Celebrities Then And Now: They Have Really Changed!
Linda Ronstadt
| Famous For: You’re No Good, Don’t Know Much, Blue Bayou |
Networth: $130 Million |
| Currently Known For: Retired Singer |
Famous Years: 1970 – Present |
| Birthdate: July 15, 1946 |
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Linda Ronstadt was born in Tucson, Arizona on July 15, 1946. Ronstadt started performing music at a young age, focusing on performing folk rock. She added her own flair to the mix, adding in a bit of country.
In 1969, Ronstadt released her first album “Hand Sown…Home Grown”. Even though the album didn’t take off, it wouldn’t be too long for her to make it big.
Ronstadt released the album “Silk Purse”, which included her first song to reach the charts with “Will You Love Me Tomorrow”, and the top 25 hit “Long, Long Time”. Between then and the end of the 1970s, she released several more albums and had nine songs that reached the top 25 on the Billboard charts. Among those that reached the top five were “Blue Bayou” and “It’s So Easy”, as well as the song “You’re No Good”.
She quickly became one of the best female singers of the 20th century. Her success as a singer even got Ronstadt into acting, as she appeared in several TV shows throughout the years such as “Sesame Street”, “The Muppet Show”, and “The Simpsons”.
Ronstadt isn’t actually a fan of her albums, even though her music is loved by many. “I don’t ever listen to my stuff once I’ve finished it,” she said. “And I don’t really know what’s on it…When I listen to all my old stuff, I tend to be horrified…I don’t like any of them,” Ronstadt added when talking about her albums. “But there are moments on records that I like.”
Ronstadt released two albums in the early 2000s with “A Merry Little Christmas” and most recently in 2004 with “Hummin’ to Myself”. She continued to tour after releasing those albums, though her last live performance was in 2009. Two years later, she announced that she was retiring from performing, which turned into a permanent retirement in 2013.
Ronstadt was unfortunately diagnosed with Parkinson disease, which she feared might be the case when her singing voice started to fade. “It was really gradual,” she said. “Like someone moving the fader on the board when you’re recording – a tiny little bit at a time. As a year went by, I’d noticed that something was wrong. I’d say, ‘This isn’t singing. This is yelling.’” It took her some time to cope with the Parkinson’s diagnosis, knowing that there isn’t a cure. “The good news is that everything that helps Parkinson’s disease seems to help Alzheimer’s, so there’s a lot of research going on, which is what we need,” she said.
Ronstadt is determined to live life to its fullest. “You have to have a life, but I have to be very selective about what I do,” she said. Today, Ronstadt advocates for Parkinson’s research and awareness.
