Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice

Movie: Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice

Production Company: Greenwich Entertainment

Release Date: September 6, 2019

Starring: Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris

Directed By: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Documentary

Runtime: 95 minutes

Streaming Service: N/A

Description:

In only 95 minutes one could enter the theater knowing nothing about Linda Ronstadt and leave with an appreciation and understanding of just how impactful her and her voice were to the music industry. The documentary goes through her life starting from before she was even born, educating the audience on her family history and how they came to end up in, none other than Tucson, Arizona. The film is portrayed in a pretty typical documentary format, telling a story through photos, videos, interviews with her colleagues, family and friends, and of course for the genre of this movie: music. Being that Linda Ronstadt is still alive today, she was even in the film herself and spoke about not only her current life, but reflected on her time growing up and going through the music industry.

Other stars featured in this film include, Dolly Parton, who was an idol to Linda and eventually someone she would come to befriend and make music with. Emmylou Harris and Bonnie Raitt were also frequent speakers in the film, sometimes getting emotional about the impact and power of Linda’s voice, and also her as a person. Don Henley of The Eagles, and famous producer Peter Asher were also featured discussing memories they have of working with Linda. All of these different musical figures could allow for people in the audience to make connections about the music world, and understand her as an artist in a more contextual way. 

The performance footage shown in the movie was really great, and I also appreciated the interview footage from the 70s and 80s of her. This was a great way to further contextualize her impact and what she stood for. Not to spoil too much, I will say that the music that spanned her career was not confined to one genre. This will allow for people with all different music tastes, whether it be country, rock, R&B, or show tunes to hear and learn about something that interests them. Not only does this show off Linda’s ability to really conquer anything she sets her mind to, but it makes for quite a diverse film. Anyone interested in rock and roll history, or what it was like being a woman in the music industry should definitely take the time to watch this film. 

Reviewed By: Caroline Eimer

Date of Review: 10/08/19