Linda Ronstadt On Parkinson’s Fight And Loss Of Voice: Not Afraid Of Death, But Is ‘Afraid Of Suffering’
As people grow older, they lose a little something of themselves and that is especially true of celebrities who sing or act or make a living on the field. For more than four decades, Linda Ronstadt thrilled audiences and entertained people around the entire world. Now, the 72-year-old singer has had to deal with losing her voice and going through a neverending battle with Parkinson’s which has her afraid of suffering.
Ever since the late ’60s, Linda Ronstadt has written brilliant music and appeared on stages around the world. She has performed duets with some of the most famous singers to ever live, and she has sold more than 100 million records with many more still to come.
With the years going by, though, Ronstadt began to notice something strange in 2000 when her voice didn’t just start changing, but going away. As reported by CBS News, she found herself not singing during her concerts, but actually screaming into the microphone
She knew something was wrong and her number of performance began to dwindle until she finally retired after playing her last show in 2009. At this point, Ronstadt really wasn’t aware of what was going on with her, but she soon learned the truth when she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2013.
Linda Ronstadt: "I'm afraid of suffering, but I'm not afraid of dying" https://t.co/Ir07d1V1t2 pic.twitter.com/oonUm9J9ZN
— CBS News (@CBSNews) February 2, 2019
The singer who released such hits as “It’s So Easy,” “You’re No Good,” and many others said that she is not mad about what’s happening with her life. Ronstadt said it took some getting used to asking people for help, but she does it now because she simply has no other choice.
Despite having her life drastically changed over the last few years, Ronstadt is still positive and believes there will be a cure for Parkinson’s in the future. She knows that death is in the cards for everyone at some point and she isn’t afraid of that at all.
She’s simply afraid of possibly having to suffer.
“I’m sure they’ll find something eventually. They’re learning so much more about it every day. If not, I mean, I’m 72. We’re all going to die. So, they say people usually die with Parkinson’s. They don’t always die of it because it’s so slow-moving. So, I’ll figure I’ll die of something. And I’ve watched people die, so I’m not afraid of dying. I’m afraid of suffering, but I’m not afraid of dying.”
Just last week, singer James Ingram passed away, as reported by the Inquisitr, after losing his battle with brain cancer at the age of 66. Ingram and Ronstadt collaborated together on the hit song “Somewhere Out There” which was on the soundtrack for An American Tail in 1986.
Linda Ronstadt has entertained audiences around the world and she may not be able to sing any longer, but she hasn’t stopped thrilling audiences. She will release her first-ever live album this week which is titled Live in Hollywood. It will include 12 songs from her 1980 concert that was shot for HBO many years ago.
Parkinson’s may have changed up the singer’s life, but she isn’t afraid of death. She simply doesn’t want to suffer and hopes the same for others battling the disease.
