A Photographic Retrospective By John Robert Rowlands

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 had 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 Ronstadt'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 The 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 theme 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 recognized
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. In 1996 she was firmly in
the middle of the road with Dedicated To The One I Love, an album of
lullabies and love songs 'for the baby you love ages 1 to 91', although this was
redressed in 1998 with a more familiar album.

1983 photograph of Linda Ronstadt by John Robert Rowlands