Linda Ronstadt Opens Up on Parkinson's Disease: 'Can't Sing a Note'

[avaistheone1]

Source: Billboard

Linda Ronstadt has revealed her struggles with Parkinson's disease in an interview with AARP.

The singer, 67, told the magazine that she can no longer sing. She was diagnosed eight months ago but has suffered from symptoms for as long as eight years -- issues she previously ascribed to a tick bite and shoulder surgery.

"No one can sing with Parkinson’s disease,” Ronstadt said. “No matter how hard you try.”

She said she was "completely shocked" at the diagnosis.

"It didn't occur to me to go to a neurologist" initially, Ronstadt said. “I couldn’t sing and I couldn’t figure out why. I knew it was mechanical. I knew it had to do with the muscles, but I thought it might have also had something to do with the tick disease that I had… I wouldn't have suspected [Parkinson's] in a million years."

Read more: http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/5672610/linda-ronstadt-opens-up-on-parkinsons-disease-cant-sing-a-note

[tofuandbeer]

1. Sad.

I know another lady suffering from this.
She keeps hoping new medicines will work.
But slowly, it keeps getting worse.

[DreamGypsy]

2. Silver threads and golden needles cannot mend...

...this heart...of Linda Rondstadt...who has her place...among the great.

[tofuandbeer]

5. In her prime. Awesome.

[cascadiance]

9. I still remember having front row seats seeing her in concert in college years...

That was one of the best concerts I'd seen in my life. Sad that she can no longer deliver the great shows that she had in her prime...

That's what is tough on so many as they get old. They in many cases have health conditions that robs them of being able to continue to use their most unique talents. Alzheimers was very rough on my Dad when he was a professor earlier too.

[tofuandbeer]

11. :(

[CBHagman]

26. I'm sorry about your father, cascadiance.

That is just heartbreaking.

As for Linda Ronstadt, what a great body of work she has to show for her many years of work, though I wish she could continue. I was sad for Julie Andrews when surgery robbed her of the ability to sing, and it's cruel that Linda Ronstadt is facing something similar.

[boguspotus]

60. Awesome Clip!

Thanks for posting!

[Spitfire of ATJ]

3. Best time she ever had was on "The Muppet Show"....

[Delphinus]

13. Gosh,

thanks for that. I forgot how much my son and I enjoyed watching this weekly.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

39. I love a large ensemble cast....

The two old guys as the Greek Chorus were a great touch too.

[Beacool]

54. I love the Muppets.

Used to watch them as a kid. I always got a kick of the two old guys.

Linda had such a beautiful voice. What a pity she's lost it.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

55. I know someone who can sing just like her.

[Beacool]

57. Then that person is an excellent singer.

[Berlum]

17. Excellent

nt

[cpwm17]

30. I remember that Linda Ronstadt show

I watched it with a Mexican friend and his bother in Tijuana, Mexico on a San Diego station. They were both fans.

[hopemountain]

44. ha! enjoyed this walk back in time

linda ronstandt had an incredible vocal range...one of the greatest, actually. her voice is in the background of all my early college year memories. but when she came out with "canciones de mi padre", she brought her musical gifts home to me, personally.
parkinsons runs in my family and it is devastating to see it sucks up a loved one's vital force and essence.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

46. When she started talking about singing in Spanish her promoters said it would kill her career...

They were terrified of it because at the time there was a huge push by Republicans against Mexicans.

Remember B-1 Bob vs Loretta Sanchez?

[hopemountain]

62. yes, i do!

and i met loretta sanchez a few years later while working in sacramento.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

63. She's nice. I met her as a constituent.

[davidpdx]

4. This is very sad

I can understand how the diagnosis would be a complete shock.

[longship]

6. I don't stand a ghost of a chance.

[4bucksagallon]

7. Loved her singing but this explains a lot.

I must have had Parkinson's since I was a kid, could never carry a tune in a bucket. I better go to the doctor.

[irisblue]

28. kinda dickish comment ya know n/t

[ChairmanAgnostic]

58. you are too kind.

[AngryOldDem]

31. Yeah, you probably should.

Maybe they can do something about that lack of empathy you seem to have.

[mimi85]

48. Maybe you can ck out one of

the support groups for those with heart problems.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

56. Not funny.

In baseball lingo you've committed an error...........

[Ichingcarpenter]

8. Governor Jerry Brown and Linda

I love both of them
I have a lot of her music... what a voice!
Sad news.

[adirondacker]

36. So do I. Linda was one of my favorite teen/early 20's singers. Jerry's visit to upstate was

my first Democratic rally I ever participated in. He was an exceptional orator.

I just recently purchased several used cd's of Linda's and had a blast with my younger roomy showing off her vocals in HiFi. She covered some of the greatest with sheer talent. Last I had heard, she was teaching music to local schools in Tucson. She meant and did well with her career.

long long time...

[mimi85]

49. Damn

the tears are flowing. No matter what anyone says, getting older sucks.

[dipsydoodle]

10. Tragic

and sad.

[madokie]

12. One of the most beautiful voices has been silenced

Why are we not spending more money trying to find a cure for Parkinson and other diseases like that rather than on war machines?
I guess some things are not meant for me to understand

[peacebird]

14. I saw her concert at Va Tech in the late 70's. she walked onstage alone with an accoustic guitar

Sat on a wooden stool and blew us all away with the power of her voice. She sounded BETTER in person than on her albums! No fancy set, no high tech light show, just Linda in a peasant shirt and jeans, with an accoustic guitar. Best concert ever!

[Beaverhausen]

21. She did sound better live

I saw her several times with her band in the late 70s. The power and emotion in her voice was amazing.

I would have loved to have seen that solo show.

[Paladin]

15. This sucks. Very sorry to hear it. (nt)

[Botany]

16. Voice of the Gods

Last edited Sat Aug 24, 2013, 10:32 AM - Edit history (1)

I gonna love me some Linda for a long long time.

[zeemike]

19. That is by far the worst thing I have read in a while

She had one of the best singing voices ever and I loved all of her music.
What a tragity...but we have her recorded works and thanks for that.

[Bluenorthwest]

20. An amazing and diverse singer, a brave liberal American and this is so sad to hear

I met her a couple of times and she was very kind to me. Her big band albums revived my ailing father's interest in music, for which I will always feel debt to her.
I know she misses singing, but there's a lot more to life and I bet she knows that too. I hope so.

[argyl]

22. This is a real shame. She took so many songs and made them her own.

I was fortunate enough to have seen her once in the mid 70's. First time I heard "Different Drum" I knew she was special. Had a huge crush on her;so did all my friends.

[BumRushDaShow]

23. So sorry to see this

just saw the story on a news site.

What a great voice she had during a time peopled by so many iconic female singers of the '60s and '70s.

All my prayers that she have the strength to manage this setback and live a productive life.

[karynnj]

24. I can't imagine having a beautiful voice like that and losing it

Impressive that she is able to speak of it.

[JustinBulletin]

25. What sad news, wish Linda well.

I saw her when Jerry Brown was running for prez with Eagles, Jackson Brown, Dan Fogelberg. I will never forget her singing Heart Like A Wheel with Dan Fogelberg on piano and David Lindley on violin. Just those two for accompaniment and her amazing voice ringing out into the night. The crowd of 20,000 was spellbound.

[DiverDave]

27. Oh no, this is sad

I was sooo in lust with her, several of the girls I dated at the time looked like her...
I really did dig brown skin, flashing white smiles...

[calimary]

41. Every guy I knew I college was puddles for her. Most of us girls wanted to BE her.

I LOVE "Blue Bayou" - her voice is still one of the most magnificent in the music business. OH MAN did I want to sing like that - AND with that sex appeal. Nailed those high notes, the PERFECT vibrato - not too little, not too much. The feelings and emotions she evoked with that voice, so incredibly expressive, just astounding. Heart-stopping. I loved it when one of her songs came on the radio while I was driving. I would warble along, and I could hit all those notes, too - but MAN, not the way she did! What a loss!!! Same thing with Julie Andrews. Our finest songbirds - silenced. At least they can both still speak and they're both still here. But still, what a loss. Dreadful. A little less beauty in the world, at a time when we need all we can get. LOVED her records - used to play them during my show on college radio, all the time.

Dreadful.






Fuck.

[Ferretherder]

29. My favorite...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=hxmK-DDA-Ew

[AngryOldDem]

32. Wow.

Very sad to hear this. I love her music, especially when she sings standards.

[lunatica]

33. Blue Bayou (her singing in this always gives me goose bumps)

[calimary]

42. Dayum. Me too.

One of my favorites of hers, for sure.

NOBODY did yearning like she did.

[AnneD]

34. I loved her album...

Songs of my Father's and her with Emmy lou and Dolly. I am genuinely saddened by the news, like when you see a or hear a song bird's death. The world loose a little more beauty and joy.

[eggplant]

35. Parkinson's is an evil disease

I got to watch my father succumb to it. It's a pretty terrible way to die.

[blue neen]

37. You're right. It is evil.

The same thing happened to my mom. She was such a beautiful woman.

This is such sad news about Linda. I wish they'd find a cure.

[DissidentVoice]

38. That's so unfortunate

Linda has had such a long career and done so well for herself.

She is/was a magnificent singer, not to mention one of my first adolescent crushes.

Prayers, Linda...I still remember "How Do I Make You" making an impression on me.

[mitchtv]

40. could that be why I've lost the ability

to whistle? I've had it low grade for 7 years now. I still sing a bit , but whistle? gone

[hopemountain]

43. i awakened one morning to whistle for my dogs

and had lost the ability. it was inflammation of the 7th cranial nerve caused by either a virus or a pulled muscle.
this is also a symptom of some strokes. my ability to whistle did return.

[TeeYiYi]

45. Carmelita...

TYY

[oxymoron]

47. Aww, this breaks my heart

So sad.

[Tx4obama]

50. Kick n/t

[RKP5637]

51. So sad ... n/t

[Shrike47]

52. Playing all the videos really takes me back.

Wonderful voice, so sad.

[KittyWampus]

53. Love Linda, sorry to hear she has this battle before her. My family has a somewhat similar

problem. She'll need support.

[NaturalHigh]

59. My best friend's dad is currently battling Parkinson's and dementia.

It has been incredibly hard for the entire family. Just last week, he slipped away and was found several hours after a silver alert was issued.

God willing, maybe a cure (or at least more effective treatment) will be found soon.

[xxqqqzme]

61. Saw her twice - first in

'76 while pregnant w/ my son. My daughter, 5 at the time, was w/ me. We saw Linda 5 years ago at the OC Fair. She sounded as good 5 years ago as she did in '76.