Linda Ronstadt

b. Linda Maria Ronstadt, 15 July 1946, Tucson, Arizona, USA. The daughter of a professional musician, Ronstadt's first singing experience was gained with her sisters in the Three Ronstadts. She met guitarist Bob Kimmel at Arizona's State University and together the two aspirants moved to Los Angeles where they were joined by songwriter Kenny Edwards. Taking the name the Stone Poneys, the trio became popular among the city's folk fraternity and scored a US Top 20 hit with Different Drum. Ronstadt embarked on a solo career in 1968. Her early solo albums, HAND SOWN, HOME GROWN and SILK PURSE signalled a move towards country-flavoured material, albeit of a more conservative nature. The singer's third album marked a major turning point and featured a core of excellent musicians, including Don Henley, Glen Frey, Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner who subsequently formed the Eagles. The content emphasized a contemporary approach with songs by Neil Young, Jackson Browne and Eric Anderson, and the set established Ronstadt as a force in Californian rock. The artist's subsequent two albums showed the dichotomy prevalent in her music. DON'T CRY NOW was largely undistinguished, chiefly because the material was weaker, while HEART LIKE A WHEEL, paradoxically given to Linda's former label to complete contractual obligations, was excellent.
This platinum-selling set included You're No Good, a US number 1 pop hit, and a dramatic version of Hank Williams' I Can't Help It, which won Ronstadt a Grammy award for best female country vocal. This highly successful release set the pattern for the singer's work throughout the rest of the decade. Her albums were now carefully constructed to appease both the rock and country audiences, mixing traditional material, singer/songwriter angst and a handful of rock ‘n' roll/soul classics, be they from Tamla/ Motown (Heatwave), Roy Orbison (Blue Bayou) or Buddy Holly (That'll Be The Day). Despite effusive praise from the establishment media and a consistent popularity, this predictable approach resulted in lethargy, and although MAD LOVE showed a desire to break the mould, Ronstadt was increasingly trapped in an artistic cocoon.
The singer's work during the '80s has proved more divergent. Her performance in Joseph Papp's production of Pirates Of Penzance drew favourable reviews, although her subsequent role in the more demanding La Boheme was less impressive. Ronstadt also undertook a series of releases with veteran arranger/conductor Nelson Riddle, which resulted in three albums—WHAT'S NEW, LUSH LIFE and FOR SENTIMENTAL REASONS—consisting of popular standards. In 1987 a duet with James Ingram, produced Somewhere Out There, the title track to the film An American Tail, this gave her a number 2 US hit (UK Top 10) hit, while that same year her collaboration with Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris, TRIO and a selection of mariachi songs, CANCIONES DE MI PADRE, showed an artist determined to challenge preconceptions. Her 1989 set, CRY LIKE A RAINSTORM, revealed a crafted approach to mainstream recording and included Don't Know Much, a haunting duet with Aaron Neville, which gave Linda Ronstadt another number 2 hit in the USA (and the UK). The highly acclaimed WINTER LIGHT was produced by herself and George Massenburg, and came across as a personal and highly emotional album. Ronstadt, while hugely popular and successful, has never been truly recognised by the cognoscenti. Her change in styles may have been a contributing factor. She has courted (with great success), country/rock, country, rock ‘n’ roll, latin, standards, opera, light opera, AOR and white soul.