Linda Ronstadt: 15 Things You Didn’t Know (Part 1)

Linda Ronstadt is one of the most prolific musicians of the 20th century. Though she may not be as relevant as she once was, she is still recognized by young people today. However, despite the fact that much of her life has been made public, there are still some things about her that many people don’t know. With that in mind, here we present our list of 15 things you probably didn’t know about Linda Ronstadt. Check out part one below, and stay tuned for part two, coming soon!

Number Fifteen: She Has Collaborated With a Diverse Selection of Artists. Ronstadt has collaborated with numerous artists, including Bette Midler, Frank Zappa, Philip Glass, Dolly Parton, Neil Young, and Johnny Cash.

Number Fourteen: She Is One of the World’s Best-Selling Artists of All Time. Ronstadt has worked on over 120 albums and has also sold more than 100 million records. This solidifies her spot as one of the best-selling artists of all time.

Number Thirteen: She Has Parkinson’s Disease. Ronstadt said that she was retiring in a 2011 interview; in 2013, she publicly announced that she had Parkinson’s Disease. She was diagnosed in 2012, and it has rendered her unable to sing.

Number Twelve: She Was Raised on a Ranch. Ronstadt was born to a machinery merchant and a homemaker, and she grew up on a 10-acre ranch. She had three siblings, and her family was actually featured in Family Circle magazine in 1953.

Number Eleven: Her Grandfather Is Famous in Arizona. Ronstadt’s grandfather was named Federico Jose Maria Ronstadt, and he contributed a lot to the city of Tucson, Arizona. Because of that, in 1991, Tucson dedicated its central transit terminal to him.

Number Ten: Her Father Was Very Creative. Ronstadt’s father was a creative man, and he owns more than 700 patents. He patented an early version of the toaster, along with the first electric stove and even an early prototype of the microwave.

Number Nine: She Was Part of the Stone Poneys. In the mid-1960s, Ronstadt began her career as part of a folk-rock trio that called themselves the Stone Poneys. She was the lead singer of the trio.