Linda Ronstadt is far and away one of the most influential female vocalists of the 1970s, but even people who become massive inspirations in their own right had to first be inspired by someone else. Ronstadt is certainly no different. The “Blue Bayou” singer combined her love of ranchera, opera, jazz, country, and blues to create her distinct sound, blending emotions with specific vocal inflections that came to define an entire genre of music.
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According to Ronstadt, “all chick singers have to curtsy” to two female vocalists in particular. But Ronstadt’s list doesn’t stop there.
Jazz, Opera, and Ranchera All Inspired Linda Ronstadt’s Vocal Style
As one of the most iconic female vocalists of the 1970s and ‘80s, Linda Ronstadt has plenty of “street cred,” so to speak. She could claim to be a style inventor, and thousands of musical historians would quickly agree. But the Arizona native has always been outspoken about the female vocalists who inspire her, choosing instead to focus on the inspirations that came before her. One such major influence was the operatic soprano Maria Callas.
“I learn more about bluegrass singing, more about singing Mexican songs, more about singing rock ‘n’ roll from listening to Maria Callas records than I ever would from listening to pop music for a month of Sundays,” Ronstadt once said in a 1995 New York Times interview. “Emmylou [Harris] and I are both Maria Callas fans. We listen to that all the time. She’s the greatest chick singer ever.” Ronstadt then broke off into a few bars from Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville). (The reporter didn’t clarify which excerpt, but we’d have to guess the aria “Una voce poco fa.”)
Ronstadt is also a big jazz fan. During a 1980 Playboy interview, she said, “At some point, all girl singers have to curtsy to Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday.” Ronstadt expanded on this sentiment in 2023, recalling, “I remember being enchanted by Billie Holiday. She invented pop music and the things we all later did. She made music so intimate. I tried to do what [she] did.”
As a Mexican-American woman, ranchera has always been a big part of Ronstadt’s life. The singer told Parade that Chavela Vargas was a significant influence later in life, saying, “If I had heard Chavela Vargas sing anything when I was growing up, I would have changed my whole singing style.”
Some Of Her Influences Were Much Closer (Literally)
When we think of Linda Ronstadt, we don’t often think of crystalline opera like Maria Callas or dusky jazz like Billie Holiday. But that’s what makes Ronstadt so special: her ability to transform her influences into something wholly her. (Though, when the situation calls for it, she can undoubtedly embody these vocal qualities.) And of course, not all of her major vocal inspirations were that far off from what she was famous for in the ‘70s. Ronstadt has long sung the praises of friend and collaborator Emmylou Harris, calling her “the most inspiring singer to me, bar none” in her 1980 Playboy interview.
“I would rather sing with Emmy than with anybody else,” she continued. “She can make me feel the music and the ideas of a song like nobody. I can’t imagine Emmy not being successful because that might mean I can’t sing with her so much. It’s in my best interests for Emmy to be successful and for people to hear her because she brings up the general standards of the music. I learned a hell of a lot about singing from her, and I still do.”
Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images
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