Linda Ronstadt sings no more
The cause? Parkinson’s, which can be a cruel and vicious (and protean) disease.
In my mind, Ronstadt is still a slim young thing with a phenomenal voice. Of course, she’s been neither slim nor young for quite some time. And now her singing voice has been stilled as well.
Let’s remember when:
One can thank goodness that Linda Ronstadt had a long, storied career that produced many great songs before this horrible illness struck her.
In any rate, God bless her.
That’s a shame. I remember Linda and the Stone Poneys. I seem to recall she was also the girlfriend of the govenor of California a long time ago.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_Poneys
A few years ago, Ronstadt was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. That certainly does not help her weight problem but in fact contributes to it.
Blue Bayou shows her power. But I love listening to her Mexican songs and her work with Nelson Riddle. Truly a performer with great skill, range, and talent.
Great examples of the former: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pR_xLD-dSis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7ibx2Yj1us
I remember too! It is sad.
Hate to hear this. Linda had a singularly great set of pipes and the intelligence and musicianship to make it all work with many different groups in an amazing variety of styles.
That sound will live forever in my own mind. Got to go listen to some right now.
Meh. I heard “Blue Bayou” and “When Will I Be Loved” so many times in my high school years that if I never hear them again, it will be too soon.
Still, it’s a damned shame that it has come to this for her. As SwiperTheFox said, may God bless her.
Hale Adams
Pikesville, People’s Democratic Republic of Maryland
Her album with Nelson Riddle was special. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KelraygLn2g
“Blue Bayou” was a Roy Orbison – Joe Melson composition.
Roy was very gratified that Linda Ronstadt took “Blue Bayou” into the top 5, as he felt that contributed to validating him as a songwriter as well as a singer [most of Roy’s own hits were written or co-written by him, but he was very pleased when someone of Linda’s stature wanted to record his composition].
Ray (3:33 pm), I too remember well Linda Ronstadt and the Stone Poneys [“Different Drum”]. She had a terrific voice.
She seems to have fairly rapidly progressing Parkinson’s and thus is likely not responding to the dopaminergic meds.
There are lots of obesity causes other than hypothyroid, and the right Synthroid dose can and does fix hypo.
My favorite Linda Ronstadt song is “Long, Long Time”. In fact, that sone is one of my all time favorites.
I am not going to choose a favorite among her English language songs. My favorite of her Canciones de Mi Padre, an album of Mexican songs which others have already referred to, is Rogaciano El Huapanguero.I include a translation of the lyrics.
As with all great singers, such as Amalia Rogrigues, you do not need to know the lyrics to emotionally connect with the song, but it helps. IIRC, Linda Ronstadt didn’t know Spanish, but sang the lyrics nonetheless- in a very acceptable Spanish accent.
Mr. Frank:
Thanks for the link. Enjoyed the song and added it to my list.
Rod Stewart and others jumped on the bandwagon of reinterpreting old pop “standards”, but Ronstadt was way ahead of them. My recollection is she was the first major star to do this. Her first album with Nelson Riddle came out in 1983 (“What’s New”, which included your track).
If you haven’t heard Ronstadt’s version of “Crazy”, take a listen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihhCt6aOAVk
(Blasphemy alert!)
I like it a bit more than Patsy Cline’s definitive recording.
Linda Ronstadt has some interesting members in her family tree, including Roque Dalton. Roque Dalton was born in El Salvador, the illegitimate son of Winnall Dalton, Jr., who was a first cousin of Gilbert Ronstadt, Linda’s father. That would make Linda Ronstadt and Roque Dalton first cousins once removed.
Roque Dalton was both a guerrilla leader and acclaimed poet. He was killed in 1975 at the order of a revolutionary tribunal, as a suspected CIA informant. Joaquin Villalobos, who later led the FMLS. was one of the responsible parties. Years later, the charges appear to have been bogus. Interesting factoid: Roque Dalton has appeared on postage stamps in El Salvador.
http://lasa.international.pitt.edu/members/congress-papers/lasa2009/files/AtwoodRoger.pdf
“You’re No Good” kills me everytime I hear it. What a great rock singer. No one comes close.
Just a terrible tragedy. As a singer myself I cannot even comprehend such a terrible thing to have happened to someone that had an amazing God given ability. My prayers are with you dear Linda. You are loved. î¼
It’s sad that she has to suffer with Parkinson’s, and I pity her suffering. That said, I was less enamored of her singing and especially how she managed her career. I know some fine people who knew and worked with Linda Ronstadt earlier in her career, and they all had disturbing stories that explained their disillusionment with her character and person. She was also well known for expressing disdain for much of her audience, rather than gratitude, and had much to do with the cynical air of disrepute lingering over that Seventies LA scene. Not at all an admirable character, unfortunately, though many have fond memories of her music.
Re Brooks:
Well now, there’s a bracing little jolt of commentary. And just when I was getting all mushy with pride over the remarkable fact that Neo’s post and every single comment was positive and/or sympathetic towards Ronstadt–in spite of her liberal/left politics.
I have no way of verifying Brooks’ post, but it certainly rings true, comports with the behavior of many other pop stars, and utterly lacks the vitriol characteristic of a personal attack. While Ronstadt’s situation is poignant, it does not exempt her from criticism–like that delivered above in such a restrained, matter-of-fact and pitying manner.
Nevertheless, I still admire the big-heartedness of the people whose comments above overlooked Ronstadt’s politics, expressing only esteem and compassion. I exclude myself from this group because, while I vaguely recalled some leftist stuff, I simply felt Ronstadt’s music was more interesting to write about. Also, I have a head-in-the-sand policy towards many entertainers: the less known, the better. I would advise such a policy for those who wish to retain pleasant memories of Ronstadt, untainted by distasteful politics.