Linda Ronstadt

I feel I’ve sort of known about Linda Ronstadt for a long time, from all sorts of angles. Country duets, “Trio” signing Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton, and a stunning contribution to Paul Simon’s “Graceland.” Then I watched a documentary about Emmylou Harris, where she described staying with Ronstadt, and being looked after by her, at a difficult time, and she sounded like a decent person as well as a brilliant singer. But she’s not had to exposure other singers in her field have received, and Saturday’s BBC documentary wasn’t a repeat, and included stuff I’d never heard before.

Just a stunnng musical backgrund. Her grandparents are into classical and her opera, while her dad sings Mexican songs, as they’re close to the border. Her mum’s into Gilbert and Sullivan, while her older brother sings in the church choir, and she makes him teach her what’s learning. But then there’s Hank Williams on the radio…Not surprising that she ends up versatile, enthusiastic over a range of styles but passionate for high standards in all of them. I went back to the CDs with extra admiration.