Born July 15th, 1946, in Tucson, AZ., Ronstadt was a student at Arizona State University when she met guitarist Bob Kimmel. The duo moved to Los Angeles, where guitarist/songwriter Kenny Edwards joined the pair. Calling themselves The Stone Ponys, the group became a leading attraction on California's Folk circuit, recording their first album in 1967. The band's second LP, "Evergreen, Vol. 2", featured the Billboard #13 hit "Different Drum", which was written by Michael Nesmith of The Monkees. After recording one more album with the group, Ronstadt left for a solo career at the end of 1968. She eventually emerged as princess of the California Rock Mafia that included The Eagles, John David Souther and Jackson Browne.

Ronstadt's first two solo albums, "Hand Sown, Home Grown" (1969) and "Silk Purse" (1970), accentuated her Country roots, featuring several Honky Tonk numbers. Released in 1971, her self-titled third album was a pivotal record in her career. Featuring a group of session musicians that would later form The Eagles, the album was a softer, more laid back variation of the Country-Rock she had been recording. With the inclusion of songs from singer/songwriters like Jackson Browne, Neil Young, and Eric Anderson, Linda Ronstadt had Folk-Rock connections as well.

The album "Don't Cry Now", released in 1973, followed the same formula to greater success, yet it was 1974's "Heart Like a Wheel" that perfected the sound, making Ronstadt a star. Featuring the hit covers "You're No Good", "When Will I Be Loved", and "It Doesn't Matter Anymore", "Heart Like a Wheel" reached number one in America and sold over two million copies. Released in the Fall of 1975, "Prisoner In Disguise" followed the same pattern as "Heart Like A Wheel" and was nearly as successful. "Hasten Down The Wind", issued in 1976, suggested a holding pattern, even if it charted higher than "Prisoner In Disguise". "Simple Dreams" (1977) expanded the formula by adding a more Rock-oriented supporting band, which breathed life into The Rolling Stones' "Tumbling Dice" and Warren Zevon's "Poor Poor Pitiful Me". The record became the singer's biggest hit, staying on the top of the charts for five weeks and selling over three million copies. With "Living in the U.S.A." (1978) Ronstadt began experimenting with New Wave, recording Elvis Costello's "Alison". The album was another number one hit. On 1980's "Mad Love", she made a full-fledged New Wave record, recording three Costello songs and adopting a synth-laden sound. While the album was a commercial success, it signalled that her patented formula was beginning to run out of steam. That suspicion was confirmed with 1982's "Get Closer", her first album since "Heart Like a Wheel" to fail to go Platinum.

Sensing it was time to change direction, Ronstadt starred in the Broadway production of Gilbert & Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance, as well as the accompanying movie. Pirates of Penzance led the singer to a collaboration with big band leader Nelson Riddle, who arranged and conducted her 1983 collection of Pop Standards, "What's New". While it received lukewarm reviews, it was a considerable hit, reaching number three on the U.S. charts and selling over two million copies. Ronstadt's next two albums, "Lush Life" (1984) and "For Sentimental Reasons" (1986), were also albums of pre-Rock standards recorded with Nelson Riddle. At the end of 1986, Ronstadt returned to Contemporary Pop, recording "Somewhere Out There", the theme to the animated An American Tail, with James Ingram. The single became a number two hit. She also returned to her Country roots in 1987, recording the "Trio" album with Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris. That same year, Ronstadt recorded "Canciones de mi Padre", a set of traditional Mexican songs that became a surprise success.

Two years later, Linda recorded what some consider her finest album, "Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind", her first Contemporary Pop album since 1982's "Get Closer". Featuring four duets with Aaron Neville, including the number two hit "Don't Know Much", the album sold over two million copies. Ronstadt returned to traditional Mexican and Spanish material with "Mas Canciones" (1991) and "Frenesi" (1992). She reverted to Pop with 1994's "Winter Light", which failed to generate a hit single. 1995's "Feels Like Home" also proved hitless. In 1996, she released the children's album "Dedicated to the One I Love", a Grammy Award-winning album of Rock classics reinterpreted as children's lullabies. Linda returned to Contemporary Rock with a solo album called "We Ran", released in 1998. Musicians on this album included members of he Heartbreakers, former Eagle Bernie Leadon, and her long-time guitarist Waddy Wachtel. 1999 found Linda on a tour with Country singer Emmylou Harris which produced the joint album "Western Wall".

"The Linda Ronstadt Box Set" was issued in 1999. These four discs contain essential Ronstadt material, including hits, live performances, duets, collaborations, and rare, never-before-heard moments that have been tucked away for years. Discs one and two focus on Ronstadt's album catalogue, with hit singles, favorite album tracks, and her forays into Big Band and Latin music. Disc three contained duets with Aaron Neville, James Taylor, Chuck Berry and Frank Sinatra, and others, plus hits with The Trio. Disc four focused on rarities, including several unreleased out takes from the vaults including tracks like "Tumbling Dice" and "Honky Tonk Blues".

Linda made news in July, 2004 when she was ejected from Las Vegas's Aladdin Hotel after she dedicated the song "Desperado" to filmmaker Michael Moore and encouraged the audience to see his new film, Fahrenheit 9/11, a documentary harshly critical of the Bush administration. Casino president William Timmins had her removed from the premises after some of the people in the audience booed her, ripped posters from the wall, and threw drinks.

In 2006 Ronstadt teamed with her friend Ann Savoy to record "Adieu False Heart" as The ZoZo Sisters. A collection of Pop, Cajun, and early 20th century music, the LP proved to be a commercial failure, peaking at #146 on the Billboard 200. In 2007 Linda could be heard on the compilation LP "We All Love Ella: Celebrating the First Lady of Song", a tribute album to Jazz great Ella Fitzgerald. That same Summer, she headlined the Newport Folk Festival where she included Jazz, Rock and Folk music into her repertoire. The Martin Guitar Company honored Linda in 2009 by producing the Linda Ronstadt Limited Edition acoustic guitar. Ronstadt appointed the Land Institute as recipient of all of her proceeds from that instrument. That May, she received an honorary doctorate of music degree from the Berklee College of Music for her achievements and influence in music, and her contributions to American and international culture.

Over the course of her career, Linda Ronstadt has earned three Billboard #1 Pop albums, ten Top 10 albums and placed thirty-six LPs on the Hot 200 chart. On Billboard's Top Country Albums chart, she has charted fifteen albums including four that hit #1. In the Summer of 2011, publishers Simon & Schuster announced that Ronstadt's autobiography, Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir, was slated for release in 2013.

Linda's last recorded work was as a guest artist on David Bromberg's 2011 album, "Use Me", on which she sang a song called "It's Just A Matter Of Time". During the Summer of 2013, the now 67-year-old Linda revealed that she had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, a condition that has made it no longer possible for her to sing. "I miss it every day," she said. "Singing is something I've done since I was two years old." Her health problems were the main reason for not attending her induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in April, 2014, although she was quoted as saying "If you're working for prizes, you're in trouble." Another honor came her way that same month when The Library Of Congress announced that they had added her 1974 album "Heart Like A Wheel" to their collection of culturally, historically or aesthetically significant recordings. Just days after her Rock Hall induction, Linda's newest album, "Duets", rose to #32 on Billboard's Hot 200 chart. The collection includes collaborations with Don Henley, Bette Midler, Frank Sinatra, Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris. It was her highest chart ranking since 1990's "Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind".

On July 28, 2014, U.S. President Barack Obama presented Linda with a National Medal of Arts at the White House. A military aide brought her into the East Room by wheelchair, but she walked to the stage to receive her award as a citation was read honoring her "one-of-a-kind voice" that paved the way for generations of women artists. A new collection of songs by Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris was released on September 9, 2016. "The Complete Trio Collection" included both previous Trio releases, as well as a full disc of previously unreleased performances.

Rhino Records announced great news for Linda's fans when they set a release date of February 1st, 2019 for "Live in Hollywood", an LP featuring twelve performances hand picked by Linda herself from a 1980 concert originally filmed for HBO. On July 18th of that year, Linda was named as one of the 2019 Kennedy Center Honors recipients, along with Earth, Wind And Fire, actress Sally Field, the children's TV program Sesame Street and San Francisco Symphony music director Michael Tilson Thomas.

In late 2019, reports surfaced that Linda's doctors had revised their diagnosis to progressive supranuclear palsy, a degenerative disease commonly mistaken for Parkinson's due to the similarity of the symptoms. Three years later, Linda published her memoir, Feels Like Home: A Song for the Sonoran Borderlands, in which she explores her family history and the complicated relationship between the US and Mexico. In 2023, Rolling Stone placed her at #47 on their list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.