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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZRONSTADT, Linda(b 15 July 1946, Tucson AZ) Folk-pop singer. To Los Angeles '64; three LPs on Capitol with Stone Poneys '66-8 (trio with Bob Kimmel, Ken Edwards on guitars and vocals, backing musicians on disc): the second Evergreen made the top 100 LPs late '67 with top 20 track 'Different Drum'. The first LP was reissued '75, made top 200. Solo albums on Capitol established country-rock status: Hand Sown, Home Grown did not chart; Silk Purse '70 inclcluded single hit 'Long Long Time'; Linda Ronstadt '72 included backing by all four original Eagles. She changed labels to Asylum with producer Peter Asher; Don't Cry Now '73 made top 50 LPs without a big hit single; Heart Like A Wheel appeared on Capitol, hit no. 1 late '74 with top two singles 'You're No Good' and 'When Will I Be Loved'. Top five LPs Prisoner In Disguise, Hasten Down The Wind '75-6 continued successful formula of well-chosen material carefully produced; Simple Dreams and Living In The USA '77-8 were no. 1 albums; Mad Love '80 no. 3; Get Closer '82 slipped to no. 31. Her total of 18 hit singles by the end of '82 included no. 3 cover of Roy Orbison's 'Blue Bayou' (three singles, five LPs hits in UK). Her relationship with then Governor Jerry Brown of California was in the news late '70s. Her appearance on stage in Gilbert and Sullivan's Pirates Of Penzance was praised: perhaps showing an intelligent refusal, rare in pop, to showcase new songs just because they are new, she switched to songs from the Golden Age for What's New '83, mostly lesser known items by George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, etc, arr./cond. by Nelson Riddle: unfortunately the sort of phrasing necessary in this genre was conspicuously absent. (Later, however, she thought that learning to sing different kinds of material made her a better singer technically, exercising different parts of her voice.) What's New sold well, as did Lush Life '84, including the Billy Strayhorn title song, For Sentimental Reasons '86, also with Riddle, benefiting from better-known songs (it takes a Mabel Mercer or a Bobby Short to revive lesser-known ones); the three LPs were boxed in a set '86. She also sang on the Philip Glass album Songs From Liquid Days '85. She joined Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris in long-awaited Trio '87 on WEA: singing lead on the beautiful 'Telling Me Lies' (co-written by Linda Thompson and Betsy Cook), her gorgeous gospel-quality voice tumbles down the song in exactly the right way; when she stuck to what she did best she had no peer. Songs Of My Father (Canciones De Mi Padre) '88 was a Hispanic collection on Asylum; she switched to Elektra with Cry Like A Rainstorm, Howl Like The Wind '89 (guest Aaron Neville on four tracks); Mas Canciones '91 was Mexican material, Frenesi '92 an attempt at Afro-Cuban music; Winter Light '93 made top 100 albums; Dedicated To The One I Love '96 was a lame concept album, pop songs and lullabies with the word 'baby' in the title crooned in a slowed-down manner which managed to be both soporific and creepy. Most CD reissues are on Elektra. She retired to San Francisco when Tucson summers got too hot. She suffers from progressive supranuclear palsy, which is similar to Parkinson's but can't be treated by medication. |