Linda onstage singing with her father Gilbert
Left to right, Emmylou Harris, Ronstadt, and Dolly Parton
Ronstadt receiving National Medal of Arts from President Obama
LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE B+
USA (95 mi) 2019 d: Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman Official
site
I’ve been a singer all
my life, so it’s very odd not to be able to do that. Especially when I go to visit my family, as
we always sang together and now we can’t.
But I can play music in my head ― I’ve got a huge jukebox in my brain.
―Linda Ronstadt
Probably most Americans under 40 don’t know her or aren’t
familiar with her music, which was all the rage in the 70’s and 80’s, but she’s
not an Internet sensation attracting millions of followers Quoting from Peter Lewry’s 2010 book on
Ronstadt, Linda
Ronstadt: A Life In Music, written by band musician Andrew Gold in the
Foreword, “She was, for a very long time in the seventies, the most famous
female rocker in America. As you may
imagine, it was hectic and non-stop, but we were all young and ambitious, with
a healthy dose of post 60’s party instinct to boot. At the center, however, was of course the
music. The music came first
always.” Like Whitney
(2018), most books or films doing biographies prefer to reveal something
personal that offers deep psychological insight into one’s life, but in Linda
Ronstadt’s case, that’s not the highlight, as it really is all about the music,
becoming synonymous with family, as it’s what her family did together, where
singing and sharing music was an essential act of love, as natural as the sky
is blue, each with their own different tastes, all collaborating to form a
collective musical consciousness. So
rather than search for deeper insights, this film plays the music that defines
who she is, with Ronstadt providing background narration (some of it quite
poetic) that literally tells the story of her life, but as it turns out, music
is the expression of her heart. While
she doesn’t fit the profile of writing her own songs, making them
autobiographical, instead she takes other people’s songs and makes them her
own, making her rendition uniquely powerful, yet heartfelt, with Cameron Crowe
revealing “When you become that sharp
of a song stylist, you get authorship, in a way,” where what mattered to her
was whether the songs meant something, revealing “Every song that I sing has a
face I sing it to,” finding a core meaning in the message that she so
beautifully conveys through radio, records, or live performances. In the late 60’s, a comparable song stylist
to Ronstadt might have been Dusty Springfield, who could get down and dirty
with the soulful Dusty
Springfield - Son of a preacher man - YouTube (2:26), but mostly she
perfected a studio sound that emphasized sophisticated strings. Ronstadt didn’t dance like Tina Turner or
have a background group singing harmony and dancing in unison like The Pips,
providing none of the visual imagery of musical stars of today, she simply
faced the audience and poured her heart out, with musicians harmonizing,
usually dislaying her preferance for performing barefoot, where you quickly
realize that despite her small frame (only 5 feet two inches tall) her voice is
a powerhouse that fills the entire space of large auditoriums, a force of
nature where her command of range is seemingly so effortless, developing a reputation
for being capable of singing anything, from country to pop, classic Rock ‘n’
Roll to R & B, light opera to big band standards, even singing classical
mariachi music. Undaunted throughout her
career, she continued to defy categorization, often the lone female rock star
in a male-dominated industry, she remains one of the most important vocalists
on the American music scene, the first artist to top the pop, country, and R
& B charts simultaneously, with five straight platinum albums, 11 overall,
nominated for 26 Grammy awards, winning ten of them. Yet despite her acclaim, all the other boy
bands received entry into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame before she did
belatedly in 2014, which, if anything, means the industry continues to
underrate the significance of her career.
Perhaps this film may change a few minds. When asked why she sings, she says it’s for
the same reasons birds sing: “They sing for a mate, to claim their territory,
or simply to give voice to the delight of being alive in the midst of a
beautiful day, so the subsequent generations won’t forget what the current
generation endured or dreamed or delighted in.”
Starting out in the Laurel Canyon folk-rock scene of Los Angeles in the
late 60’s, she stopped singing publicly in 2009, as the inflection in her voice
changed from Parkinson’s disease, the same ailment that afflicted Muhammad Ali
late in his career (eventually losing his voice), a progressive nerve disease
for which there is no known cure. So the
film is something of a revelation, playing it back, reliving so many of her
performances, where she became a musical icon, but remained modest and humble
about her own abilities, never full of herself, avoiding the spotlight, always
praising others, where the essential beauty of her character is just how
unassuming and unpretentious she is, where for her, she lets the music speak
for itself. With that in mind, this is
the right kind of film for the occasion, as it is wall-to-wall music, offering
joyful praise for her immense musical contributions.
Ronstadt was born in Tucson, an Indian, Hispanic, and Anglo
mix, about an hour’s drive to the border in Nogales, which allowed her to hear
the radio airwaves on both sides of the border growing up, from Mexican songs,
Country and Western, as it was called then, or the upstart youth music of rock
‘n’ roll. Her grandfather Fred was a
Mexican immigrant who ran a popular hardware store, while a well-traveled Aunt Luisa
used to perform around the world in the 20’s and 30’s, bringing back songs from
around the globe. Ronstadt’s maternal
grandfather Lloyd was a prolific inventor, holding many patents, creating an
early form of a toaster, many refrigerator devices, the grease gun, and one of
the first electric stoves, while his design for an ice-cube tray made him
millions, much of which he spent tying to find a cure for his wife’s
Parkinson’s disease. Her mother Ruth was
from Flint, Michigan, but attended college in Arizona, serenaded by her father
Gilbert, a rancher who sang songs beneath her window at night, marrying and
eventually settling on a 10-acre farm in Tucson, where the family was actually
featured in a magazine spread of Family
Circle in 1953, with Linda, the third youngest of four children, owning her
own horse in childhood. Her father ran
the family hardware store but was a singer during the Depression of the 30’s,
playing in local clubs and social functions, bringing that love of music to the
family, with an eclectic record collection that included Billie Holiday, Peggy
Lee, Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, and Ella Fitzgerald, though Linda’s
favorite Mexican singer growing up was Lola Beltran, while her sister loved
Hank Williams but performed in a Gilbert & Sullivan musical at school, with
Linda learning the lyrics to all the songs.
In the hot summer months, many were inclined to stay indoors, where her
favorite activity was listening to the radio, with evening broadcasts of “Race
music,” as it was called at the time, often imitating the music she heard. Convinced she would be a singer, she got her
start with her brother and sister, calling themselves The Three Ronstadts,
singing at various functions in and around Tucson. One of their bass players, Bobby Kimmel,
headed out to Los Angeles to start a band in 1963 when Linda was enrolled in
Arizona State University, urging her to come out West and join him, which she
did, leaving after finishing one semester of college. Much like Elton John in Rocketman
(2019), though a decade earlier, they headed to the Troubadour in West
Hollywood, where playing on open mike night could gain exposure, as talent
agents were always present searching for the next big thing, though most groups
at the time were singing Elizabethan Folk Ballads, the kind of thing that might
headline coffee shops, but nothing more.
Hanging out at the Troubadour introduced Linda to Jackson Browne, Don
Henley, and Glenn Frey, all aspiring musicians at the time searching for their
own niche in the music industry, mostly emulating the folk-rock sound of The
Byrds, with Linda sharing a cheap Santa Monica beach house at the time. Linda headed a group called The Stone Poneys,
an eclectic folk act that captured the attention of Frank Zappa’s manager Herb
Cohen, a notorious bad-ass who liked the girl and ditched the rest of the band,
turning the rather amateurish sounding, somewhat psychedelic Stone Poneys - Different
Drum (Live) YouTube (2:27) into a hit record with a little kick to it,
featuring Linda’s distinctive voice and her gorgeous All-American girl look
front and center, Different Drum YouTube, 1967 (2:39), recording a
record album, where the song was a hit on the radio, sounding nothing like the
rest of the album, mostly getting airplay in the LA area. Not immediately catching on, she continued to
record music, but took a turn away from folk, venturing into country music, but
what surprised her most was hearing another Troubadour act play an exact
rendition of one of her own signature songs, with Don Henley and his band
Shiloh performing her version of Linda Ronstadt - Silver
Threads and Golden Needles - YouTube 1969 (2:26), eventually inviting
Henley and Glenn Frey to go on the road with her, where the two guys eventually
got the bright idea to form their own band called The Eagles. While there was plenty of drugs and alcohol
to go around on the bus, what was clear is the superb craftsmanship of the
musicians, a prerequisite throughout Ronstadt’s career, brilliantly concise,
emphasizing but never overpowering the message of the song.
Ronstadt’s next big hit is kind of a throwback to an earlier
era, a heartrendering ballad that retains roots to the folk era, Midnight
Special-Linda Ronstadt "Long, Long Time" 1972 YouTube (3:22),
which earned her first Grammy nomination, giving us signs of that big voice
that would come to define her, remaining vulnerable, yet ultra-feminine. The film develops Ronstadt’s brief romantic
flirtation with singer/songwriter JD Souther, who wrote many of the biggest
hits for The Eagles, as well as Ronstadt, like Linda Ronstadt -
Faithless Love (live 1975) - YouTube (3:06), co-producing one of her
albums, but her biggest leap is pure rock ‘n’ roll, a song reveling in
defiance, Linda Ronstadt
~ When Will I Be Loved 1976 OGWT1 - YouTube (2:11), “I’ve been cheated,
been mistreated, when will I be loved?”
The enormous sound just leaps off the stage right at you, making a
direct hit, literally shaking you to the bones, with Ronstadt becoming
synonymous with songs of heartache and pain, where she simply belts out that
wounded anguish in ways that are easily understood, becoming a megastar in the
process, a fusion of vulnerability and sensuality, the most spectacular female
singer of the rock era. Touring is what
generates big bucks and the instant success, yet it’s such a self-destructive
endeavor, singing the same songs “over and over again until they start sounding
like your washing machine.” In an era when
there were few girl singers singing rock music, probably the most incisive
remarks come in an interview at her Malibu home during a walk along the beach, Linda Ronstadt
Full Interview Wonderland 1977 (RARE) YouTube (5:41), speaking about the
emotional toll of being on the road, the only girl surrounded completely by
guys who already have an ego problem being labeled sidemen for a chick singer,
but then she expounds on a male aggressive industry directing their hostility
against women that unfortunately becomes adapted as part of the overall
culture. Her description of the effects
drugs have on rock stars is piercingly accurate, becoming more and more
isolated and self-destructive, literally destroying their music, if not their
lives. As if to combat that dilemma,
Ronstadt went through a period of taking over-the-counter diet pills to retain
her nightly energy, but also decided to stop playing in such enormous arenas,
as the experience was so dehumanizing for her as an artist. So instead, she simply keeps reinventing
herself, becoming a trend setter, choosing her own material against the wishes
of her agent and record producer, but following her heart, which makes all the
difference, singing what she wanted as opposed to what sells commercially. Because of her enormous popularity, every
turn she takes becomes a proven success, because of the careful manner in which
she meticulously rehearses and arranges every song, making sure each is her
best effort. The film delves briefly
into the decade-long public romance she has with California Governor Jerry
Brown, beautifully encapsulated here, Linda
Ronstadt Playboy interview | The Pop History Dig, though also wonderfully
articulated in an interview for Australian television explaining why
differences in political views don’t stop her from performing in troublesome
regions, Linda
Ronstadt-Don Lane Show 27th October 1983 - YouTube (16:21). Featuring a host of interview footage about
her from artists like Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Ry Cooder, Dolly Parton and
Emmylou Harris, singing a duo with Emmylou, Linda
Ronstadt - "I Can't Help It If I'm Still In Love With You"
YouTube, 1974 (2:27), reserving some of the best material for that trio of
female singers (who collectively share a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame), Dolly
Parton Linda Ronstadt Emmylou Harris - The Sweetest Gift YouTube, 1976
(2:46), championing other female performers where she generously defers to
their talent, but also includes an unfamiliar detour, where she’s positively
adorable, nominated for a Tony Award in 1981 as best actress for her role in
Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Pirates of
Penzance, Poor
Wandering One - YouTube (4:58) before collaborating with a few old friends,
Randy Newman, Linda
Ronstadt & Ry Cooder - YouTube 1983 (4:01), even singing with the
Muppets, Linda Ronstadt
The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss) plus ... YouTube, 1985 (2:58),
doing a cameo guest appearance on The
Simpsons, The Plow King Commercial (59 seconds), and
meeting new friends alike, such as Aaron Neville, Linda Ronstadt & Aaron
Neville Don't Know Much ... - YouTube 1989 (3:35), amusingly reminding him
at the Grammy Awards to thank his wife, before breaking out into classic
Mexican mariachi music, just killing it with some of the more upbeat and
colorful renditions ever heard, LINDA RONSTADT.... La
Charreada. - YouTube 1989 (3:35), a ridiculously cheerful song, becoming
the best-selling Spanish-language album ever released, including a portion with
her 75-year old proud father singing with her onstage, as he was the one that
originally brought these songs into their home.
While it’s a long and beautiful career, the incredibly sad end is beyond
description (as it was with Mohammad Ali), quite a contrast to the bubbly
effervescent girl featured in the film, a perfectionist with a sense of
personal integrity, yet a reminder for all to tread carefully and make each
moment count, something she did with each and every song, leaving behind a
remarkable legacy of star power and poetic grace.
From an online search, this may be one of her better
recorded concerts at the peak of her popularity available for viewing, Linda
Ronstadt - Stadthalle, Offenbach, Germany 1976-11-16 (1:16:00).
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