Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir

In this memoir, Linda Ronstadt recounts her origins in Tucson, Arizona, and her rise to stardom in the Southern California music scene of the 1960s and '70s. Born into a musical family, Ronstadt's childhood included exposure to Gilbert and Sullivan, Mexican folk music, jazz, and opera. She and her siblings performed together from an early age, developing an early artistic curiosity. Ronstadt arrived in Los Angeles as the folk-rock movement was beginning, contributing to the development of country-rock. She performed at the Troubadour club in West Hollywood alongside other artists who helped define the musical style that dominated American music in the 1970s. One of her early backup bands became the Eagles, while Ronstadt became the most successful female artist of the decade. Simple Dreams traces Ronstadt's forty-five year career across a wide array of musical styles. She shares stories behind many of her songs and describes her eclectic musical journey in a voice she characterizes as longing, graceful, and authentic.