Linda Ronstadt and Stevie Nicks Thought This “Quintessential ’80s Woman” Might Put Them Out of Work

Linda Ronstadt and Stevie Nicks cemented their place as rock ‘n’ roll royalty in the 1970s. But as any musician in the modern age knows, creating art is an ongoing process that not even the loftiest of accolades can (or should) stop. For every great piece of work you put out, there is an entirely new generation of artists ready to build upon your influence and create something unique and, in some cases, better. Depending on whether an artist lets this reality inspire them or make them insecure, it can be a blessing or a curse.

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For Ronstadt and Nicks, one fateful night in 1980, they felt a little bit of both.

Finding Inspiration From The Next Generation

Great artists know that the musical bar always moving forward is a good thing, not a bad thing. No one is immune from improving on their instrument, and if a younger, better artist inspires someone to do that, then that’s just as well. Linda Ronstadt was certainly of this mindset, telling Playboy in 1980, “There will be some female to come along who will blow me out of the water, and when she does, you know what I’m gonna do? I’m going to watch her real close, find out where all her hot licks are, and steal them.”

Ronstadt had no problem accepting motivation from the generations who came after her. In fact, she welcomed it so much that when she was in need of inspiration, she would watch these up-and-coming artists’ shows to see what they were up to. This endeavor is how Ronstadt ended up watching Louise Goffin, daughter of Tapestry singer-songwriter Carole King, with fellow rock ‘n’ roll queen Stevie Nicks. “We were all holding our breath,” Ronstadt recalled. “I knew she was good. I had heard some of her stuff in the studio. But none of us were sure how we felt about that.”

The singer told Playboy she contemplated what she was hoping to see when Goffin got on stage. The daughter of Carole King and Gerry Goffin had already established herself in the Los Angeles scene when she opened for Jackson Browne at only 17 years old. By 19, she put out her debut album. The following year, a then-20-year-old Goffin performed for Ronstadt and Nicks, two women who undoubtedly paved the way for her in the previous decade. Ronstadt wondered if she should hope for the worst or open herself up to the possibility of Goffin inspiring and motivating her.

Linda Ronstadt and Stevie Nicks React

Unsurprisingly, in the end, Linda Ronstadt and Stevie Nicks chose the latter approach to Louise Goffin’s performance. “I decided I wanted her to be great,” Ronstadt told Playboy. And she was. “She was exciting, and she had so much confidence. You know, all we female singers in the ‘70s knew was that we were these independent people going around the country, earning our own living, and that we represented something because all these articles were written about us. But we didn’t know how to arm ourselves. Our defenses were put on in a clumsy fashion.”

Goffin, Ronstadt said, was the “quintessential ‘80s woman.” “She wore her defenses like enameled veneer. It was beautiful. She understood exactly who she was and how to protect herself.” And Nicks noticed, too. According to Ronstadt, Nicks leaned over to her mid-performance and said, “Gee, do you think we still can get a job singing backup for Joe Cocker?”

While Goffin never quite reached the level of international stardom as her mother, Nicks, or Ronstadt, her ability to inspire these women just the same is a touching testament to the power of an intergenerational music scene.

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