A couple of weeks ago mega-singer and 70’s-torchy-rock-queen Linda Ronstadt told the press she has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, which has left her unable to sing. WHAT IS THE WORLD COMING TO??? Linda has one of the purest, most glorious voices in music and when she delivers a song, there’s meaning, emotion and beauty in every note. So… Gaaahhhhhhhhhhhh! Life is a lie.

BUT… We can still celebrate the decades of fabulous music Linda has given us, so darn it, watch this week’s #JohnPollySays vid. I barely scratch the surface of her awesomeness (Country! Rock! Mariachi!). I mean, I wanted to include “Different Drum” (her first hit, as frontwoman of the Stone Poneys) and classics like “A Long, Long Time” and even “You’re No Good” and “Love Is a Rose”, but there just wasn’t time. Also I wanted more of her Gershwin-y standards from the 80s, and her covers of “Tumbling Dice” and “Tracks of My Tears”… And this album cover. OK, you get it.

So… Please enjoy my tribute to a killer singer. And read her memoirs, coming out in a week or so. The book is called Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir, and she’ll be doing book-signings in NYC, Santa Monica and other nice places. Then go throw listen to “Mohammed’s Radio” a hundred times. Then get into “The Moon’s a Harsh Mistress” from the Get Closer album and forget about everything else. Then, go roller skating.

Good luck, Linda. (And fans of Fievel… Watch ’til the very end.) Adios!

P.S.  Big props to the truest Linda fan Nicholas Williams for his help on this one. xo