Linda Ronstadt : Singer Shares Parkinson’s Update

Linda Ronstadt, a multiple Grammy award winner’s voice has been silenced by a debilitating disease. Now, in a rare interview, Linda opens up about her life and updates her many fans on her condition.

“I’m still getting around, but it’s harder and harder … It’s just really hard to move,” Ronstadt tells CBS San Francisco. “It’s hard to wash my hair, brush my teeth, put my clothes on. It’s hard to get up and out of a chair. But once I get going, I can go for a little bit.”

But the 68-year-old says she is still doing all she can to combat the effects of the disease.

“I walk around the neighborhood a little bit,” she says. “Only a couple blocks now. I used to walk down to the beach, but I don’t do that anymore.”

Despite her worsening health, the ‘You’re No Good’ singer remains realistic about the way her life is now.

“My life is very different,” Ronstadt says. “That’s all there is to it.”
In fact, when asked about her long-term prognosis, Ronstadt is very matter-of-fact — funny, almost.

“Well, long-term prognosis is death, I guess. Something’s going to kill you eventually,” she says with a bit of a chuckle. “It takes a long time [for Parkinson’s] to kill you. Something else will probably get you first … I don’t think about it. I think about what’s going to happen today because I just figure, I don’t have a crystal ball.”

Ronstadt was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year. During the ceremony, she was part of an all-star tribute, including performances by Carrie Underwood, Sheryl Crow, Stevie Nicks, Bonnie Raitt, Glenn Frey and Emmylou Harris. But while the singer was thrilled to be acknowledged for her lengthy career, she admits one of the most devastating part of her illness is being unable to sing anymore.

“I can’t get to the note,” she says. “I can’t make any quality sound. I can’t arrange pitch. I might aim for a note and hit another one. It sounds like shouting.”

Agencies/Canadajournal