Editing Linda Ronstadt (section)

== Career summary ==
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| quote=Everybody has their own level of doing their music.&nbsp;... Mine just happened to resonate over the years, in one way and another, with a significant enough number of people so that I could do it professionally.| source=—Linda Ronstadt<ref name="Goldmine589" />}}

Establishing her professional career in the mid-1960s at the forefront of California's emerging [[folk rock]] and [[country rock]] movements{{snds}}genres which defined post-1960s rock music{{snds}}Ronstadt joined forces with [[Bobby Kimmel]] and [[Kenny Edwards]] and became the lead singer of a folk-rock trio, the [[the Stone Poneys|Stone Poneys]]. Later, as a solo artist, she released ''[[Hand Sown ... Home Grown]]'' in 1969, which has been described as the first [[alternative country]] record by a female recording artist.<ref name="Linen106">{{Cite web |last=McGrath |first=T. J. |date=June–July 2003 |title=Linda Ronstadt Silver Threads & Golden Needles |url=http://www.dirtylinen.com/106/ronstexc.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040717164311/http://www.dirtylinen.com/106/ronstexc.html |archive-date=July 17, 2004 |access-date=November 15, 2012 |website=Dirty Linen Issue No. 106}}</ref> Although fame eluded her during these years, Ronstadt actively toured with [[The Doors]], Neil Young, Jackson Browne, and others, appeared numerous times on television shows, and began to contribute her singing to albums by other artists.

With the release of chart-topping albums such as ''[[Heart Like a Wheel]]'', ''[[Simple Dreams]]'', and ''[[Living in the USA]]'', Ronstadt became the first female "arena class" rock star. She set records as one of the top-grossing concert artists of the decade.<ref name="Linen106" /><ref name="doubleplatinum">{{Cite book |last=Hirshey |first=Gerri |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-SiL4_ay5zoC&q=%22highest+paid+woman+in+rock%22&pg=PA86 |title=We Gotta Get Out of This Place: The True, Tough Story of Women in Rock |date=June 2002 |publisher=Grove Press |page=86 |isbn=9780802138996 |access-date=May 11, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160103033249/https://books.google.com/books?id=-SiL4_ay5zoC&pg=PA86&lpg=PA86&dq=%22highest+paid+woman+in+rock%22#PPA86,M1 |archive-date=January 3, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="RocksVenusSuccess">{{Cite magazine |last=Herbst |first=Peter |date=October 19, 1978 |title=Rock's Venus Takes Control of Her Affairs (as reprinted in Herbst, ''The Rolling Stone Interviews'', 1989) |magazine=Rolling Stone |isbn=9780312034863 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LBXGGpvaDmcC&pg=PA340 |url-status=live |access-date=November 15, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160103033249/https://books.google.com/books?id=LBXGGpvaDmcC&pg=PA340 |archive-date=January 3, 2016 |via=Google Books}}</ref><ref name="hamill">{{Cite book |last=[[Pete Hamill|Hamill, Pete]] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=buUCAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA23 |title=Linda Ronstadt, Pirate Queen |date=July 21, 1980 |page=23 |access-date=November 15, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160103033249/https://books.google.com/books?id=buUCAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA23 |archive-date=January 3, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> Referred to as the "First Lady of Rock"<ref name="tiptheirhat">{{Cite web |last=Vallely |first=Jean |date=April 1980 |title=Playboy Interview: Linda Ronstadt |url=http://www.ronstadt-linda.com/playboy80.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071205083824/http://www.ronstadt-linda.com/playboy80.htm |archive-date=December 5, 2007 |access-date=May 7, 2007 |website=Playboy}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Connelly |first=Christopher |date=October 13, 1983 |title=What's New – Album Reviews |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/whats-new-19831013 |access-date=November 15, 2012 |magazine=Rolling Stone |archive-date=August 16, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170816072956/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/whats-new-19831013 |url-status=dead}}<!-- lowercase by 1983 --></ref> and the "Queen of Rock", Ronstadt was voted the Top Female Pop Singer of the 1970s.<ref name="tiptheirhat" /> Her rock-and-roll image was as famous as her music; she appeared six times on the cover of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' and on the covers of ''[[Newsweek]]'' and ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]''.

In the 1980s, Ronstadt performed on Broadway and received a Tony nomination for her performance in ''[[The Pirates of Penzance]]'',<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gioia |first=Michael |date=August 26, 2013 |title=Tony Nominee and Grammy Winner Linda Ronstadt Diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease and Is Unable to Sing |url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/181461-Tony-Nominee-and-Grammy-Winner-Linda-Ronstadt-Diagnosed-With-Parkinsons-Disease-and-Is-Unable-to-Sing |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004220547/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/181461-Tony-Nominee-and-Grammy-Winner-Linda-Ronstadt-Diagnosed-With-Parkinsons-Disease-and-Is-Unable-to-Sing |archive-date=October 4, 2013 |access-date=October 3, 2013 |website=Playbill}}</ref> teamed with the composer [[Philip Glass]], recorded traditional music, and collaborated with the conductor Nelson Riddle, an event at that time viewed as an original and unorthodox move for a rock-and-roll artist. This venture paid off,<ref name="gambleoff">{{cite news |last=Bruns |first=Mary Ellin |date=January 8, 1984 |title=Ronstadt: The Gamble Pays Off Big |work=Family Weekly |url=http://www.ronstadt-linda.com/famwkly.htm |url-status=live |access-date=April 9, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080105214814/http://www.ronstadt-linda.com/famwkly.htm |archive-date=January 5, 2008}}</ref> and Ronstadt remained one of the music industry's best-selling acts throughout the 1980s, with multi-platinum-selling albums such as ''[[Mad Love (Linda Ronstadt album)|Mad Love]]''; ''[[What's New (Linda Ronstadt album)|What's New]]''; ''[[Canciones de Mi Padre]]''; and ''[[Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind]]''. She continued to tour, collaborate, and record celebrated albums, such as ''[[Winter Light (Linda Ronstadt album)|Winter Light]]'' and ''[[Hummin' to Myself (Linda Ronstadt album)|Hummin' to Myself]]'', until her retirement in 2011.<ref name="retirement" /> Most of Ronstadt's albums are [[Music recording sales certification|certified]] gold, platinum, or multi-platinum.<ref>{{cite web |title=RIAA – Gold & Platinum Searchable Database |url=https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?content_selector=gold-platinum-searchable-database |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130104132513/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?content_selector=gold-platinum-searchable-database |archive-date=January 4, 2013 |access-date=November 15, 2012 |publisher=[[Recording Industry Association of America]]}} (Search for "Ronstadt, Linda")</ref><ref name=certifications>{{cite web |title=Linda Ronstadt Top Pop Albums |url=http://www.ronstadt-linda.com/toppopa.htm |access-date=April 19, 2007 |website=Joel Whitburn presents the Billboard Albums 6th ed. (2007) |publisher=ronstadt-linda.com |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303165155/http://www.ronstadt-linda.com/toppopa.htm |url-status=live}}<!--Ok, due to "Used by permission"--></ref>

Having sold in excess of 100&nbsp;million records worldwide<ref name="worldwidesales">{{cite web |title=Linda Ronstadt Record Sales Page |url=http://lindaronstadt.de/facts.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101108092354/http://lindaronstadt.de/facts.htm |archive-date=November 8, 2010 |access-date=November 15, 2010 |website=lindaronstadt.de |publisher=Linda Ronstadt (DE) fan site}}{{dubious|date=November 2012}}</ref> and setting records as one of the top-grossing concert performers for over a decade, Ronstadt was the most successful female singer of the 1970s and stands as one of the most successful female recording artists in U.S. history. She opened many doors for women in rock and roll and other musical genres by championing songwriters and musicians, pioneering her chart success onto the concert circuit, and being in the vanguard of many musical movements.<ref name="Linen106" />