Simple Dreams

A Musical Memoir

By: Linda Ronstadt

Narrated by: Linda Ronstadt, Kathe Mazur

In this memoir, iconic singer Linda Ronstadt weaves together a captivating story of her origins in Tucson, Arizona, and her rise to stardom in the Southern California music scene of the 1960s and ‘70s.

Tracing the timeline of her remarkable life, Linda Ronstadt, whose 45-year career has encompassed a wide array of musical styles, weaves together a captivating story of her origins in Tucson, Arizona, and her rise to stardom in the Southern California music scene of the 1960s and ‘70s.

Linda Ronstadt was born into a musical family, and her childhood was filled with everything from Gilbert and Sullivan to Mexican folk music to jazz and opera. Her artistic curiosity blossomed early, and she and her siblings began performing their own music for anyone who would listen. Now, in this beautifully crafted memoir, Ronstadt tells the story of her wide-ranging and utterly unique musical journey.

Ronstadt arrived in Los Angeles just as the folkrock movement was beginning to bloom, setting the stage for the development of country-rock. As part of the coterie of like-minded artists who played at the famed Troubadour club in West Hollywood, she helped define the musical style that dominated American music in the 1970s. One of her early backup bands went on to become the Eagles, and Linda went on to become the most successful female artist of the decade.

In Simple Dreams, Ronstadt reveals the eclectic and fascinating journey that led to her long-lasting success, including stories behind many of her beloved songs. And she describes it all in a voice as beautiful as the one that sang “Heart Like a Wheel” - longing, graceful, and authentic.

©2013 Linda Ronstadt. All rights reserved. “Long Long Time”: Words and music by Gary White © Universal Music Corporation. Reproduced by permission of Hal Leonard. “Heart Like a Wheel”: Words and music by Anna McGarrigle © Anna McGarrigle Music. Administered by Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Kobalt Music. “Still Within the Sound of My Voice”: Words and music by Jimmy Webb © Seventh Son Music, Inc., c/o Music of Windswept and Bug Music, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Hal Leonard. (P)2013 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Excellent

For anyone who likes any of Linda’s songs, this is a must read/listen! You won’t be disappointed.

Amazing Book by an Amazing Woman

Linda has had an amazing and inspirational life and career. I’ve listened to her since her first album and have always been blown away by her voice. This book shows her to also be an intelligent, articulate, thoughtful, generous, self-aware person. I’m sad that she won’t be singing any more, but all her past work is there for me, and all of us, to enjoy now and into the future.

Captivating

If you like Linda’s music, the journey through her musical career is fascinating, highly influenced by generations in her family of love for music and musicianship.

All about the music

I should have paid attention to the “musical memoir” part. Nothing much personal here. All about the music. I wanted more than that.

How she differed from most of her peers.

I liked best that she had her own ideas and didn’t give up! She managed to find good people who let her learn more and then let her practice until she got it right.

Just beautiful!

The narration is perfect in the telling of Linda’s musical history and breadth work. You’ll get pulled in and not want to leave!

Review of “Simple Dreams” by Linda Rondstadt.

I would like to thank Linda Rondstadt for taking me on the journey through her life and career, I fell in love with her music in the 1970’s. And, I must say: Linda’s honest and inciteful depiction of how that music came into being helped me to appreciate it even more. I just finished Carly Simon’s book “Boys In The Trees. And, the opportunity I was given to learn even more about two beautiful and intelligent women like Linda and Carly was a rare pleasure for me. I will treasure the books, coming back to them often.

Fantastic book by the voice of a generation.

i have always loved Linda Ronstadt's voice. Her recordings were the playlist of my youth.
i admire her interest and integrity of experiencing all forms of musical art,

surperb

I had no idea Linda new so much about such a remarkable variety of music styles -- and performed them.

Interesting window into the thinking of a great artist

I loved hearing about her passion and commitment to being the best artistic version of herself. She is far too humble for someone so talented but it adds to the charm of the narrative. I would recommend this for even the casual fan.