Throwback: Happy 80th Birthday, Linda Ronstadt!

I know I can’t speak for everyone but 2026 has been a very odd and very disappointing year so far. But we’ve survived to July. And that means we have five months left for the year. May the rest of 2026 get better for me — and if you’ve been struggling with things this year, may it get better for you, too. But even in struggle, there’s music, friends and community that can sustain us. 

Of course, July is a busy month of music birthdays. So, as always, let’s celebrate our legends and favorites, eh? 

• Missy Elliott, celebrates her 55th birthday on July 1
• Evelyn “Champagne” King celebrates her 66th birthday on July 1
• The B-52s Fred Schneider celebrates his 75th birthday on July 1
• The iconic Debbie Harry celebrated her 81st birthday on July 1
• Syl Johnson, who wrote some of the most moving, most lived-in songs full of novelistic attention to details was born 90 years ago on July 1
• Legendary bluesman, James Cotton was born 91 years ago on July 1 
• One of the most important figures of the blues, Chicago blues especially, Willie Dixon was born 111 years ago on July 1
• Depeche Mode‘s Yaz’s/Yazoo’s and Erasure‘s Vince Clarke celebrated his 65th birthday on July 1
• The great jazz organist Dr. Lonnie Smith was born 84 years ago on July 3
• Bill Withers was born on 88 years ago on July 4 
• Huey Lewis and The News‘ frontman Huey Lewis celebrated his 76th birthday on July 5
• Wu-Tang mastermind and acclaimed producer The RZA celebrated his 57th birthday on July 5
• Wu-Tang‘s and Czarface‘s Inspectah Deck celebrated his 56th birthday on July 6
• 50 Cent celebrated his 51st birthday on July 6
• The Beatles‘ Ringo Starr celebrated his 86th birthday on July 7
• Depeche Mode co-founder Andy “Fletch” Fletcher was born 65 years ago on July 8
• Beck, one of the most forward-thinking, boundary pushing artists of the past generation — if not more — celebrated his 56th birthday on July 8
• AC/DC‘s first frontman, Bon Scott was born 80 years ago on July 9
• Simple Minds‘ founder and frontman Jim Kerr celebrated his 67th birthday on July 9
• Pet Shop Boys‘ frontman Neil Tennant celebrated his 72nd birthday on July 10
• The legendary and incomparable Mavis Staples celebrated her 86th birthday on July 10 
• Bauhaus frontman Peter Murphy celebrated his 69th birthday on July 11
• Lil’ Kim celebrated her 52nd birthday on July 11
• Fleetwood Mac‘s Christine McVie was born 83 years ago on July 12
• English singer/songwriter, musician and producer Trevor Horn celebrates his 77th birthday today
• Psych rock pioneer Roky Erickson was born on this day 79 years ago
• Joy Division‘s Ian Curtis was born on this day 70 years ago

Linda Ronstadt, one of the greatest vocalists — and arguably one of the most commercially successful female artists — celebrates her 80th birthday today. That’s right y’all, 80! 

Ronstadt has won the following:

• 11 Grammy Awards
• 3 American Music Awards
• 2 Academy of Country Music Awards
• 1 Emmy Award
• 1 ALMA Award

Ronstadt has also received the following nominations:

• 1 Tony Award
• 1 Golden Globe Award

Ronstadt has also been awarded a Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014 — and that same year, she was awarded with a National Medal of Arts and Humanities. She received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016.

In 2019, she received a joint star with Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for their work together as the female supergroup Trio. And that year she was named a Kennedy Center Honoree. 

Throughout her lengthy career, Ronstadt released 24 studio albums and 15 compilations that featured 38 Billboard Hot 100 singles, 21 of them, which reached the Top 40, 10 of them reaching the Top 10 and one, “You’re No Good” reaching #1. 

36 of her albums have charted with 10 Top 10 albums and 3 #1 albums on the Billboardcharts. 

Along with that she’s collaborated with an impressive and eclectic array of artists including Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Bette Midler, Billy Eckstine, Frank Zappa, Carla Bley, Rosemary Clooney, Flaco Jiménez, Philip Glass, Warren Zevon, Gram Parsons, Neil Young, Paul Simon, Earl Scruggs, Johnny Cash and more.

Happy birthday, legend!

____

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