Linda Ronstadt on a Blast from the Past Weekend

It was May 25, 1970, when I met Linda Ronstadt. Freedom Hall, Louisville, Kentucky. Linda opened for Arlo Guthrie. While he performed the medley of his hit, leaving my wife (also named Linda) and friends in their seats, I traipsed backstage and caught up with the lovely Linda who was so nice to me. Dressed in a slinky, pink miniskirt she invited me to her dressing room. I had visions of possible amore but, alas, I can only tell you about the nice chat we had while she changed into jeans and a cotton top. At that time she was still primarily a rock singer, although country stations like Louisville’s WINN radio, which I programmed, played her singles. Later she was a massive country and rock star, though in recent years she has been more a torchy, jazz singer. We discussed country music and how she become a country fan (she listened to the Louisiana Hayride on Saturday nights as a kid in Tucson) and why she went barefoot all the time (comfort). As Linda and I left the dressing room for me to head back to my waiting party, we ran into a photographer for the Courier-Journal who was kind enough to take two pictures of us and send them to me. I suppose the two pictures are my most treasured celebrity photos. Never being one for having pictures taken I have missed out on many opportunities to be photographed with stars but Linda Ronstadt is definitely the biggest.

I will playing her music Monday during our Blast from the Past Weekend presented by Terry's Tees.