Interview w/ John Boylan, 2019

[Guest]

buffalonews.com/2019/12/30/what-do-the-eagles-and-muppets-have-in-common-a-boost-from-a-former-accordion-player-from-buffalo/

[the Scribe]

Excellent. We have so much more to look forward to! If I've said it once I have said it before John Boylan is one of my favorite people in the world if not just for how he has helped Linda through the years but he may just be one of her most dedicated fans and friends. His efforts not only assisted Linda but have added to her legacy and our enjoyment. If you have ever met him you know what a really really nice guy he is. Wonderful article here. Thanks guest!

Dec 30, 2019 12:30:41 GMT -5 Guest said:

buffalonews.com/2019/12/30/what-do-the-eagles-and-muppets-have-in-common-a-boost-from-a-former-accordion-player-from-buffalo/

Boylan moved to Los Angeles in 1967 and began working with Ronstadt in 1970. They were reunited in 1999, at first for him to produce a Christmas album for her and then to be her manager. Ronstadt retired in 2009; she was losing her singing voice to Parkinson’s.

“It was awful,” Boylan says. “She said, ‘I can’t sing anymore.’ I was tasked with a couple of things. First, what can she do instead? She was still active. She didn’t want to sit down and die or anything, you know. The first thing I did was get her a book deal with Simon and Schuster.”

“Simple Dreams, A Musical Memoir” was a bestseller that would become the basis for the documentary that will air New Year’s night. Boylan is the documentary’s music supervisor.

“Believe me, that’s a job,” he says. “A movie might have eight or 10 songs. This one had 75. It was a fricking nightmare. I’m talking about the paperwork and the clearances.”

Next, he says, will come a Ronstadt biopic along the lines of “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Rocket Man.”

“The odd truth,” Boylan says, “is I’ve been busier since she retired.”

Ronstadt was elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. President Barack Obama awarded her the National Medal of Arts in 2014. And she was awarded Kennedy Center Honors this year.

Boylan earned his own honors in 2004 when he was elected to the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame.

“The musicians coming out of Buffalo need to get more attention paid to them,” he says. “That’s why the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame is such a good idea. I’m not just talking about Ani DiFranco, the Goo Goo Dolls and Rick James. I’m talking about people like Eric Andersen, and James Kay from Steppenwolf, like Mel Lewis — probably the greatest big band drummer of all time — just great musicians who have come out of there who are unsung.”

[RobGNYC]

Hard to believe that Linda will approve a biopic like "Bohemian Rhapsody" or "Rocketman" but at least Boylan will be involved if there is one so it won't be a hatchet job. Whoever plays her would have to lip sync. Good luck finding an actress who could sound even a little like Linda.

[the Scribe]

Dec 30, 2019 14:36:47 GMT -5 RobGNYC said:

Hard to believe that Linda will approve a biopic like "Bohemian Rhapsody" or "Rocketman" but at least Boylan will be involved if there is one so it won't be a hatchet job. Whoever plays her would have to lip sync. Good luck finding an actress who could sound even a little like Linda.

To look like Linda is one thing. To sing and look like Linda is quite another. (we have threads on this) They might come up with an "unknown" if they put the word out. Oh, and if that isn't enough the person selected would have to be able to act.

[gboiler1]

Ariana Grande is very talented and good at impersonating other singers; I also like Zooey Deschanel whom can sing and act and could probably look like Linda with some movie magic

[erik]

This is strictly my personal view, but anybody, no matter how good they are as either an actor, a singer, or both, would find it hard to portray Linda in a way that would satisfy everyone. Anyone who gets around to portraying Linda would have what I think is an extremely overwhelming task of essaying Linda in all of her various musical permutations. from rock, country, R&B, and pop to pre-rock pop standards, Mexican rancheras, Afro-Cuban jazz, and opera. Even Linda is shocked now by the fact that she did all of that, and then some, in the career she had. To get someone else to do that would not only be hard, but, in my opinion, damn near impossible.

But then, I'd like to be proven wrong.

[RobGNYC]

Biopics are a fact of life. Some people find them entertaining--I would rather see a good documentary about the subject. Doris Day as Ruth Etting, Susan Hayward as Jane Froman or Lillian Roth, Jessica Lang as Patsy Cline, Sissy Spacek as Loretta, Diana Ross as Billie, Fanny Ardant as Callas--all impressive performances but ultimately what's the point? Play-acting/lip-syncing/Hollywood make-believe.  Apart from the impossibility of capturing Linda's voice (singing and otherwise) accurately, there's the inevitable dramatization bullshit--made-up scenes or dialogue, conversations that did not happen.  Think about it--two actresses playing Linda and Emmylou in a scene where Gram has just died? No. I hope sincerely that a Linda biopic does NOT happen.

[Partridge]

A biopic may not happen in the very near future, but I think it is inevitable. But I'm still waiting for biopics of Tiny Tim and Skeeter Davis.

[fabtastique]

Not interested in seeing a Linda biopic .... really hope this doesn’t happen !

[the Scribe]

Sounds like John will be involved in any biopic. If he is involved then Linda is involved. If that be the case I don't see the harm. It is going to happen anyway so it may as well be when John and Linda are around to tell whoever this is how it was, this is what was said, this is how I felt and what I did or didn't do etc.

[rick]

I REALLY hope they don't choose Ariana Grande. She'd go around licking doughnuts and putting them back for other unsuspecting people to eat. Moron.

[fabtastique]

Dec 31, 2019 2:31:02 GMT -5 rick said:

I REALLY hope they don't choose Ariana Grande. She'd go around licking doughnuts and putting them back for other unsuspecting people to eat. Moron.

I can't think of anyone worse to play Linda than AG .... (but perhaps that was previously said in jest?)

[the Scribe]

ronstadt.proboards.com/thread/961/lindas-memoir-probable-movie
ronstadt.proboards.com/thread/569/who-play-linda-movie-redux

[rick]

In throwing out names like this, while fun, I am reminded that Taylor Swift was going to star in a Joni Mitchell biopic and the negative feedback from the Joni fan-sphere was enough to stop the project.
I’ve already stated in a separate thread how I don’t think there is anyone who can really play Judy Garland, which is why I don’t go see the Renée Zellwegger film. I don’t believe anyone can do Linda Ronstadt justice. As Emmylou says in the documentary, there will never be another voice like hers. at least if they’re smart, they will let the actress lip-synch to Linda‘s recordings. Renee sang with her own voice. And in the Aretha Franklin biopic, instead of using Aretha‘s original recordings, Jennifer Hudson’s going to re-interpret the classics.
In “Ray,” Jamie Foxx lip-synched to Ray Charles recordings.

[erik]

Quote by rick:

In throwing out names like this, while fun, I am reminded that Taylor Swift was going to star in a Joni Mitchell biopic and the negative feedback from the Joni fan-sphere was enough to stop the project.
I’ve already stated in a separate thread how I don’t think there is anyone who can really play Judy Garland, which is why I don’t go see the Renée Zellwegger film. I don’t believe anyone can do Linda Ronstadt justice. As Emmylou says in the documentary, there will never be another voice like hers. at least if they’re smart, they will let the actress lip-synch to Linda‘s recordings. Renee sang with her own voice. And in the Aretha Franklin biopic, instead of using Aretha‘s original recordings, Jennifer Hudson’s going to re-interpret the classics.
In “Ray,” Jamie Foxx lip-synched to Ray Charles recordings.

And with Linda, in all the available concert footage we've seen, including what was there in THE SOUND OF MY VOICE, that is really her onstage, a real person, shy but more than able to hold the audience by communicating what she feels within herself. To me, it's not something that you can act, fake, or phony up, especially knowing that Linda doesn't have so instantly an identifiable image of any kind, like Madonna, Ariana Grande, or Taylor Swift.

And as Elvis said at a press conference prior to his appearance at Madison Square Garden back in 1972: "The image is one thing and the human being is another. It's very hard to live up to an image, put it that way."

[the Scribe]

My first Ronstadt concert was in early 1972 and Linda was anything but shy. She was quite engaged and even flirtatious at times. Quite endearing and girl next doorish...not some nebulous star at all. Fast forward 1990's and she was quite quiet but still endearing. No one expected her to jump around and dance. It wasn't that type of music. It was more what one would expect from a country and western girl...not some flamboyant rock star.

[germancanadian]

I've never been a fan of biopics. They always have too many historical inaccuracies and cheesy dialogue. Documentaries are better because they stick to the facts. They can't improve on The sound of my voice.

[musedeva]

www.cnn.com/2019/12/31/entertainment/linda-ronstadt-songs-cnn-film/index.html

THIS is all I can find on CNN

it says "CNN FILMS" for the documentary tonight

is it regular CNN or another website?  cant find it listed!

FOUND THE LINK'

it just has an outtake loaded now;

www.cnn.com/shows/linda-ronstadt-cnn-film

[the Scribe]

Jan 1, 2020 18:41:52 GMT -5 musedeva said:

www.cnn.com/2019/12/31/entertainment/linda-ronstadt-songs-cnn-film/index.html

THIS is all I can find on CNN

it says "CNN FILMS" for the documentary tonight

is it regular CNN or another website?  cant find it listed!

FOUND THE LINK'

it just has an outtake loaded now;

www.cnn.com/shows/linda-ronstadt-cnn-film

Film
Here’s Where You Can Watch the Linda Ronstadt Documentary on Your TV
Courtesy of Tribeca Film Festival remezcla.com/film/linda-ronstadt-the-sound-of-my-voice-cnn-streaming/
By Kristen Lopez | 4 days ago

As you nurse whatever feelings you’ve carried over from 2019, at least you’ll have good entertainment to consume. On New Year’s Day at 9 p.m. ET and PT, CNN will air Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice documentary, which is perfect for any of you who missed it while in theaters. The doc follows the 10-time Grammy Award-winning singer, who narrates her own story of being a Mexican American in the music industry.

The doc will play again on CNN on Saturday, January 4, and Sunday, January 5 at the same time. It will also be available to stream via the CNNgo app cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2019/12/27/linda-ronstadt-the-sound-of-my-voice-premieres-on-cnn-on-new-years-day/ . The Sound of My Voice debuted in theaters in September, grossing more than $4 million at the box office www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl2248705537/ .

Ronstadt has been nominated for a whopping 26 Grammy Awards throughout her career, and she was the first female artist to top the Pop, Country, and R&B charts at the same time. Some of her hits include the likes of “You’re No Good,” “Blue Bayou,” and “When Will I Be Loved.”

The doc gives you a look into her own photos, old footage from her performances and also her life growing up in Tucson. Ronstadt also gives explanations about her songs. If that’s not enough to entice you to check it out, read our review here remezcla.com/features/film/documentary-linda-ronstadt-sound-my-voice-review/ .

Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice airs on CNN January 1 at 9 p.m. PT and ET.

Read more: ronstadt.proboards.com/thread/5934/linda-ronstadt-documentary-sound-voice?page=1#ixzz69pLn2hea

[the Scribe]

I see what you mean. It goes in circles. I did find links with apps on how to download it but you have to pay to view. I am not sure how CNN works. I only watch clips posted on youtube and thought they were all news all the time. Bummer. They sure are getting a lot of mileage out of Linda especially with her interviews which seem to fit a certain CNN narrative.

[sliderocker]

My bet would be that when the bio-pic on Linda gets produced, the main focus will be on the mid-to-late 70s to very early 80s, with less of a focus on her early days and the later days, when she wasn't much of a hitmaker. I think there will be a certain amount of poetic licensing going on, though I'm hoping John will be able to see that it's limited. I also believe they will need to focus on Linda as a genuine person and less to the music, to a degree. Linda focusing more on her music (although in a hit and miss fashion) and less on her actual life in her book is something that wouldn't carry over very well on the silver screen. Focusing solely on her music would make her come across as possibly shallow person with not much depth. And as anyone who has followed Linda's career knows, shallow, she is not. I'm also betting John will have to coax Linda into agreeing in providing a little more detail about her life, however resistant she may be to the idea.

This was what I meant when she was writing her auto-biography. It would've been better for Linda to have written more about her life than just the music as eventually, there could be someone who will write a biography on her. Someone who will cover the parts of her life that were not in her own book. It could even be someone who will be assigned to write a biography to go with the bio-pic. To some degree, Linda's life is like Elvis's life was. Linda is as private a person as Elvis ever was. People thought they knew Elvis, but what they knew had more to do with his image or public persona and his music. Linda is not all that much different. And since Elvis's passing, every insider there was and even authors who didn't know Elvis personally or care, have written books, all claiming to be the final authority on Elvis. I still have that fear about Linda; that someone will claim to be the final authority, And the only person who can ever be the final authority is the person who lived it. And that's why I wish Linda had written more about her own life.

[musedeva]

BEST DEAL if you're poor!! is Prime Video!!

CNN gave me a free 8 minutes then cut it off...we don't have cable but we have really really good net

so i have a prime video on Amazon SUBSCRIPTION i pay for every month

its not free but hey it supports Mamacitahh!!! hahah

its 3.99 for a TWO DAY RENTAL...showing now!!

[Deleted]

Anne Hathaway as Linda. Sorted!  Anne has/can do that quick way of talking that Linda has, and Ms Hathaway can also sing, as for Les Miserables.

Attachments:

[erik]

I'm making the case again for Rachel Zegler, on the basis of her jaw-dropping acting/singing combination performance as Maria for Steven Spielberg in WEST SIDE STORY, as someone who could portray Linda:

[sliderocker]

Feb 22, 2022 19:46:03 GMT -5 erik said:

I'm making the case again for Rachel Zegler, on the basis of her jaw-dropping acting/singing combination performance as Maria for Steven Spielberg in WEST SIDE STORY, as someone who could portray Linda:

She looks a little like Linda, so she would be a good pick should a biopic ever get made. We're just a little over two years in from the original post and I'm hearing the sound of chirping crickets! I would love to see a biopic of Linda's life but I can find nothing on such a venture happening listed on imdb. I'm guessing any project has gotten mired down as to the studio that optioned the rights for a biopic on Linda's life, the casting, someone to write the story and script, a producer and director to be hired.

Germancanadian mentioned not being a fan of biopics, because of the historical inaccuracies and the cheesy dialogues. He has a point about historical inaccuracies and the cheesy dialogues. The issue though is a biopic is strictly a work of fiction. I loved The Sound of My Voice but I can't say it was an auto-bio documentary about Linda. For someone who was the subject of the documentary, she was only sporadically heard from. It was other people who had been a part of Linda's life that made up the bulk of the documentary. But, does anyone seriously think there couldn't have historical inaccuracies involving the recollections of others? I loved being able to see Linda for the time she was in the movie and I loved the stories told by her associates. At the end of the day, however, it was their stories and not Linda's actual stories. And that's what the focus of the documentary should've been: Linda and not her friends.

[erik]

To be fair to Linda, she was never really about self-promotion (only for what was absolutely necessary for her to maintain a level career), and certainly she didn't prostitute herself in any way, shape, or form that Madonna always did. Those things just were not her. And while I too feel she should have been in her own film more onscreen than just voice-over, the fact that she was in the advanced stages of what she thought was Parkinson's (but was actually Progressive Supranuclear Palsy) just didn't make such a thing doable. In the end, I think all the archival interviews and concert footage speak for themselves as to how Linda approached whatever she did, whether it was opera, the Great American Songbook, Mexican rancheras, classic rock, or left-of-center country.

If John Boylan is serious about a Linda biopic, as he may very well be, then he could do far worse than to ask Rachel to portray Linda, and, to make things even more intriguing, get her "creative adviser" Spielberg (and screenwriter Tony Kushner), to be involved. Rachel has a unique factor in common with Linda besides being possessed of a big voice; she happens to be a light-skinned Latina (borne out of being Polish on her father's side; and her mom originally coming to the U.S. from Colombia), and hence capable of being quite chameleonic.

Watch this space.

[Deleted]

Would Irving Azoff acquiring Linda's...everything..be an advantage or disadvantage?

[MokyWI]

I am not a fan of this idea. Almost every single one I have seen don’t come close to the truth.

[prisonerindisguise]

I think a big difference here is that the focus of the biopic is still alive and isn't someone who will try to paint the best possible picture of herself. A lot of the biopics we've seen so far have been focused on deceased artists. If Linda doesn't like it then she can always stop it. I think it'll turn out fine if it gets made.

[eddiejinnj]

Good point. PID. Also, was looking above and I had thought Linda had 27 Grammy noms and that was before the documentary win. Not a biggie but I will look it up again. Got to keep the mind lubed so to speak lol!!! eddiejinfl