The Triumphant Celebration of Linda Ronstadt
On December 29, 2019, the Kennedy Center Honors did more than salute Linda Ronstadt’s legacy—they enveloped America’s most versatile singer in a long-overdue embrace. Seated beside Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Ronstadt—her powerful instrument silenced by Parkinson’s—appeared both delicate and luminous as the evening unfolded like a heartfelt tribute to her six decades at music’s forefront.
Carrie Underwood opened the performances with a stirring rendition of “Blue Bayou,” her crystalline highs evoking Ronstadt’s iconic 1977 live version. Next, Emmylou Harris and Bonnie Raitt delivered smoky, fiery verses of “You’re No Good,” their guitars dancing through the same licks that made Ronstadt’s 1974 hit unforgettable.
The audience rose to its feet when Aaron Neville drifted into “Don’t Know Much,” his warm tenor rekindling the Grammy-winning chemistry he shared with Ronstadt. Yet it was Cuban trumpeter Arturo Sandoval’s mariachi ensemble—honoring her groundbreaking Canciones de Mi Padre—that sent chills through the hall, reminding everyone of her fearless embrace of Mexican musical traditions.
Video messages poured in from Dolly Parton, and Glenn Frey’s widow paid her respects, while Don Henley—Ronstadt’s Eagles collaborator—watched with tears glistening in his eyes. The weight of the evening was unmistakable: this was her first major public appearance since revealing her Parkinson’s in 2013 and would become her last before the world changed.
When former President Barack Obama—who had previously awarded her the National Medal of Arts—appeared on screen calling her “a force of nature,” the Kennedy Center audience stood in a thundering ovation. Though the broadcast was delayed until March 2020, it became a poignant time capsule of unity, featuring Ronstadt’s cross-genre anthems like “Desperado,” “Long, Long Time,” and “Tumbling Dice,” which reminded a divided nation of music’s unifying power.
Backstage, close friends revealed that Ronstadt—ever exacting—initially hesitated to accept the honor, joking that her illness had turned her into “a rusty old car.” Yet as the final mariachi notes faded, her hands trembled with gratitude. In that moment, it was clear this gala was more than a homage to her voice—it was the crowning of a trailblazer who taught us all to sing beyond boundaries.