Linda
Ronstadt
With
roots in the Los Angeles country and folk-rock scenes, Linda
Ronstadt became one of the most popular interpretive singers of
the ’70s, earning a string of platinum-selling albums and Top 40
singles. Throughout the ’70s, her laidback pop never lost sight
of her folky roots, yet as she moved into the ’80s, she began to
change her sound with the times, adding new wave influences. After
a brief flirtation with pre-rock pop, Ronstadt settled into a
pattern of adult contemporary pop and Latin albums, sustaining her
popularity in both fields.
While
Ronstadt was a student at Arizona State University, she met
guitarist Bob Kimmel. The duo moved to Los Angeles, where
guitarist/songwriter Kenny Edwards joined the pair. Calling
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.
Ronstadt’s
first two solo albums -- Hand Sown Home Grown (1969) and Silk
Purse (1970) -- accentuated her country roots, featuring several
honky tonk numbers. Released in 1971, her self-titled third album
was a pivotal record in her career.
Featuring
a group of session musicians that would later form the Eagles, the
album was a softer, more laidback variation of the country-rock
she had been recording.
With
the inclusion of songs from singer/songwriters like Jackson
Browne, Neil Young, and Eric Anderson, Linda Ronstadt had
folk-rock connections as well.
Don’t
Cry Now, released in 1973, followed the same formula to greater
success, yet it was 1974’s Heart Like a Wheel that
perfected the sound, making Ronstadt a star. Featuring the
hit covers You’re No Good, When Will I Be Loved,
and It Doesn’t Matter Anymore, Heart Like a Wheel reached
number one and sold over two million copies.
Released
in the fall of 1975, Prisoner in Disguise followed the same
pattern as Heart Like a Wheel and was nearly as successful. Hasten
Down the Wind, released in 1976, suggested a holding pattern, even
if it charted higher than Prisoner in Disguise. Simple Dreams
(1977) expanded the formula by adding a more rock-oriented
supporting band, which breathed life into the Rolling Stones’
Tumbling Dice and Warren Zevon’s Poor Poor Pitiful Me.
The
record became the singer’s biggest hit, staying on the top of
the charts for five weeks and selling over three million copies.
With
Living in the U.S.A. (1978) Ronstadt began experimenting with new
wave, recording Elvis Costello’s Alison; the album was another
number one hit.
On
1980’s Mad Love, she made a full-fledged new wave record,
recording three Costello songs and adopting a synth-laden sound.
Sensing
it was time to change direction, Ronstadt starred in the Broadway
production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance, as
well as the accompanying movie. Pirates of Penzance led the singer
to a collaboration with Nelson Riddle, who arranged and conducted
her 1983 collection of pop standards, What’s New. While it
received lukewarm reviews, it was a considerable hit, reaching
number three on the charts and selling over two million copies.
Ronstadt’s next two albums -- Lush Life (1984) and For
Sentimental Reasons (1986) -- were also albums of pre-rock
standards recorded with Riddle.
Ronstadt
returned to her country roots in 1987, recording Canciones de mi
Padre, a set of traditional Mexican songs that became a surprise
hit, and in 1991 she recorded Más Canciones and Frenesí (1992).
In 1996, she released the childrens album Dedicated to the One I
Love; We Ran followed in 1998.
Edited
from Internet and other sources
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