Linda Ronstadt

One of the top-selling female vocalists of the late 1970s, Linda Ronstadt has earned ten Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award, an ALMA Award, numerous United States and internationally certified gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums, in addition to Tony Award and Golden Globe nominations.

Born in Tucson, Arizona on July 15, 1946 into a musically inclined family, Ronstadt left college after she met guitarist Bob Kimmel to pursue her dreams of being a singer in Los Angeles. When guitarist/songwriter Kenny Edwards joined the duo, they called themselves the Stone Poneys. The group became a leading attraction on California's folk circuit, recording their first album in 1967. The band's second album, Evergreen, Vol. 2, featured the Top 20 hit "Different Drum," which was written by Michael Nesmith. After recording one more album with the group, Ronstadt left for a solo career at the end of 1968.

Although she recorded and performed with the Stone Poneys and as a solo artist for years, she didn’t find success until Heart Like a Wheel (1974). The album had several hits, including "You're No Good" and "When Will I Be Loved." The album went platinum—meaning it sold more than one million copies—as did her next few albums, establishing her as a music superstar during the 1970s.

In 1980s, Ronstadt tried her hand at pop standards, working with famed arranger Nelson Riddle. Together they put out three albums: Lush Life (1982), What's New (1983), and For Sentimental Reasons (1986). She also explored her Hispanic heritage by recording a Spanish-language album Canciones de Mi Padre (1987), which was filled with traditional Mexican songs like the ones her father loved. Two other Spanish-language albums followed—Mas Canciones (1990) and Frenesi (1992).

She returned to pop with 1994'sWinter Light, which failed to generate a hit single, as did 1995's Feels Like Home. In 1996, she released the children's album Dedicated to the One I Love; We Ran followed in 1998. Two years later, Ronstadt delivered the holiday collection A Merry Little Christmas. Another collection of standards, Hummin' to Myself arrived in 2004, followed byAdieu False Heart, a collaboration with Ann Savoy of the Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band in 2006.

Ronstadt continues to experiment with different musical styles. In collaboration with Ann Savoy, she takes on Cajun music in her latest album Adieu False Heart (2006). While she still records new material and performs live, Ronstadt has slowed down a bit in recent years, choosing to spend more time with her family. She lives with her two adopted children in her hometown of Tucson.

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Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is an American popular music singer. She has earned 11 Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award, an ALMA Award and numerous United States and internationally certified gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums. She has also earned nominations for a Tony Award and a Golden Globe award.

Ronstadt has collaborated with artists from a diverse spectrum of genres including Bette Midler, Billy Eckstine, Frank Zappa, Rosemary Clooney, Flaco Jiménez, Philip Glass, Carla Bley, The Chieftains, Emmylou Harris, Gram Parsons, Dolly Parton, Neil Young, Johnny Cash, and Nelson Riddle. She has lent her voice to over 120 albums. Christopher Loudon of Jazz Times noted in 2004, Ronstadt is "Blessed with arguably the most sterling set of pipes of her generation ... rarest of rarities – a chameleon who can blend into any background yet remain boldly distinctive ... It's an exceptional gift; one shared by few others."

In total, she has released over 30 studio albums and 15 compilations or greatest hits albums. Ronstadt charted 38 Billboard Hot 100 singles, with 21 reaching the top 40, 10 in the top 10, three at #2 and "You're No Good" at #1. In the UK, her single "Blue Bayou" reached the UK Top 40 and the duet with Aaron Neville, "Don't Know Much", peaked at No. 2 in December 1989. In addition, she has charted 36 albums, 10 top-10 albums and three #1 albums on the Billboard Pop Album Charts.

In a 2011 interview with the Arizona Daily Star she said, "I am 100 percent retired and I'm not doing anything any more". It was announced publicly in August 2013 that Linda had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in December 2012, which left her unable to sing.

Her autobiography, Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir, was released in September 2013. It debuted in the Top 10 on The New York Times Best Sellers List.

Linda Ronstadt will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.

Awards

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linda_Ronstadt#Awards

Discography

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linda_Ronstadt_discography

Filmography

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linda_Ronstadt#Filmography