We already brought you part one of our list of 15 things you probably did not know about Linda Ronstadt, and now we’re back with part two! Check out eight more fascinating facts about the singer and musician that you definitely (probably) did not know below. You might be surprised by what you find out!
Number Eight: She Released the First Alternative Country Record. Ronstadt broke unprecedented ground when she released Hand Sown … Home Grown in 1969. The album is described as the very first alternative country record that was recorded by a female artist.
Number Seven: She Spent Time Around Famous People Before She Was Famous Herself. Before she hit it big, Ronstadt was touring with really big names. She toured with the Doors, Neil Young, and Jackson Browne.
Number Six: She Was the Top Female Pop Singer of the 1970s. Ronstadt is often referred to as the First Lady of Rock and the Queen of Rock, and she has set numerous records as one of the highest-grossing concert artists of the 1970s. Because of this, she was voted the Top Female Pop Singer of the 1970s.
Number Five: She Was a Serious Cover Girl. Ronstadt’s status as a rocker chick earned her an impressive six covers on Rolling Stone, and she has also appeared on the covers of Newsweek and Time.
Number Four: She Made it on Broadway. Proving that she can do literally anything, Ronstadt was nominated for a Tony for her work in The Pirates of Penzance. She worked with composer Philip Glass and conductor Nelson Riddle for the project.
Number Three: She Was the Highest Paid Woman in Rock. By the end of 1978, Ronstadt was known as the highest paid woman in rock and roll, and in 1978 alone, she made more than $12 million. Today, that number is equivalent to $43 million in a single year.
Number Two: She Was Engaged to George Lucas. Ronstadt has dated several huge names over the years. She dated Jim Carrey in 1983, and by the mid-1980s, she was actually engaged to George Lucas.
Number One: She Has Won 11 Grammy Awards. Ronstadt has won 11 Grammy Awards since 1975. Her most recent award was given to her in 1999, and she won Best Country Collaboration with Vocals for “After the Gold Rush” with Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris.