Trailblazing Women in Music History You Should Know
Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt made music history when she released “Canciones de Mi Padre” in 1987. At the time, Ronstadt had already dominated the rock scene, the country scene, and the all the good-music-worth-listening-to scene. She demonstrated how someone could show all the different parts of themselves with pride when she put her Mexican heritage on display and recorded the Spanish-language mariachi album. If she was ever considered a mere pop singer, her ear for good songs in across rock, pop, country, and folk dispelled that notion. Her ability to move in and out of genres, to work with the best artists in the business, to pour lyrics directly into our hearts when she sang, and to insist on making music that represented all of her culture is why we love her. Oh, and that album of traditional Mexican songs, “Canciones de Mi Padre,” went double platinum, selling over 2.5 million copies and won a Grammy Award. It remains the top selling non-English language album in U.S. history.
In this 2020 tribute concert from Southland Sessions, Ronstadt’s hits are sung by artists she influenced, including La Marisoul and Aida Cuevas.
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