A shared love of music was
one of the things that brought Tim and me together almost thirty years ago: certainly the
rock ‘n roll of our youth, but also Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Linda Ronstadt, who in the mid-1980s discovered the Great American Songbook. Ronstadt’s
music—especially her heart-wrenching albums Hasten Down the Wind and Prisoner in Disguise—had gotten me through many sad
interludes as a young adult. Then Tim came along and suddenly we were slow-dancing
to Linda’s rendition of the 1930s song “What’s New?”—one
of the most romantic memories of our early courtship. Ronstadt’s music has
always been there, in good times and bad.
In August, she
shocked her fans by announcing that she's had Parkinson’s disease for several years and, as a
result, can no longer sing. I was, therefore, very worried that last night’s Writer’s Bloc event with Ronstadt and interviewer Patt Morrison might be maudlin and filled
with regret. But, happily, I was completely wrong. Linda was cheerful,
intelligent and full of life as she reminisced about her bilingual childhood in
Arizona (“I thought people sang in Spanish and spoke in English”) as well as her successful career as one of rock’s leading female singers. She shared how her
back-up band—which went on to become the Eagles—was haphazardly pulled
together and told a funny story illustrating how cheap her famous former
boyfriend, California governor Jerry Brown,
was. She also spoke in favor of immigrant reform and art education in schools.
If anyone had any doubt when they walked into the theater, they now know Linda
Ronstadt is a liberal Democrat, a banner she has always been proud to wave. But
this is one smart woman who won’t let any single political ideology, musical
style or disease define her. It was wonderful hearing her speak.
For an excellent review of
the evening, I highly recommend today’s entry in Kevin Roderick’s blog L.A. Observed. And, yes, Tom Hanks and
Rita Wilson were there last night,
seated two rows away from us. Tom literally sat on the edge of his seat for
most of the event, while Rita tweeted much of what Ronstadt said.
Linda’s book Simple Dreams is now available at a
bookstore or library near you.
Linda Ronstadt's recent interview with Diane Sawyer
2 comments:
Her rich, velvet-like voice is my all-time favorite. I think I have all of her albums, and have listened to each one SO many times.
I had no idea you love Linda Ronstadt (whom we affectionately call "LR.") If I would have known, I would have invited you to go with us. Did you see the interview when it aired on KCET 2 weeks ago?
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