Post by erik on Oct 3, 2013 9:41:14 GMT -5
Here is an interview Linda did for GoErie.Comon her way to New York for her book signing there.
www.goerie.com/article/20131003/ENTERTAINMENT13/310039973/Take-30%3A-Interview-with-Linda-Ronstadt
Take 30: Interview with Linda Ronstadt
By Kevin Cuneo
Linda Ronstadt laughs hard, almost losing her breath, as she recalls June Carter Cash's fury.
"Somebody showed me clips of the interview June gave after I appeared on Johnny Cash's show," she said during a recent phone hookup with dozens of reporters. "I was only 22 or 23 and looked even younger."
Ronstadt's constant touring back then kept her on the road for weeks at a time, and she said her luggage got lost so often that she took to carrying a favorite striped dress folded up in her purse.
"I'd wash it in the hotel sink, and it looked pretty good, except that it was made of a strange synthetic material and kept shrinking and shrinking."
By the time she rehearsed with Cash, the dress was down to a scandalous size. "June Carter took one look at me and sent one of her assistants out to a department store to buy me, as she called it, 'a proper pair of women's bloomers.'"
The memory made Ronstadt laugh again, and she sounded so much like the young girl with the big chestnut eyes who'd recorded so many memorable hits. There was "Blue Bayou," "You're No Good," "Heat Wave," "When Will I Be Loved," "Love Is a Rose," "Desperado" and dozens more.
But Ronstadt is hardly that person these days. She's 67 and must use forearm crutches to get around, one of the effects of the Parkinson's disease that's robbed her of her ability to sing.
"I don't drive anymore because I'm unsure of my reflexes," she said. "And I can't sing in public because it's too hard to muster enough breath. In my final concerts -- a few years back -- it felt like I was just shouting over the roar of the crowd."
Ronstadt was never a belter. She had an amazingly powerful voice that -- like a finely-tuned, 12-cylinder Mercedes-Benz engine -- would shift effortlessly into a higher gear whenever needed. Think "Blue bayouuuuuuuu!"
She was a huge star in the '70s and '80s, and Don Henley, of the Eagles, recalled what a pleasure it was playing in her band. In a recent documentary on the Eagles, Henley said he and the band learned a lot from Ronstadt.
Mainly, she taught them how to please the crowd, and she always treated the musicians with respect. When Henley, Glenn Frey and the rest decided to leave Ronstadt, they worried that she would be angry. But she hugged the guys, wished them well and even recorded one of their songs, "Desperado," which Frey said she sang much better than they did.
Local Ronstadt fans of a certain age will recall the glorious show she put on 30 years ago at the then-brand-new Tullio Arena. She sang all of her hits and came back four times for encores.
Later that night, as we partied at a friend's apartment, I called the Erie hotel where Ronstadt was staying and, much to my amazement, actually got through to her. She was sweet and seemed pleased to be hearing from a roomful of dedicated fans. For a minute, I thought we'd even talked her into joining our party.
But she begged off, saying she had to fly to New York in the morning.
Ronstadt is promoting her new book, "Simple Dreams," which tells little about her longtime relationship with California Gov. Jerry Brown. She never married, although she adopted two children.
Ronstadt cautions people not to feel sorry for her. "I've lived a rich, full life," she said. "I wish I could still bop over to Emmylou Harris' house for a little two-part harmony. But at least we have our memories."
And they're all good ones.
www.goerie.com/article/20131003/ENTERTAINMENT13/310039973/Take-30%3A-Interview-with-Linda-Ronstadt
Take 30: Interview with Linda Ronstadt
By Kevin Cuneo
Linda Ronstadt laughs hard, almost losing her breath, as she recalls June Carter Cash's fury.
"Somebody showed me clips of the interview June gave after I appeared on Johnny Cash's show," she said during a recent phone hookup with dozens of reporters. "I was only 22 or 23 and looked even younger."
Ronstadt's constant touring back then kept her on the road for weeks at a time, and she said her luggage got lost so often that she took to carrying a favorite striped dress folded up in her purse.
"I'd wash it in the hotel sink, and it looked pretty good, except that it was made of a strange synthetic material and kept shrinking and shrinking."
By the time she rehearsed with Cash, the dress was down to a scandalous size. "June Carter took one look at me and sent one of her assistants out to a department store to buy me, as she called it, 'a proper pair of women's bloomers.'"
The memory made Ronstadt laugh again, and she sounded so much like the young girl with the big chestnut eyes who'd recorded so many memorable hits. There was "Blue Bayou," "You're No Good," "Heat Wave," "When Will I Be Loved," "Love Is a Rose," "Desperado" and dozens more.
But Ronstadt is hardly that person these days. She's 67 and must use forearm crutches to get around, one of the effects of the Parkinson's disease that's robbed her of her ability to sing.
"I don't drive anymore because I'm unsure of my reflexes," she said. "And I can't sing in public because it's too hard to muster enough breath. In my final concerts -- a few years back -- it felt like I was just shouting over the roar of the crowd."
Ronstadt was never a belter. She had an amazingly powerful voice that -- like a finely-tuned, 12-cylinder Mercedes-Benz engine -- would shift effortlessly into a higher gear whenever needed. Think "Blue bayouuuuuuuu!"
She was a huge star in the '70s and '80s, and Don Henley, of the Eagles, recalled what a pleasure it was playing in her band. In a recent documentary on the Eagles, Henley said he and the band learned a lot from Ronstadt.
Mainly, she taught them how to please the crowd, and she always treated the musicians with respect. When Henley, Glenn Frey and the rest decided to leave Ronstadt, they worried that she would be angry. But she hugged the guys, wished them well and even recorded one of their songs, "Desperado," which Frey said she sang much better than they did.
Local Ronstadt fans of a certain age will recall the glorious show she put on 30 years ago at the then-brand-new Tullio Arena. She sang all of her hits and came back four times for encores.
Later that night, as we partied at a friend's apartment, I called the Erie hotel where Ronstadt was staying and, much to my amazement, actually got through to her. She was sweet and seemed pleased to be hearing from a roomful of dedicated fans. For a minute, I thought we'd even talked her into joining our party.
But she begged off, saying she had to fly to New York in the morning.
Ronstadt is promoting her new book, "Simple Dreams," which tells little about her longtime relationship with California Gov. Jerry Brown. She never married, although she adopted two children.
Ronstadt cautions people not to feel sorry for her. "I've lived a rich, full life," she said. "I wish I could still bop over to Emmylou Harris' house for a little two-part harmony. But at least we have our memories."
And they're all good ones.
