Linda Ronstadt Biography
Linda Ronstadt (born Linda Maria Ronstadt) is an American Award-winning Singer well-known for her rock songs, light opera songs, country music, Latin music, and the Great American Songbook. Some of her songs include “Rock Me On The Water”, Stone Pony”, “You’re No Good”, “Silver Threads and Golden Needles”, “Love Has No Pride”, “When Will I Be Loved”, “I Never Will Marry”, “The Fast One”, “Long Long Time”, “Sail Away”, and many others.
Linda Ronstadt Age
Ronstadt was born on July 15, 1946, in Tucson, Arizona, United States. She is therefore 77 years old as of 2023. She celebrates her birthday on the 15th of July every year.
Linda Ronstadt Height
Ronstadt stands at an approximate height of 5 feet and 2 inches.
Linda Ronstadt Family
Linda Ronstadt Parents
Ronstadt was born to her late parents, Gilbert Ronstadt (father) and Ruth Mary (mother). Her dad worked as a machinery merchant and was the CEO of F. Ronstadt Co. He was born in 1911 and died in 1995. Her mom was a homemaker and was born in 1914 and passed away in 1982. Ronstadt’s dad was of Mexican descent with German male ancestry and hailed from an Arizona ranching family. Her mother was of German, Dutch, and English ancestry, and hailed from Flint, Michigan.
Linda Ronstadt Siblings
Ronstadt grew up alongside her 3 siblings; 2 brothers: Peter Ronstadt (singer) and Michael J. Ronstadt, and one sister Gretchen Ronstadt (sister). Peter worked as Tucson’s Chief of Police for a decade (from 1981 to 1991). In the year 1953, Ronstadt and her siblings were featured in Family Circle magazine. She and her siblings were raised as Roman Catholic and were brought up on the family’s 10-acre (4 hectares) ranch.
Linda Ronstadt Extended Family | Relatives
The University of Arizona’s library contains records of the family’s impact on Arizona’s history. They were involved in various fields like wagon making, business, pharmacies, and music. Ronstadt’s great-grandfather, Friedrich August Ronstadt, also known as Federico Augusto Ronstadt, immigrated from Germany to Sonora, Mexico, in the ’40s. Later, he moved to the Southwest, which was then a part of Mexico. He married a Mexican citizen and eventually settled in Tucson.
In the year 1991, the City of Tucson honored Linda Ronstadt’s grandfather, Federico José María Ronstadt, by dedicating its central transit terminal to him. He was a pioneer businessman in the area and worked as a wagon maker. He made a significant contribution to the city’s transportation by delivering six mule-drawn streetcars from 1903 to 1904.
Ruth Mary, Linda Ronstadt’s mother, was the daughter of Lloyd Groff Copeman. He was an inventor with nearly 700 patents to his name. Some of his notable inventions include an early version of the electric toaster, various refrigerator devices, the grease gun, the first electric stove, and an early model of the microwave oven. His invention of a flexible rubber ice cube tray earned him a significant amount of money through royalties.
Linda Ronstadt Husband
Ronstadt is very private about her personal life therefore it is not known if she is in any relationship. However, it is notably known that she has been in 3 relationships: with Jerry Brown, Jim Carrey, Aaron Neville, and George Lucas. It is also known that she has never been in a marriage.
Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville
Less information is known about Ronstadt’s romantic relationship with Aaron – they did not publicize it so much. Ronstadt included the talented singer Aaron Neville on many songs of the album. She also added the wonderful voices of the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, the beautiful music of the Skywalker Symphony, the powerful sound of the Tower of Power horns, and many other skilled musicians. One of the standout parts of the album was the duets with Aaron Neville. Two of these duets, “All My Life” and “Don’t Know Much” became big hits.
They reached high positions on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and became popular among adult contemporary listeners. The duets received several Grammy Award nominations. In fact, they won the Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group with a Vocal award in both the years 1990 and 1989. Ronstadt and Neville even performed “Don’t Know Much” together during the Grammy Awards show in the year 1990.
Ronstadt expressed that singing with different artists allowed her to bring out different qualities in her voice that she couldn’t achieve alone. She specifically mentioned that singing with Aaron Neville brought something special to her performances.
Linda Ronstadt With Jerry Brown
Ronstadt has dated Jerry Brown, a Democratic presidential candidate and a former Governor of California. Her relationship with Jerry Brown became public mid-’70s after they were together for a while. The duo was featured on the cover of Newsweek magazine in April 1979, as well as on the covers of Us Weekly and People magazine.
Linda Ronstadt With Jim Carrey and George Lucas
In the year 1983, Ronstadt was in a relationship with Jim Carrey (a famous comedian), for a period of 8 months. Ronstadt also dated George Lucas (Director of Star Wars) for 5 years (1983 – 1988).
Linda Ronstadt Children (Adopted)
In December 1990, Ronstadt became the adoptive mother of a baby girl named Mary Clementine Ronstadt. Four years later, in the year 1994, she adopted a baby boy named Carlos Ronstadt. Ronstadt has never been married.
When talking about finding a suitable partner, she shared in a 1974 interview with Peter Knobler in Crawdaddy magazine that it can be challenging. She mentioned the dilemma of meeting someone who is kind but lacks musical inspiration, or someone who is incredibly talented but difficult to get along with. Ultimately, finding someone who can accept and tolerate you can be a real challenge.
Linda Ronstadt Net Worth
Ronstadt has an estimated net worth of $130 Million which she has earned through her successful career as a Singer.
Linda Ronstadt Career
Ronstadt has showcased her talents in various music genres. She has released 15 compilation or greatest hits albums and 24 studio albums. With 38 singles on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, she achieved remarkable success. Twenty-one of her singles made it to the top 40, ten reached the top 10, and one even reached number one (“You’re No Good”).
Her music also found popularity in the United Kingdom, with 2 duets, “Don’t Know Much” with Aaron Neville and “Somewhere Out There” with James Ingram, reaching numbers 2 and 8 respectively on the United Kingdom Singles chart. Additionally, her single “Blue Bayou” reached number 35 on the same chart. Ronstadt has had 36 albums on the United States Billboard Pop Album Chart, with ten of them reaching the top 10 and three reaching #1.
Throughout her career, Ronstadt collaborated with a diverse range of artists, including Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Bette Midler, Johnny Cash, Frank Zappa, and many others across different genres. Her vocal contributions can be heard on more than 120 albums, and she has sold over 100 M records. This makes Ronstadt among the best-selling artists worldwide. Known for her exceptional voice, Ronstadt has been praised as having one of the finest voices of her generation.
After the year 2000, Ronstadt gradually reduced her musical activities due to the deterioration of her singing voice. Her last full-length album was released in the year 2004, and she performed her final live concert in 2009. In the year 2011, she announced her retirement, later revealing that she could no longer sing due to a degenerative condition called progressive supranuclear palsy.
Despite this, Ronstadt continued to make public appearances, engaging in public speaking tours in the 2010s. She also published her autobiography, “Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir,” in September 2013. A documentary film based on her memoirs, titled “Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice,” was released in the year 2019. When coming to her education, Ronstadt is a proud alumnus of Catalina High Magnet School and Arizona State University.
Linda Ronstadt Awards and Honors
Over the years of Ronstadt’s singing career, she has won many accolades and honors. Some of them include an ALMA Award, 11 Grammy Awards, 2 Academy of Country Music awards, 3 American Music Awards, and an Emmy Award. Many of her albums have received certifications of platinum, gold, or multiplatinum, both internationally and in the US. She has also been nominated for a Tony Award and a Golden Globe award.
In the years 2011, she received the Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award from the Latin Recording Academy, and in the year 2016, she was honored with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April 2014. On July 28, 2014, she was presented with the National Medal of Arts and Humanities.
In the year 2019, she and her fellow musicians Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris were awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for their work as the group Trio. Ronstadt was also one of the five recipients of the 2019 Kennedy Center Honors for her lifetime artistic achievements.
Linda Ronstadt Political Affiliation
Ronstadt’s political views were both criticized and praised after her performance in Las Vegas at the Aladdin Theatre on July 17, 2004. Following the concert, she was reportedly asked to leave the hotel. This incident sparked a national discussion about an entertainer’s right to express political opinions on stage. The situation made headlines internationally and even appeared in The New York Times editorial section. Many of Ronstadt’s friends, including the Eagles, canceled their performances at the Aladdin in response.
In 2006, during a concert in Canada, Ronstadt openly criticized then-President George Bush and the reasons for going to war in Iraq. Her remarks drew significant attention from around the world. Ronstadt resided in San Francisco in 2007 while maintaining a home in Tucson. She faced criticism and praise from Tucson residents for her comments about the city council, developers, and the city’s development issues.
She publicly championed gay rights and same-sex marriage in 2009, emphasizing that homophobia goes against family values. Ronstadt actively participated in activism regarding illegal immigration and Arizona’s laws. She voiced concerns about the treatment of illegal immigrants and expressed criticism of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s efforts.
Additionally, Ronstadt has been vocal about environmental and community issues. She has shown support for sustainable agriculture pioneer Wes Jackson and dedicated a song to him during a concert, recognizing his important work.
Linda Ronstadt and The Eagles
In the year 2014, Ronstadt shared the story of how a famous rock band was born. Glenn Frey and Don Henley were acquainted with each other before they joined Linda Ronstadt’s band in the year 1971. However, it was during their time together in Ronstadt’s band that the foundation for the Eagles was laid. Later that same year, the Eagles officially formed as a band.
Linda Ronstadt Retirement
In the year 2011, Ronstadt gave an interview to the Arizona Daily Star where she announced her retirement from music. In August 2013, she shared with journalist Alanna Nash from AARP that she had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, which had made it impossible for her to sing anymore. Later on, her diagnosis was re-evaluated, and it was determined that she actually had progressive supranuclear palsy. In the year 2022, her memoir titled “Feels Like Home: A Song for the Sonoran Borderlands” was published.
Linda Ronstadt Illness / Health
Ronstadt shared that she had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in August 2013. This condition affected her ability to sing because it caused a loss of control over her muscles. The diagnosis came eight months before she made the announcement. Initially, she thought the symptoms she was experiencing were related to the effects of shoulder surgery and a tick bite. However, in late 2019, it was reported that her doctors had revised their diagnosis to progressive supranuclear palsy. This is a degenerative disease that is often mistaken for Parkinson’s because the symptoms are similar.
Linda Ronstadt Guitar
In the year 2009, the Martin Guitar Company created a special acoustic guitar called the “Linda Ronstadt Limited Edition” model, as a tribute to Ronstadt. The guitar was a 00–42 model. Ronstadt chose the Land Institute as the beneficiary of all the earnings generated from the sales of her signature guitar.
Linda Ronstadt Book
In the year 2013, Simon & Schuster released Ronstadt’s autobiography titled “Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir.” The book shares her life story and experiences in the music industry. It was published in English as “Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir” and also in Spanish as “Sueños Sencillos – Memorias Musicales.”
Linda Ronstadt Social Media Platforms
She is active on her social media accounts and is often seen posting on her Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. She has over 103K followers on Instagram.