No longer able to sing since being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2009, Linda Ronstadt began an assimilation of her career with the excellent 2013 ‘Simple Dreams‘ autobiography.
The process has been completed with the equally engrossing documentary ‘THE SOUND OF MY VOICE‘ (2019, dir Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, 95 minutes), which tells her story through archive footage, contemporary interviews with friends and collaborators and contributions from Ronstadt herself – but the thread on which it all hangs is her extraordinary voice, that as the film shows could lend itself to every conceivable form of music.
Indeed, there is not another singer who has explored such wide-ranging musical territory – and no other vocalist could sound so utterly convincing in singing country, the Great American Songbook, rock, Gilbert and Sullivan operettas or mariachi Mexican canciones.
The documentary is a poignant trawl through her rich and varied body of work. While there is evident sadness in the realization Ronstadt’s singing days are over and her condition of health, it stands as a fitting reminder of how and why she became the first fully-fledged female rock star – a woman whose awards, album sales and accolades were a match for anything any all-conquering male artist or rock band of the era could offer.
Among those called upon for opinions and recollections are Don Henley, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Dolly Parton, J.D. Souther, David Geffen and Emmylou Harris, each of whom pay tribute to Ronstadt the singer but also a desire to keep evolving as an artist and her generosity of spirit. Although not a songwriter, Ronstadt is described by Browne (someone who definitely is) as ‘an auteur,’ someone who ‘made songs the way she wanted them to happen.’
In other words when Linda Ronstadt covered a song, it became the definitive version.
Born in Tucson (15/7/1946) of German/Mexican origins (her birthplace was only forty miles from the border with Mexico), she hailed from a family absorbed in music and connected closely by their isolated location – reflecting on her upbringing Ronstadt states, ‘as a child I thought people spoke in English, but sang in Spanish.’
At the age of 18 she took the well-trodden path to Los Angeles in search of a recording contract, arriving at a time when The Byrds had just begun their cross-pollination of country and rock. Landing the role as lead singer in a folk trio known as The Stone Poneys, they cut a suitably acoustic guitar-based version of ‘Different Drum,’ a song written by future Monkee Mike Nesmith.
The record made little impact, but when re-cut as a mid-60s period piece with strings, trilling harpsichord and her vocal pushed right to the front of the mix it not only became a hit, but announced the arrival of a vocalist extraordinaire – Browne describing the effect of her realigned status on the song as ‘pulling back the cover on a fully-developed vocal stylist.’
Quitting the group to pursue a solo career, the timing coincided with a burgeoning LA music scene awash with country rock acts and singer-songwriters.
Moving into this orbit, the original incarnation of the Eagles came together as her backing band while Ronstadt became romantically attached to J.D. Souther – who in this close network of players, had previously been in a duo with founding Eagle-member Glenn Frey.
Henley reflects on how supportive Ronstadt was when he, Frey, Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner flew off as the Eagles – their subsequent success along with that of Browne and particularly Ronstadt, giving the Asylum label formed by Geffen significant presence as the 70s unfolded.
The footage of Ronstadt performing during this period is fascinating, moving from captivating a small club audience to engaging the crowd in vast arenas – her enormous fame at this stage based on a string of huge selling, country infused pop hits, run of five successive multi-platinum albums and plethora of ‘best vocal performance‘ accolades.
Yet the most telling piece of film shot in this time is an interview conducted while walking along the beach near her Malibu home, when she makes some pertinent observations on the self-indulgent conceit of many male rock stars of the time. In fact there are several stopping off points during the documentary where Ronstadt has been filmed espousing her views on politics, the music business, feminism and American culture, her opinions always coming over as informed and coherent.
‘The Sound of My Voice,’ is more reticent with regard to her private life, a high-profile relationship with California Governor Jerry Brown receives only fleeting mention and there is none at all of film director George Lucas to whom she was engaged during the 1980s (Ronstadt has never married).
Souther meanwhile, gives little away about their affair and when asked how it ended, merely says, ‘I can’t remember,’ remaining coy as he adds, ‘you would have to ask her that.’ (The excellent Barney Hoskyns book, ‘Hotel California: Singer-Songwriters & Cocaine Cowboys In The L.A. Canyon,’ refers to Souther dumping her for Joni Mitchell).
By the early 80s Ronstadt was looking for places away from mainstream rock to take her career.
Before the decade was out she had performed to great acclaim in a Broadway production of ‘The Pirates of Penzance,’ recorded three albums of standards arranged by string maestro Nelson Riddle and combined with Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris for the 1987 Grammy-winning ‘Trio‘ album, which they followed with the equally successful ‘Trio II‘ twelve years later.
There were more awards for duets with James Ingram and also Aaron Neville and based on its detailing within the documentary, the project of which Ronstadt appears most proud – a series of albums encompassing traditional Mexican music. Her singing just as expressive when supported by a mariachi band rather than rock group or orchestra, the LP ‘Canciones de Mi Padre‘ is the biggest selling Spanish-speaking album in music history and won her yet another Grammy.
By 2009 however, Ronstadt had become aware her voice was ‘losing a lot of its colour. I could still sing in my mind, but not with my voice. It turned out I had Parkinson’s disease.’
To her credit she remains philosophical in assessing her life and career, the documentary closing with Ronstadt as she is today stating: ‘I’m very grateful for the time I’ve had. I’ve got to live a lot of my dreams and feel lucky to have done that.’
It is left to long-time friend and sister through music Emmylou Harris to conclude things. Speaking for herself and anyone else who has ever heard Linda Ronstadt sing, Harris says: ‘I don’t think she misses the road or making records, but just things like singing with her friends and family. Nobody on the planet has ever had, or ever will, have a voice like Linda’s.’
Never showing any inclination to compromise her artistic intentions, Linda Ronstadt is among the handful of artists blessed with the creative integrity to match her raw talent.
Like its subject, ‘The Sound of My Voice,’ is engaging and affecting. To be seen – and heard.
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NEIL SAMBROOK is the author of ‘MONTY’S DOUBLE‘ – an acclaimed thriller now available in paperback and as an Amazon Kindle book.