In 2014, multi-talented singer/songwriter Linda Ronstadt officially earned her place in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. An all-star list of talent gathered at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, to celebrate the influential, genre-bending talent. One of the superstars on hand for the occasion was her longtime friend and collaborator Glenn Frey.
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The Eagles‘ founding member took the stage during the Hall of Fame’s induction ceremony to accept the honor in Ronstadt’s absence. The effects of progressive supranuclear palsy, a neurodegenerative disease that alters brain function, led Ronstadt to step away from the spotlight. Frey, who formed the Eagles with Don Henley while the pair performed in her touring band in the early 1970s, didn’t hesitate to step in.
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“I’d like to start by saying it’s about time,” Frey told the crowd after a brief introduction. “It was my selfish wish that Linda would have been inducted in 1998 with the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, the Mamas and Papas and Santana. But that time has passed, the time is now, and Linda’s music and legacy give us so much to celebrate and contemplate.”
He went on to recap Ronstadt’s expansive and impressive career, from their days touring together to her domination of the charts through the 1970s and ’80s. He lovingly described her fearless spirit, which led her to take on the world of theater, earning her a Tony Award. From her award-winning collaboration with Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris to her record-breaking Spanish album Canciones de Mi Padre, Frey reiterated the broad scope of Ronstadt’s musical gifts.
“Linda Ronstadt recorded 31 albums. She sold over 100 million records and had a career that spanned five decades,” Frey told the crowd, emotion flooding his voice. “She has been a shining example and a true inspiration to every woman who ever stood in front of a microphone and sang her heart out. And through it all, she remains nothing but authentic. You see, Linda lives in a place where art trumps commerce, where self-exploration trumps self-exploitation, where hard work and integrity trump fame and failure. She never wanted to be a star. She just wanted to make good music.”
Watch Frey’s moving acceptance speech for Rondstadt at the 2014 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony below:
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