And so he had the reputation in southern Arizona for making the most beautiful wagons and buggies, you know, like the equivalent of a Mercedes that you would drive around, a horse and carriage. But he was apprenticed to a blacksmith when he was a teenager. And sometimes there's no water, and then there are no cattle, you know. That's a tough gig because it's the desert. That's how he made his living in Arizona. All those elements were there, you know, in his life. He only went to, I think, seventh grade in terms of formal schooling, but he was a wide reader and loved opera, loved art. And he was like the music man, except he really knew how to play music and how to read. RONSTADT: He was the one in Tucson who taught everybody how to play their instruments and assembled a band and wrote the arrangements and wrote a lot of compositions for the band. And had a lot of business that came across the border from Mexico. So let's start with your grandfather, who was born in Mexico and had a hardware store in Arizona. Reading your memoir, I was just astonished (laughter) by the richness of your family tree. GROSS: Well, I want to talk with you about your childhood and your family tree. It is a great pleasure to have you on our show. TERRY GROSS: Linda Ronstadt, welcome to FRESH AIR. LINDA RONSTADT: (Singing) Feeling better now that we're through. It was co-written by journalist Lawrence Downes.īefore we hear our interview with Linda Ronstadt, let's start with her song that was a No. Ronstadt's new memoir, "Feels Like Home: A Song For The Sonoran Borderlands," is an exploration of her Mexican roots and includes recipes of the dishes she grew up with. The diagnosis was later changed to progressive supranuclear palsy. Terry interviewed Linda Ronstadt in 2013 about her first memoir, "Simple Dreams." They spoke a month after Ronstadt revealed that she had Parkinson's disease and could no longer sing. In 2011, after many years struggling to maintain her voice, she called an end to her singing career. And she recorded albums of the Mexican songs she learned from her Mexican grandfather and her father.īut in the early 2000s, she began to feel her voice was slipping. Against the recommendation of her record label, she recorded an album of standards with arranger Nelson Riddle that turned into a surprise hit. But she didn't remain tied to the popular music of her time. Her rise to stardom coincided with the height of the counterculture, making her a focal point in a world far removed from her Catholic upbringing in Tucson. Her hits included "You're No Good," "Heart Like a Wheel," "Desperado" and "Blue Bayou." Over the course of her career, Ronstadt sold over a hundred million records, won 11 Grammys, and by the end of the '70s, was the highest-paid woman in rock. Linda Ronstadt has just published a new memoir.
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