“Still cranking out songs”: The artist that Linda Ronstadt argues is still “at the top of his game”
Linda Ronstadt has certainly earned her credentials over the years, having worked with some of the biggest names in the business. Not only that, but she effectively single-handedly sparked the formation of one of the biggest bands of all time—the Eagles. Instead of feeling embittered at the sudden distraction pulling away her musical team, she stood aside and let the magic happen organically.
A huge part of what made Ronstadt so successful is that, despite making her way as a female singer-songwriter in a male-dominated environment, she always followed her heart and did only what she deemed worthy of her time. As Glenn Frey once said, “Linda was our muse and a brave artist who followed her instincts.”
In the early days of the Eagles, Ronstadt served as a significant mentor, helping to shape their approach as much as their sound with all the experience she had garnered as “the first lady of country rock”. She occupied this role for many other artists, too, like Neil Young, who regularly enlisted her help during studio sessions to enhance his own musical output.
For Ronstadt, it’s challenging to establish the figures who serve as a guiding principle as much as she did many others, mainly because her music makes it eternally difficult to pinpoint specific sources and influences. She also possesses the kind of leadership qualities that make it difficult to imagine her ever looking up to anyone else, let alone referring to their music as inspiration for her own.
However, she has always been besotted with music connoisseur and soundtrack veteran Randy Newman. Ronstadt admired Newman from afar for a long while before they finally collaborated on his 1995 musical Faust. She also covered his songs multiple times throughout her career, bringing a certain raw delicacy to songs that incorporate subtle charm and wit in a way only Newman could execute.
As a result, she developed a deep affection for the star, once claiming she aims to talk to him at every opportunity, not just because of his sense of humour but because his continual output of quality consistently astounds her. “I still speak to Randy as often as I can,” the told Dig. “He is so funny. I’ve worked with him when he cracked the orchestra up so much they can hardly play. He is also an example of someone who is working at the top of his game after so many years in the business.”
Expanding on his exceptional musical abilities, she added: “So many musicians have a little peak and that’s it, but Randy is still cranking out great songs that make you laugh or cry.”
In fact, Ronstadt became so endeared to Newman’s music that she knew she didn’t need to cover some of it because it was already perfect in its original forms. She wanted to sing songs she loved, but some were best left alone. “I did fall in love with some songs I didn’t have any business singing,” she once said, recalling her love for Newman’s ‘Sail Away’.
For whatever reason, Ronstadt chose to leave some of her favourite Newman tracks out of her discography. Instead, she learned to love music like a fan rather than someone who has the power to go into a studio and make it her own. That’s a sign of true showmanship—Ronstadt has always been respectful of the spaces of others despite the fact that she could likely pull off anything she put her mind to.
