Quick Info
| Profession | Singer, Musician |
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| Nationality | American |
| Date of Birth | 15/07/1946 |
| Age | 79 years |
| Birthplace | Tucson, Arizona, USA |
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Bio/Wiki
| Summary | American former singer and musician who performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, folk, pop, and country rock. Known as the 'First Lady of Rock' and 'Queen of Rock', she was voted the Top Female Pop Singer of the 1970s and became the first female 'arena class' rock star. |
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| Career Highlights | Established professional career in mid-1960s with the Stone Poneys folk-rock trio. Released chart-topping albums including Heart Like a Wheel, Simple Dreams, and Living in the USA. Set records as one of the top-grossing concert artists of the 1970s. Later recorded traditional pop albums with conductor Nelson Riddle and performed in Broadway and film versions of The Pirates of Penzance. |
Physical Stats & More
| Voice Type | Pure, expressive soprano |
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Personal Life
| Health | Diagnosed with Parkinson disease in 2013, later changed to progressive supranuclear palsy. This condition prevented her from singing and led to her retirement. |
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Relationships & More
| Collaborators | Worked with Nelson Riddle, Aaron Neville, members of the Eagles, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, and songwriters including Neil Young and Jackson Browne |
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Family
| Father | Gilbert Ronstadt (1911-1995) |
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| Mother | Ruth Mary Copeman (1914-1982) |
| Grandfather | Federico Ronstadt (born 1868 in Sonora, Mexico; son of German immigrant from Hannover) |
| Heritage | Mexican and German ancestry |
Career
| Early Career | Mid-1960s: Formed Stone Poneys folk-rock trio in Los Angeles; 1967 hit 'Different Drum' |
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| Solo Career Start | 1968 |
| Major Albums |
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| Notable Songs | Different Drum, Long Long Time, Crazy, Alison, Don't Know Much |
| Theater | Starred in Broadway production of The Pirates of Penzance (1981-82) and 1983 film version |
| Awards | Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (1976), Latin Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award (2011), Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction (2014), National Medal of Arts (2014), Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (2016), Kennedy Center Honor (2019) |
Favourites
| Musical Genres | Folk, rock, country rock, pop standards, opera, Gilbert & Sullivan, Mexican mariachi and ranchera songs |
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Style Quotient
| Image | Rock-and-roll image as famous as her music; appeared six times on Rolling Stone cover and on covers of Newsweek and Time |
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Some Lesser Known Facts
| 1. Her grandfather was a German immigrant who came to Tucson at age 14 to learn wagon-building | |
| 2. She grew up in a musical family where her grandfather and his children played in various bands and wrote songs | |
| 3. In 1980, she left her 'Queen of Rock' status to pursue Gilbert & Sullivan theater in New York | |
| 4. Canciones de Mi Padre (1987) was a surprise success featuring traditional Mexican songs with English translations and discussions about their importance | |
| 5. Published autobiography Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir (2013) and Feels Like Home: A Song for the Sonoran Borderlands (2022, cowritten with Lawrence Downes), the latter including recipes | |
| 6. Documentary Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice (2019) won best documentary at Provincetown International Film Festival |