First published 2013
Linda Ronstadt chronicles her musical evolution from a Tucson childhood steeped in diverse sounds to becoming the most successful female artist of the 1970s. She details her early exposure to everything from Hank Williams to Gilbert and Sullivan, Mexican folk music to jazz and opera within her musical family. Ronstadt recounts her arrival in Los Angeles during the emerging folk-rock movement and her role in developing country-rock after her first band, the Stone Poneys, dissolved. She describes her involvement with the Troubadour club scene in West Hollywood, where she helped shape the sound that would define American music in the 1970s. The memoir covers her collaborations with artists ranging from Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton to Frank Sinatra, her distinction as the first female artist to release four consecutive platinum albums, and her journey through four decades of international success. Ronstadt offers readers an intimate look at the experiences and artistic curiosity that drove her remarkable career, told with the same authentic voice that made her a beloved performer.
Genres: 20th-century, autobiography, biography-memoir, music
Vibes: emotional, intimate, lyrical
Tropes: coming-of-age, memoir, musical-journey
Setting: Los Angeles, Tucson, West Hollywood
Period: 1970s
256 pages · Hardcover · Simon & Schuster