With a voice that Newsweek once described as having the “richness and cutting edge of a muted trumpet,” pop star Linda Maria Ronstadt (1946–) was born on this day in Tucson, Arizona.

“I don't think you can look for love. All you can do is get yourself in a situation where you don't discourage something that may be rather nice,” she reflected.

Growing up listening to her dad’s mariachi melodies, she scored her first big hit with 1967’s Different Drum. Her career has soared, survived, and evolved in the turbulent rock industry.

She belted out Gilbert and Sullivan on Broadway… Crooned pop standards with Nelson Riddle… Tried Mexican mariachi… Traded vocals with Aaron Neville… Sang lullabies and love songs… And cut an album of Appalachian folk music with Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris.

With over 30 albums and countless awards, she is widely celebrated as one of the most influential voices in American music history. She later embraced the joys of single motherhood, raising her two adopted children in Tucson.

Although no longer able to sing due to progressive supranuclear palsy, she remains a guiding voice in music history. With grace, she continues to share her wisdom through interviews, documentaries, and her powerful memoir, Simple Dreams, celebrating a life rich with music, courage, and authenticity.