Linda Ronstadt - ‘In My Mind, I Can Still Sing'

Parkinson’s Diseases To Le The Rock Icon’s Singing Voice , But As A New Documentary Shows, Her Spirits Till Burns Strong

- Kim Hubbard

No one can sing about heartbreak quite like Linda Ronstadt (cue “Long Long Time” or “Blue Bayou”). But if you ask the 73-year-old music icon what was on her mind when she poured such pain and longing into those soul-piercing ballads, you won’t hear a tale of lost love. “Oh, I thought about different things,” she says. “It might just be about going to the store for pickles and they didn’t have the kind you liked. Sorrow comes in many forms.”

That’s something she knows for sure. Diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2013, the 10-time Grammy winner and ’70s hit machine— who made her name with rock anthems like “You’re No Good” along with the ballads —has been unable to sing since 2009. The loss was devastating, but she’s matter-of-fact about that as well. “I was sad,” she says. “But there’s nothing I can do about it. I learned how to live.”