Linda Ronstadt can't sing anymore.

Sorry to hear. When she was good, she was very good, one of my favorites. Powerful voice and ability to convey emotion and subtleties to boot.

Yeah, I caught that blip on the web a few days ago. I thought she was one of the most talented vocalist of her generation.

One serious cutie-pie too. Did you ever see her album cover pic wearing roller skating shorty shorts. My wife took the album away for a week.

I wish LR all the best.

She is one of my favorites too. Well, nothing lasts forever. We are all heading to the same direction sooner or later.

Yes, it's a shame. I just picked up a couple of her vinyl albums in good shape from a local thrift shop a couple of weeks ago.

At least she can still listen to music and enjoy it. I wish her the best.

what a loss. she had one powerful voice and use to be a babe too!

Saw this and listened to her Nelson Riddle trilogy straight through--phenomenal power and control. For album covers I like the shot on Hasten Down the Wind. If you are ever in GTT Audio (Long Valley NJ) check out Bill's photograph of Linda in the first demo room you hit as you enter--really knocks you out, what a doll.

How long ago was her latest release? I heard on the radio this morning she was instrumental in 'The Eagles's success.

Her last album was "Adieu False Heart" recorded in
2006.

[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linda_Ronstadt[/url]

She was my first "celebrity" crush. I have a reprint of her
very first Rolling Stone magazine cover on the wall in my
record room and she is a BABE!

Yes, she was very cute.

I was just thinking of how funny it would be if the title of this thread was "Yoko can't sing anymore".

It's not respectful to make fun of the dead.... voices, that is.

Oh no. I love Linda. An amazing talent and cute as a button. This is some very sad news.

One of my all-time favorite concerts was going to see Little Feat at the Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin and discovering that Linda Ronstadt was sitting in with the band. She was hanging with Lowell George at the time, I think. LIttle Feat were always great on their own but adding her vocals and stage presence made for an amazing evening.

Sfar, we may have gone to two different shows, but the one I saw had Little Feat opening, followed by Linda Ronstadt singing with Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen (who were still hanging around from their Armadillo gig a few days earlier)...?
She played her own rhythm guitar parts on a Gibson J-200. After each song she'd get with one of the guys in the LPA and discuss what song they might do next. It was really casual and an amazing treat to hear and to see.
Around that same time I saw her open for Neil Young in Houston and of course it was a tighter, better-rehearsed situation. Each show was great in its own right. But that night at the Armadillo was very special for me.

Tostadosunidos - Yes, must have been a different show, the one I saw was all Little Feat and Linda Ronstadt, but I wish I'd seen the one with Commander Cody, too.

It was a pretty tight show, Lowell George was definitely in charge and she seemed reluctant to put herself out front. She just sang, never played guitar. She would slip away backstage, depending on the song, and then reappear at unexpected times.

Guys, she isn't dead, she just has an illness. From the interview I read, she is doing pretty well and coping with it. My Mom had it, and lived a very good life for years. Michael J. Fox would be another good example.
Of course it is sad that she in no longer able to sing, but I am sure that she has many other valuable capabilities that are still intact...and she's alive.
Now Yoko, that's another story...

She has had a better run thru life tham 99.8% of humans ever get.
To every thing there is a season, he voice hasn't been much for years and I can't do a 50 mile forced march like I used to.

Porter Wagoner was pushing 80 when he did Wagonmaster, and he could still sing pretty well but voice was not what it used to be. Worked well for that album.

Lots of classic rockers still out there singing with success, but there can't be many more years left on that edition.

Nothing lasts forever. Gotta appreciate the gifts and talents we are given while we can.

Not only is she one of the best singers of all time but most of her recordings were done quite well also !
Good songs , good albums , just a great great talent !!!

Here's to you Linda Ronstadt . Have a great life , the best is yet to come .

STEM CELL RESEARCH COULD BENEFIT people like L.R. but eight years of foot dragging certainly didn't help much. I would like to see radical new treatments IN MY LIFETIME if at all possible- and NOT just for singers but for thousands of folks afflicted with chronic illnesses all over the world. If we get our priorities in order that is.
then she could make another record, eh?

IF a cure for Cancer was discovered by some mad scientist tomorrow and the Cancer "industry" got wind of it he'd keel over from a "heart attack" within a week and hit a Bunsen burner on the way down destroying his lab and all his records.

Those eight years of stalling have given the rest of the world a huge lead in R&D so let's hope they're onto something soon.

As for Linda, I've always loved her music and even though she can't sing anymore, she still has a sharp mind and tongue to go with it along with the ability to not suffer fools gladly. She tell it like it is. I'd hate to be chewed out by her.

All the best,
Nonoise

Schubert, do you also believe that Lee Harvey Oswald was not the lobe shooter?

Meant "lone", not lobe, but I guess, sadly, the error also works.

Schubert, after reading this and some of your other posts, I'm convinced you're simply very stupid.

There is a profile in this weekend's NYT.

Agree, Schubert needs to retire.

And Judy, ... so do you. Shubert is a respected Audiogon member who frequently makes interesting and thoughtful comments on numerous audio related subjects.

Your persistent negative comments are appearing on just about very discussion topic I have recently read and are irritating to say the least. Perhaps your "thoughtful" insights might be better appreciated on a different audio web forum. Please feel free to return from wherever you came.

Everybody is entitled to an opinion wynne.

Don't like what you read? Move on, you're not the editorial police.

Read Schubert's posts wynne.
He's clueless.

Wc65mustang, You had PM'd me once, a month ago. Your complete message was "move on". I had no idea what you were pertaining to. Advising oneself is more difficult than advising others.

Judy, Are you this rude in person?

I think you would be doing better trying a 50 mile forced march than making a comment like that. You have know idea of her personal life or more so the 99.8% of everyone else. Rather assuming of you IMO.

No matter if you liked her music or not, it's a shame when a very good singer can't sing anymore. I was never a rabid fan yet it saddens me that she's having these problems.

+1 Schubert, well said and sadly true IMO!

Wow. I guess the Helen Reddy thread isn't all that disrespectful after all.

Someone to lay down beside me and long long time are two of my all time favorite songs and her voice was amazing. I'm glad that we at least have the memories and her music. I wish her the very best

enjoy

This weekend I was listening to some tracks from Paul Simon's "Graceland." One track had a duet with a female vocalist that was very nice. I was surprised to find it was Linda R.--very pretty but didn't have her characteristic sound IMO.

She does a great duet with David Hidalgo of Los Lobos on a tune called Los Cenzontles. The CD is called Songs of Wood & Steel.

Fresh Air with Terry Gross just had an interview with Linda. It was very sweet and sad at the same time. Terry asked Linda if she still enjoyed listening to music and Linda's reply was "Yes, I love live music over recorded music although that's strange because I was a recording artist, but it was live when I was singing it."

They played some amazing songs from throughout her very long career. I true lady with a voice rivaled by few.

Agree 100% Donjr!!

Donjr...thanks for the heads up about the Fresh Air program. Excellent and well done.

"A true lady with a voice rivaled by few." I absolutely agree!

Here is a link to that radio show:

http://www.npr.org/2013/09/17/223172521/in-memoir-linda-ronstadt-describes-her-simple-dreams

One of the best. Saw her many times. Could play so many genres well. I can't think of any another vocalist with her range and talent. Also, an excellent producer, including David Lindley of El Ray-o X.

" I can't think of any another vocalist with her range and talent. "

There probably are some, but I can't think of any either, at least not in the diverse crossover pop/rock/country/jazz domains that she frequented. Definitely unique and versatile.

My only issue with her singing was that sometimes her delivery could become a bit over the top, but she definitely had the chops to pull it off.

" I can't think of any another vocalist with her range and talent. "
There probably are some, but I can't think of any either, at least not in the diverse crossover pop/rock/country/jazz domains that she frequented. Definitely unique and versatile.

There are certainly very few, and Linda was certainly an exceptional talent. I can think of at least one other vocalist that I would put in the same league in terms of talent and diverse range, though, and that would be the Australian singer Judith Durham. She was the lead singer of The Seekers during the mid-60's, whose works encompassed pop/folk/rock/jazz/traditional and even gospel. She then went on to have a successful solo career as mainly a jazz performer, while doing occasional reunion concerts with the Seekers (right up to the present day, despite a recent serious medical issue). And her voice had a remarkable purity which Elton John rightfully once observed as being almost unrivalled among popular vocalists.

Best regards,
-- Al

the Mexican song excerpt in the NPR interview was really great. I really appreciate you posting the link. i also see little point in comparing her to the many many great vocalists dating all the way back to the 1st microphones. but she was loved by many of us in our time, and certainly didn't have to stick to a set formula, which was new to a lot of rock and rollers. and she had our undying respect and admiration in every phase of her evolution. my personal opinion is that she got even better when she tried new things.

I agree with almarg in virtually ever post but Judith Durham, and I know her music well, doesn't even approach Linda Ronstadt's all around vocal ability.

Yes, she has a pure and lovely voice but lacks the range, dynamics, impact, slam, and versatiliy of Linda Ronstadt.

Hi Al

Yes, I too loved the Seekers back in the day but when I listen to Georgy Girl I am reminded of the Lynn Redgrave character in the movie, not Judith Durham and thanks for letting us, or at least me know her name, I didn't until now. When I listen to the Stone Poneys sing Long Long Time or Different Drum that vision of Linda comes immediately to mind. Judith may have had a great career, she certainly has a wonderful voice but Linda has remained relevent and remained in the realm of the great pop music singers in the US since the mid 60's. In addition to her talents, she's a real cutie as others have noted and that certainly doesn't diminish her appeal. Who on this site old enough to remember Linda's persona, voice or looks hasn't fallen in love with her at some point in their life?

Thanks for sharing info about Judith, what I love about this site, the recognition by others of those that have been forgotten by most but will never be forgotten by those touched by their music.

Very well said, Tubegroover. Thanks!

Best regards,
-- Al

Well said Tubegroover. I own 3 or 4 of Linda's albums, including "Living in the USA." The album pic is of Linda wearing roller skating shorty shorts. She was sooooo cute. And boy ... could she belt out the Chuck Berry classic, "Back in the USA." My wife became jealous and confiscated the album for a week.

When I was auditioning speakers (NHT's and Vandersteen 1B's) for my first really "serious" stereo many years ago, I would use Linda Ronstadt recordings. The audio guy who was great overall in his dealings with me, a mere female, did comment "why bother for this really?". He was a big classical fan.... and this was during her beginning pop phase.
(I did get my Sima integrated amp from him but ended up with Totem Model 1's)
I do love to hear her sing and "Western Wall" and "Adieu False Heart" are among my favourites.