Linda Ronstadt Had to ‘Relearn How to Eat’ after Diagnosis: She Reveals What Life Is Like

• Linda Ronstadt doesn’t sing at all anymore.

• “No one can sing with Parkinson’s disease,” Linda said about her condition.

• Now she is a mother of two children.

According to Today, Linda Ronstadt was a pioneering singer-songwriter known as the First Lady of Rock. She had 1970’s hit songs like “Blue Bayou” and “You’re No Good.”

Despite being a chart-topping musician, in November 2022, Linda couldn’t sing in a way her fans could hear. Speaking to the publication, the then 76-year-old former artist explained that she could only sing in her brain.

Linda Ronstadt at the Greek Theater at California State University in Berkeley, California, on September 21, 1975 | Source: Getty Images

Her struggles with her vocals began years before she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2013. She only later discovered that she had a Parkinson’s-like disorder called progressive supranuclear palsy.

The disorder took away Linda’s ability to sing out loud, and she acknowledged that singing in her head wasn’t the same. The former singer couldn’t even pick the tune when it came to the songs she could only hear.

It took some time for the legendary musician to discover the truth about her illness, as she’d initially misdiagnosed it as something else. Her brother also shared his take on her struggles.

How Did Linda Ronstadt’s LifeTurn Out?

By August 2013, Linda had already started showing signs of Parkinson’s disease eight years before but only received her diagnosis eight months ago. The then 67-year-old singer had initially dismissed the symptoms as related to shoulder surgery and tick-borne illness.

Linda Ronstadt performs at the Greek Theater on September 17, 1977, in Berkeley, California | Source: Getty Images

The star noted how she couldn’t sing but couldn’t figure out why, although she knew it had to be mechanical or something to do with her muscles. It didn’t occur to her to see a neurologist.

The artist blamed the trembling of her hands on the shoulder operation she had, but when she finally saw a neurologist, he told her she had Parkinson’s disease. Linda recalled her reaction, stating:

“I was completely shocked. I wouldn’t have suspected that in a million, billion years.”

Linda Ronstadt during the ALMA Awards at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on August 17, 2008, in Pasadena, California | Source: Getty Images

In 2013 she was walking on uneven ground with the aid of poles, and when she traveled, she used a wheelchair, but singing was impossible. Speaking to CNN in December 2019, the star revealed how she couldn’t hear the “top end” of her voice and the part she used to “get in tune,” adding:

“My throat would clutch up. It would just be like I had a cramp or something.”

When those symptoms began, she realized something was wrong. Linda shared how she found creative and new ways of doing things like she was a toddler again and admitted:

“Eating is hard … I’ve had to relearn how to eat. You could carve a new brain map if you’re patient and willing to do that, but it’s hard.”

Linda Ronstadt accepts the Best Documentary award for “Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice” during AARP The Magazine’s 19th Annual Movies For Grownups Awards on January 11, 2020, in Beverly Hills, California | Source: Getty Images

Speaking to Closer Weekly in June 2017, Linda’s brother, Peter Ronstadt, shared how she handled her diagnosis. The Grammy Award winner’s sibling told the publication:

“She doesn’t complain about it. She just gets on with business and does what she can.”

Linda Ronstadt at AARP The Magazine’s 19th Annual Movies For Grownups Awards on January 11, 2020, in Beverly Hills, California | Source: Getty Images

The former musician drew from the same strength she used while rising in the music industry. Peter said she struggled in the earlier years and didn’t become successful overnight but never gave up on music or otherwise.

He recalled how as an adolescent, she’d had dreams of being Hopalong Cassidy and would ride her pony before it bucked her off. Peter watched through the window and saw the animal sans his sister, but ten minutes later, she was seen “stomping up the same path.”

Linda applied the same perseverance to life with the disease and stayed current on the medical treatment available. She didn’t bother to pity herself and preferred finding ways how to spend her days, with music remaining a big part of it.

Linda Ronstadt discusses her book “Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir” on September 16, 2013, on “Good Morning America” | Source: Getty Images

The former singer went to concerts and spent time with her adopted children, Mary Clementine and Carlos, who were also musicians. Peter said his sister was doing the best with what she had and described her as “an inspiration.”

Linda’s Never Been Married: But Who Are Her Two Children?

Linda never got married, but she had two children with whom she built a strong bond in a way that changed her life. During a Playboy magazine interview, she said she’d thought about it a lot before she adopted the pair in the 1990s because she liked children immensely.

Linda [Ronstadt] shared how talented he [Carlos Ronstadt] was, having taught himself how to play the guitar quickly, although the music wasn’t his focus.

The star wanted them more than anything and didn’t care about not being married. Linda preferred to be with the children’s father because she felt it multiplied the “enjoyment and richness of the experience” but didn’t think it was impossible to do it solo.

In 1990 Mary was adopted as an infant and was kept out of the spotlight. Just like her mother, she had a keen interest in art and made a success of her life while working for San Francisco’s Guadalupe Art Program as an art assistant for ten years.

Linda raised her children in Arizona, and the pair assisted decorating their Mediterranean-style home. In 2014, the former songstress told Architectural Digest that her daughter chose a “star-spangled ceiling” for her room.

Linda Ronstadt at AARP The Magazine’s 19th Annual Movies For Grownups Awards on January 11, 2020, in Beverly Hills, California | Source: Getty Images

In 1994, Carlos was adopted, and he and his mother allegedly have a close relationship. The Los Angeles Times said in 2019, the star’s son was living with her in San Francisco, California, working for Apple and as a musician.

Linda shared how talented he was, having taught himself how to play the guitar quickly, although the music wasn’t his focus. Carlos was a technician with a good job and a girlfriend his mother approved of, but both of the singer’s children used music for their enjoyment.