larry13
A Number and a Name
Posts: 5
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Post by larry13 on Feb 25, 2013 21:18:45 GMT -5
I apologize if I missed a discussion on this subject, but I didn't see it posted. I listened to Linda talking to an interviewer at Grace Cathedral (I learned about the interview on this site) and well into it she mentions that she has lost her voice due to illness. It was a jaw dropper to hear this and the news has saddened me since I heard it.
Did anyone else listen to this interview? I would love to hear I misinterpreted it.
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Post by erik on Feb 25, 2013 21:47:04 GMT -5
Well, for one thing, Linda has had this tendency to talk awfully fast at times, so it is kind of easy to miss what she's saying. But yes, in that interview at Grace Cathedral, she did indeed mention that her illness had caused her to lose her singing voice. The interview can be downloaded at this link: www.gracecathedral.org/cathedral-life/worship/listen/detail.php?fid=173 |
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Post by Partridge on Feb 25, 2013 22:42:06 GMT -5
I always knew that at some point Linda's voice would peak
and start to decline. But I didn't think that would cause her
to give up singing altogether.
Just look at the long list of people who continue(d) to record
and sing when their peak had passed, and in some cases,
the voice had bottomed out:
Loretta Lynn
June Carter
Streisand (minimal decline, but still...)
Diana Ross
Thelma Houston
Whitney Houston (unbelievable decline, but still plugged away...)
Cyndi Lauper
I always thought that when Linda's range and power started
to decline, she could just record less demanding material-- a
great time for her to mine the Americana field. And then the
critics who always derided her "perfection" could perhaps
appreciate her "artistry."
I hope she changes her mind after her current project (the
book) is finished. Maybe she should consult the VD.
Voice Doctor.
I suspect that her heart is just not in performing and
recording anymore.
(Since Linda is retired, do I need to stop referring to her
as my favorite singer, and instead say my favorite is
Bonnie Raitt, since she is still active.)
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Post by jhar26 on Feb 26, 2013 4:10:04 GMT -5
I suppose that once the voice starts to go it's hard for an artist like Linda to continue since the beauty of that voice has always been the main attraction. It would be painful to hear her struggle like a Whitney Houston to reach notes that once came so effortlessly to her. It's a pity that she has to stop singing, but she has an impressive body of work that will keep us fans happy for the rest of our lifes. It's not like with a Janis Joplin or a Amy Whinehouse where if you're a fan you'll have to keep playing the same few albums over and over again. Linda has a substantial and varried back catalogue with countless goodies to choose from.  |
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Post by musicaamator on Feb 26, 2013 9:01:00 GMT -5
That saddened me too as I had hoped she had one more show in her to do, just so a newbie like me could finally see her perform live.
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Post by erik on Feb 26, 2013 10:24:57 GMT -5
Quote by Partridge:
I too feel that the Americana field was where Linda probably could have gone if she wanted to (especially given the fact that her earliest solo albums basically helped lay out the template for that field), but two things having directly to do with the way she saw herself as an artist may have militated against this.
One is that rampant quest for perfection that she had; at some point in the past, she may very well have decided that anything that didn't call for perfection didn't interest her. The problem with being a perfectionist is that you may get it perfect, but you may end up losing some (if not all) of the soul in the process and be seen as just a technician, which is where I think a lot of the criticism about her perfectionism comes from. And in the Americana field, being perfect probably isn't only unnecessary, it may not even be acceptable.
The other is that she was just so infatuated with doing the standards and the Mexican mariachi that she just kept on working in those two genres. I think this was a serious mistake, however, since it resulted in some strange mismatches at at least two important shows: doing standards at the 2006 Crater Festival in Hawaii, when everyone else was doing rock; and doing the Mariachi material at MerleFest 2009 in North Carolina, which was an Americana music event. And over the last several years, I think she overexerted herself in those fields, and it caused her voice to slip.
As a fan, I have to say that it pains me not only to see her retire from singing of any kind altogether, whatever the reasons are, but also to have to point out my criticisms of her, which are not gratuitous by any means, but genuine and honest, and few and far between. I am a fan, but I am not an apologist; and while criticism of any kind of Linda, even honest and carefully thought out like I think my opinions are, may not always be a popular thing to engage in on the forum, I'd rather be criticized for being honest than praised just for being a conformist. But by no means does it mean giving up on Linda just because she decided it was time to leave the scene.
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Post by the Scribe on Feb 26, 2013 10:44:17 GMT -5
Subconsciously we (our minds) often choose our illnesses. Linda has hated the road and yes her voice is probably better tied with one hand behind her back than most others. She has had constant demands from others to guest appear and duet and probably had a hard time saying no. So if she wants to continue singing she could learn to dance like Britney and the other less talented with the idea of taking attention away from the voice OR learn to say NO OR move on to other projects or causes she is interested in. I am happy with whatever she decides. I love her talking voice so I hope she uses it more for public purposes or calls me every once in a while.
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Post by lawrence on Feb 26, 2013 22:25:45 GMT -5
I think the vocal she did on Jimmy Webb's "All I Know" is exquisite, and according to him, she wasn't sure if she'd be able to do it.
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Post by MokyWI on Feb 26, 2013 22:58:56 GMT -5
I loved her vocals on "All I Know," a song I had been wanting her to record over any other for years. "All I Know" is one of my all time favorite songs. Though I never got to hear her own version, she adds so much to Webb's version I guess I can live without having one of her own. "All I Know" is songwriting at its best IMO.
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Post by eddiejinnj on Feb 28, 2013 10:43:16 GMT -5
i think it would be great if linda did a full duet like yearly on an artist/s' album she likes or is upcoming. she has always been nurturing. a duet with trisha would be awesome as we all discussed. more work with paul simon if he has more recordings coming out is another suggestion. therefore, she can keep giving us that glorious voice without having the pressure of recording a whole album and all the promotion that goes with it. eddiejinnj
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Post by MokyWI on Feb 28, 2013 12:13:27 GMT -5
I thought Streisand voice sounded like she had lost a lot of her power at the awards show this year. I also thought Adele's backing (to loud) drowned out her voice during her performance of "Skyfall."
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Post by rick on Feb 28, 2013 14:03:00 GMT -5
I thought Streisand voice sounded like she had lost a lot of her power at the awards show this year. I also thought Adele's backing (to loud) drowned out her voice during her performance of "Skyfall." see my comments over in Oscar 2013 Musical Numbers |
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Post by Richard W on Feb 28, 2013 18:21:47 GMT -5
I don't know why we can't take Linda at her word on this. As a fan it's a hard pill to swallow, but I have no doubt that she would continue singing if she felt she could.
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Post by erik on Feb 28, 2013 18:29:50 GMT -5
Quote by Richard W:
I think people's sense of disbelief at Linda's announcement is based both on the fact that we've been so used to having heard her, plus the fact that there aren't that many merely good, let alone great, singers out there now. In a way, I think the will is still there, but, at least in her mind, the ability isn't any longer. Like you, however, I have no reason to doubt that she'd still be doing it if she felt still had the goods.
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Post by Robert Morse on Mar 1, 2013 9:12:00 GMT -5
I think we are truly lucky to have been able to live in a time with so many great female vocalists. Of course Linda leads the pack - but we also have voices like Ella Fitzgerald, Rosemary Clooney, Barbra S (and so many others - this list is not meant to be limiting).
These women can sing and there is no need for shooting fire and people twirling on rings during the show. I guess when you have talent you do not need the distractions.
I am saddened to think that never again will I have the thrill of waiting for Linda to take the stage and then hearing that first wonderful note. I am grateful that I was able to experience it so many times during my lifetime. I still think back to the mid 70's in the Beacon Theater in NYC and Linda standing with eyes closed for most of the show and just singing - very few singers today would have the talent necessary to do that. We are also fortunate that many of those performances have been preserved.
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Post by 70smusicfan on Mar 1, 2013 15:59:15 GMT -5
I meant to post a while ago - to MusicaAmator, you state:
That saddened me too as I had hoped she had one more show in her to do, just so a newbie like me could finally see her perform live.
I would humbly suggest that you look for and attend at all costs a concert by Karla Bonoff now that she's kicking off her 2013 season - it's the closest you'll ever get to a LR concert. She has a marvelous voice, LR's versions of her songs are arranged pretty much the same (key, time signature, etc.) and - if the 2012 concert I attended is any indication - she sings most/all of the songs that she wrote that LR made famous. She is accompanied by Nina Gerber - a supergreat guitarist.
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