Posted on 08/23/2013 6:55:29 PM PDT by mr fish
The 67-year-old, 11-time Grammy Award winner details her struggle with the disease in an interview with the AARP.
Grammy Award-winning artist Linda Ronstadt has revealed that a recent Parkinson's diagnosis has rendered her unable to sing.
In an interview with the AARP, the 67-year-old says that she was officially diagnosed with the degenerative disorder eight months ago after displaying symptoms as far back as eight years ago.
"I couldn't sing," she told AARP music reporter Alanna Nash, "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. And it didn't occur to me to go to a neurologist."
PHOTOS: Grammys 2013: The Winners
Ronstadt says that she had undergone a shoulder operation, and she believed that to be the culprit for her trembling hands.
"Parkinson's is very hard to diagnose, so when I finally went to a neurologist and he said, 'Oh, you have Parkinson's disease,' I was completely shocked," she said. "I wouldn't have suspected that in a million, billion years."
Now, Ronstadt says she "can't sing a note." Throughout her career, which began when she was just 14 years old singing with her siblings, Ronstadt accumulated eleven Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award, a Tony Award and a Golden Globe nom for her role in The Pirates of Penzance. She released her first studio album in 1969 (Hand Sown Home Grown) and her most recent in 2006 (Adieu False Heart).
Ronstadt recently penned a memoir, Simple Dreams, out Sept. 17, though the book does not address her diagnosis or the loss of her voice.
"No one can sing with Parkinson's disease," she tells AARP. "No matter how hard you try."
The publication's full interview with Ronstadt is slated to run on AARP.org next week.
My sweet baby and I use to go to the Golden Bear and see her with the Stone Ponies.... She was not the America hater then that she became... Sad.
Why does Linda Rondstadt always sing at the same speed?
She has a governor on her.
Old joke. (I’m showing my age)
LOL...still funny
Incredible voice/singer.
Many moons ago I was involved with a woman who was the spittin’ image of LR during her younger years.
Now LR looks literally like a fat pig who just needs an apple stuck in her mouth. A nasty marxist hypocrite who whines America took a part of mehico - definitely one of the LA Raza crowd.
Jerry Brown (CA Governor) might want to seek consultation with a neurologist as well...
was very good in her day!!!!!
Was he in the Alan Parkinsons Project?
The Seventies. Man how time flies. Jimmy Carter II in the White House and Governor Moonbean in Caliphony.
She's got her explanation lined up. What's Bob Dylan's excuse?
Better when she was with the Stone Pony’s. She obviously toked and snorted a little to much with moonbeam brown back when they were an item. Liberalism and poor judgement made her a didiot.
I just sampled “What’s New” on iTunes...magnificent, indeed. Wasn’t my cup of tea when I was 32. I really only knew Ronstadt from her Stone Poneys days and Canciones de mi Padre work. She has an amazing range.
Thank you. That makes it easier to explain why she was lip synching so perfectly.
She was actually singing.
I’m so sorry to hear this about Linda R.
When I heard her version of Heat Wave for the first time over the radio it was love upon first listen!
I really only knew Ronstadt from her Stone Poneys days
I forgot about that! Thanks for the reminder.
She and Lowell George were great friends and collaborators as well as Emmy Lou Harris. Many of the artists of the late 60’s and 70’s were very supportive of each other. A hell’uva time in music. Won’t ever see those days again. Love’em or hate’em.
But she was a beauty back in the day. Ya’ll give her a break! She is 68 years old. And sick....
ahhh, max, you prove
my point-—you pulled off
the Stephen Harper thing,
right? lol
anyway, i’ll be watching.
never say n——!
kf/nancy
She sang back-up on quite a few tracks for others...
Heart of Gold - Neil Young
African Skies - Paul Simon
Excitable Boy - Warren Zevon (with Jennifer Warnes)
just to name a few...
I had no idea...thanks.
I can't disagree with that. The level of hate she has expressed over the year for conservatives is extremely sickening.
But...not that God would mete out horrible diseases to people on my say so anyway, but....I don't think that way. What I want for hateful people like her is for the people and ideas she supports to be her undoing, to be the instrument of her punishment. Hey, if the left went after her for one of their nutty reasons and destroyed her career to the point where she was living on the street, I'd be fine with that. She enabled them, she'd be fine with them doing it to me. Fits the crime.
Martha Stewart wasn't guilty of squat. But she would have stood by silently while her liberal compatriots destroyed a conservative for the same non crime. So, do I give a damn about how she was done wrong? Nope.
But I won't gloat over someone getting a horrible disease. Exception of course would be Bill Clinton getting AIDS from some woman he sexually assaulted. Punishment appropriate and related to the crime. That works for me.
and watch the Conjuring’, I have “something” to do with it ;)
I know you already know this but don't ignore the little things. Dragging you foot every now and then. Maybe moving a little slower. If you exercise, maybe the muscle recovery time is a little longer. Mild almost indistinguishable tremor. Maybe you drop things a little more often. Maybe your arms don't swing as much as they used to. Depend on you spouse, significant other or family members observations.
It is too easy for a GP to pass it off to aging. Denial is what gets most people in trouble.
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, but not Kansas? Public Enemy, but not Kiss? Jimmy Cliff, but not Journey? The Beastie Boys, but not Stevie Ray Vaughan? Run DMC, but not Cheap Trick? Give me a break!!
Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!
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