From Tucson to the Top of the Charts: Jackson Browne Reflects on Linda Ronstadt’s Transformative Legacy
In a career shaped by collaboration, reinvention, and rare interpretive power, Jackson Browne has consistently spoken with admiration about Linda Ronstadt, describing her as one of the most gifted vocalists of her generation. While headlines often promise revelations, the truth Browne and many of his peers have shared over the years is less scandalous and far more substantial. Ronstadt possessed an unparalleled ability to inhabit a song and redefine it for a mass audience, often elevating the work of contemporary songwriters to commercial and cultural prominence.
Ronstadt’s career began in earnest in the mid 1960s with the folk rock trio The Stone Poneys. Their 1967 hit “Different Drum,” written by Michael Nesmith, introduced her crystalline soprano to a national audience and set the stage for her solo ascent. After leaving the group, she released a string of albums that culminated in her commercial breakthrough with Heart Like a Wheel in 1974. The album reached number one on the Billboard 200 and featured her Grammy winning interpretation of Hank Williams’ “I Can’t Help It If I’m Still in Love with You.” The record has since been included in Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, affirming its enduring influence.
Throughout the 1970s, Ronstadt became one of the defining voices of American popular music. Albums such as Simple Dreams and Hasten Down the Wind produced chart topping singles and solidified her status as the era’s most commercially successful female rock artist. By the end of the decade, she had earned multiple platinum certifications and was headlining arenas at a time when rock remained overwhelmingly male dominated.
Browne’s connection to Ronstadt dates back to the early Los Angeles music scene. As a young songwriter, he found in Ronstadt a champion of emerging talent. She recorded his song “Rock Me on the Water” and later introduced audiences to material by writers including Warren Zevon and Jimmy Webb. Zevon famously remarked that he would write the songs and Ronstadt would make them hits, a testament to her interpretive authority.
Ronstadt also played a pivotal role in the formation of Eagles. Musicians who toured in her backing band, including Don Henley and Glenn Frey, later formed the group, crediting their time with her as foundational. This intersection of talent underscores her importance not only as a performer but as a catalyst within the Southern California sound.
In 1987, Ronstadt joined forces with Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris for the album Trio, a project that debuted at number one on the Billboard country chart and won a Grammy Award. Decades later, her contributions were formally recognized with induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014 and the Kennedy Center Honors in 2019.
Diagnosed initially with Parkinson’s disease in 2013 and later with progressive supranuclear palsy, Ronstadt lost her ability to sing. Yet her recorded legacy remains formidable. Browne has emphasized that her greatness lay not in prolific songwriting but in discernment. She chose exceptional material and delivered it with emotional precision.
The truth, as Browne and others attest, is that Linda Ronstadt did not merely perform songs. She transformed them, and in doing so, reshaped the landscape of American music.