a lost one.
It would appear, however, that the country artist is unfazed by criticism or the opinions of others on the choices she is making in her 70s. She demonstrated this by picking a pair of skinny jeans and strutting around in them with a beaming smile and an air of absolute assurance.
Even though it has been many years since Ronstadt dominated the music industry, her distinctive sense of fashion and the decisions she makes in her personal life demonstrate that she is unafraid of the naysayers and determined to do what makes her heart happy.
Ronstadt has admitted that she is open to the possibility of further thematic and archive releases in the future, despite the fact that Parkinson’s disease has prevented her from being able to sing. The vocalist best known for the song “Don’t Know Much” had the following response when she was asked what she had gained from going through difficult times:
Failure is the best teacher; it always teaches you more than success does. That is something I firmly believe. I believe that one of the best instructors is hardship.
The painful experiences that Ronstadt has gone through have shown her how important it is to have a solid support system surrounding her. In addition to the love and care that her adopted children provide, she has been vocal about the encouragement that she receives from her friends and family as her sickness worsens.
In 2019, Ronstadt acknowledged that she spends the majority of her time at her house in Sea Cliff. Her son, who was employed at Apple at the time, was living on the third floor at the time, and he was the one who kept her company.
The singer relocated to the Bay Area of San Francisco in 2005 and found that she thoroughly enjoyed spending time in her cottage close to the water and frequently attending performances of ballet and the symphony.
Ronstadt notes that although she does spend the most of her time with her children, she is fortunate to have lovely friends who frequently keep her company. The singer who is known for her hit “Tracks of My Tears” tries to avoid getting caught up in lengthy, impromptu talks at doorways because it is difficult for her to remain upright or stand for an extended period of time.
Despite all of her problems, the singer best known for the song “Blue Bayou” is cheerful and fulfilled, and she even published a book in November 2022 titled “Feels Like Home: A Song for the Sonoran Borderlands.” She remarked that she was more concerned about the cat urinating on the carpeting than about her own mortality.
It’s never too late to pursue activities that bring us pleasure and make us feel at ease, as demonstrated by Ronstadt, who is 76 years old and looks amazing in a pair of skintight jeans. She exudes sophistication and poise in every aspect of her appearance.
