Linda Maria Ronstadt is an American singer and actress who was born on July 15, 1946 in Tucson, Arizona. She is most well-known for her roles in the films “The Pirates of Penzance” (1983), “An American Tail” (1986), and “The Abyss” (1989), in which she played leading roles.
She is said to have played and recorded in a wide variety of musical styles, such as rock, country, rock ‘n’ roll, rhythm and blues, new wave, reggae, big band, jazz, opera, folk, Cajun, Latin American, Broadway, Afro-Cuban and Mexican, children’s music, adult contemporary, acoustic rock, gospel, and art rock, among others.
Ronstadt has been honored with a large number of awards and distinctions, including one Emmy Award, three American Music Awards, and eleven Grammy Awards. The diva was honored with induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 10, 2014.
In addition, the vocalist known for “Long Long Time” was considered for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 1981 for her performance in “The Pirates of Penzance” on Broadway. This was the same role that she played in the film adaptation of the same name in 1983.
In addition, she collaborated with Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris, two of the most prominent figures in country music, to create The Trio and record two critically acclaimed albums in 1987 and 1999 respectively. In 1987, the three women watched as their debut song, titled “To Know Him is to Love Him,” topped the country singles list published by Billboard Magazine.
Ronstadt was well-known for a variety of things and at one time was regarded as one of the rock industry’s highest-paid female performers. Her one-of-a-kind singing style helped her win a number of prizes, dominate the charts, and get high acclaim wherever she performed, even on Broadway. However, it wasn’t the end of it.
It has been said that Barack Obama, the former President of the United States, and Kermit the Frog both had crushes on her due to her entrancing voice and ageless air. As the lead vocalist for the Los Angeles band “Stone Poneys” in the 1960s, Ronstadt had her first taste of commercial success.
Ronstadt is well-known for her amazing soprano, which established her as one of the most talented song interpreters of her day. She is also well-known for the fact that she places a high priority on maintaining her privacy in her personal life. The legendary singer was interviewed in 2013 for her autobiography titled “Simple Dreams,” in which she revealed that her voice began to shift when she was 50 years old.
Although the book made a vague allusion to a time when she had a healthy voice, Linda Ronstadt, who was 67 years old at the time, did not provide a clear explanation for her retirement from the music industry in 2009.
When the former performer was asked whether she had tick illness, she responded that she had two horrible tick bites in the 1980s, after which her health never healed. This was in response to the question of whether or not she had tick disease. Ronstadt claimed in her autobiography that the reason people didn’t see her much later was because she couldn’t sing, despite the fact that she did not share this information.
Another stunning admission was made by Ronstadt, who said that she had Parkinson’s disease, which she believed was caused by the tick bite she had received. During the same interview, she remembered that her physicians had told her about the connection between tick bites and Parkinson’s disease and that a virus may flip on a gene or lead to neurodegeneration. She also recalled that her doctors had told her that a virus could lead to neurodegeneration.
After struggling for close to six years in front of an audience, Ronstadt quickly came to the conclusion that she was unable to sing. She then amusingly pondered on the whole event, adding that she had considered singing upside down and juggling as a means of regaining her musical streak.
Regrettably, nothing was helpful, and Ronstadt’s efforts were for nothing as a result. According to reports, all she understood about her condition was that it was either muscular or mechanical. After some time had passed and she had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, she eventually found out why she had lost her singing voice.
It wasn’t until then that she realized that a person with Parkinson’s disease could never sing, no matter how hard they tried or how much energy they consumed. When the megastar finally admitted that she couldn’t sing a note, it was a very upsetting and devastating moment for everyone.
In the year 2021, Ronstadt shared her story of how she first fell head over heels in love with music when she was only a little child. She said that she was just a toddler when she realized that she wanted to be a singer. After that, she continued to sing constantly and found that she genuinely loved the experience.
She had no idea that many years later, she would follow music as a vocation and become renowned for it. However, at the time, she did not know this. As the years went by, her reputation as the musician of the 1970s who was held in the highest esteem and sought for the most grew.
Ten of Ronstadt’s tracks reached number one on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, including the classics “Blue Bayou” and “You’re No Good.” In 1987, she published an album consisting of traditional Mexican folk songs; it was regarded as her most personal venture since it captured her familial relationships and background. Ronstadt passed away in 2004. The great record was honored with a place in the Grammy Hall of Fame in the year 2020.
In addition to the fact that Ronstadt has produced music that has broken records, she has also garnered a great deal of attention for her singular sense of fashion and style. She previously described herself as a “geek,” and she didn’t start wearing cosmetics until she was in her mid-20s. She never felt the need to dress up or have her hair and makeup done.
The diva said that she took inspiration for her look from the staff members working at the club on Sunset Strip, namely the dazzling Betsey Johnson clothing that one of the waiters wore to the singer’s performances. The actress from “Don’t Know Much” described how she wore her dress with purple and white stripes, cleaned it in the sink every night, and ultimately donated it to Goodwill.
She was raised with an understanding and passion for singing, as well as a love for everything that came out of her family’s kitchen, since both of Ronstadt’s parents had musical interests and talents. The singer known for her hit single “Just One Look” said that she enjoyed ranch cuisine, including beans, tortillas, and cheese.
Information on Linda’s personal life, including the men she dated and her choice to pursue adoption, as well as other pertinent facts about her life.
In addition to her love for music, Linda Ronstadt wrote a book in which she spoke about her ex-boyfriend Jerry Brown. Ronstadt and Brown dated during the first term that Brown served as Governor of California. When questioned whether she was still on cordial terms with him, she said that she often heard from him and referred to him as a decent human being.
The singer who is known for her hit “Tumbling Dice” related an incident in which Chris Brown stopped by her house as she was getting ready to go out to dinner with Rosemary Clooney. Ronstadt, being the classic Ronstadt that he is, stated that he invited himself to dinner and proposed carrying a huge flower arrangement that someone had given Clooney. The gift was intended for Clooney. The Grammy-winning singer said that it took her a number of years before she could bring herself to tell Clooney that she and Brown had given her pre-owned flowers.
Ronstadt also discussed her relationship with the American director George Lucas, as well as the question of whether or not she intended to collaborate on any groundbreaking projects with him. Even though the star of “It’s so Easy” revealed that she still kept in touch with her ex-lover, she never let their professional lives interfere with their personal relationships.
In addition, Ronstadt expressed her delight that Lucas had found a wonderful partner and started a family, saying that she was delighted for him. She said that she wasn’t the sort to get married, despite the fact that she cared about people with all of her heart and soul. Ronstadt, who was 37 years old at the time, began dating “The Mask” actor Jim Carrey, who was 21 years old at the time.
The iconic music icon made the decision to place her child for adoption while she was in her early 40s. Rondstadt had a strong desire to become a mother from a young age, but she never really considered tying the knot with any of her exes, including Brown, Lucas, or Albert Brooks. However, she did always know that she would one day become a mother.
In an exclusive interview with Playboy magazine in 1980, Ronstadt said that after giving the situation some contemplation, she came to the conclusion that she loved children an incredible amount. She said that the reason why people had children was because they wanted them more than anything else, and that when she got to that stage in her life, she wouldn’t care about whether or not she was single anymore.
“I won’t care if I’m married or not,” said the singer who is best known for the song “Love Is a Rose.” “I’d prefer to be with the kids’ father because I think that would multiply the enjoyment and the richness of the experience geometrically,” she said. “But I don’t think it would be impossible to do it alone,” she said.
The actress of “Hurt So Bad” finally fulfilled her ambition of becoming a mother when she adopted a daughter named Mary Clementine in December of 1990. None of her previous relationships had lasted for a significant amount of time. In 1994, after waiting another four years, she adopted a newborn boy and gave him the name Carlos.
Ronstadt, who had just had a mother, had to find a way to reconcile parenthood and her job as a musician. She had been singing professionally for more than 10 years prior to her retirement in 2011, when she decided to give it up in order to focus on raising her family in San Francisco.
According to the LinkedIn page that Mary Ronstadt keeps up to date, her mother worked as an art assistant at the Guadalupe Art Program in San Francisco between the years 2009 and 2019.
Her mother is the one responsible for instilling in her a love of art and a passion for it. Her mother was a supporter of the non-profit organization known as “Los Cenzontles Cultural Arts Academy.” This group has been teaching children traditional Mexican dance and song for more than three decades.
Ronstadt has cultivated a sweet relationship with her adoptive children, whom she brought up in the state of Arizona. Additionally, she has a very strong bond with Mary, her daughter.
The “Heat Wave” singer’s youngster prefers to stay out of the spotlight, much as his older sister did while he was growing up. The mother of two children said 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 skill. The elated mother said that her children did not pursue music as a profession but did it for their own personal delight.
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 really great.
Linda Ronstadt Discusses Life Following Her Health Battle & Being Fat Shamed
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 since 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 since otherwise it was too tough.
Ronstadt has apparently done a good job of coping with her scary health crisis, as shown by the fact that she has linked with other people who suffer from Parkinson’s disease and investigated alternative therapies. 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 last 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 last concert in San Antonio.
Ronstadt has said that she has never worked for accolades or acclaim during 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 with 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 said that her son, who was then 19 years old and had a strong interest in physics, intended to relocate to Santa Cruz with his fiancée. As a result, the home would be left in her possession. However, in her son’s absence, she would spend time with her daughter, a creative person who enjoyed sculpting, sketching, 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 first given a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease in 2013, but it was subsequently determined that she really 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 had 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 often 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 whether she could still perform 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 was given the diagnosis, and despite the fact that her weight increase is directly related to her health struggle, she has been called fat-shamed. In January of 2023, a person on Twitter expressed their disapproval of the singer by writing:
“Linda Ronstadt gained weight, but I would much rather have Karen Carpenter alive and fat than dead and thin.”
It would seem, 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 about in them with a beaming grin 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 fearless of the naysayers and determined to do what makes her heart happy.
Ronstadt has said that she is open to the possibility of more theme 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:
“I truly believe that you are always able to learn more from failure than success, and I also believe that adversity is an excellent teacher.”
The painful experiences that Ronstadt has gone through have shown her how important it is to have a solid support system around her. In addition to the love and care that her adopted children provide, she has been outspoken about the support that she receives from her friends and family as her sickness worsens.
In 2019, Ronstadt acknowledged that she spends the most 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 really loved spending time in her cottage close to the water and often attending performances of ballet and the symphony.
Ronstadt notes that while she does spend the most of her time with her children, she is fortunate to have lovely friends who often 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 since it is difficult for her to remain straight 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 shown 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.
