Linda Ronstadt has Parkinson’s, says she can no longer sing
Singer Linda Ronstadt says she has Parkinson’s disease and can no longer sing.
The 67-year-old musician made the disclosure in an AARP Magazine interview posted online Friday.
Ronstadt, an 11-time Grammy winner, said that she was diagnosed with the neurological ailment about eight months ago and “can’t sing a note.”
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“No one can sing with Parkinson’s disease,” Ronstadt said. “No matter how hard you try.”
Ronstadt said that she uses poles to help walk and uses a wheelchair when traveling.
She said in the interview that she noticed symptoms eight years ago, but assumed they were related to a tick disease.
“Parkinson’s is very hard to diagnose, so when I finally went to a neurologist and he said, ‘Oh, you have Parkinson’s disease,’ I was completely shocked. I wouldn’t have suspected that in a million, billion years,” said the singer, known for such rock ballads as “You’re No Good” and “When Will I Be Loved.”
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Parkinson’s symptoms include muscle tremors, rigidity, poor balance and faulty coordination.
Besides her fame as a singer, Ronstadt in the past was romantically linked to Gov. Jerry Brown and “Star Wars” filmmaker George Lucas.
She is the author of the forthcoming memoir “Simple Dreams,” due out next month.
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