Linda Ronstadt — 25, 24

ALBUMS: Greatest Hits (1976); A Retrospective (1977)

MVC Rating: 4.0 Greatest; 4.0 (Retrospective)

I don’t know her condition except from what’s been reported: that she has been diagnosed several years ago with Parkinson’s. Her singing voice — her ability to hit the right notes — was taken from her by this insidious disease. I have Lewy body dementia, which is basically Parkinson’s with a side of hallucinations at no extra charge.

I can empathize with Ronstadt when she says it makes her feel like a big dependent baby.

”It’s hard to ask other people to do things for me. I feel like a big demanding baby,” the 11-time Grammy winner said on the Rachael Ray show several years ago when she decided to go public with her disease..

In another interview: ‘They say people usually die with Parkinson’s. They don’t always die of it, because it’s so slow-moving, so I figure I’ll die of something. And I’ve watched people die, so I’m not as afraid of dying.

”I’m afraid of suffering, but I’m not afraid of dying,” she said.

Amen to that.

Ronstadt was all over the radio in the 1970s with her big voice taking on other people’s songs like Desperado by the Eagles; That’ll be the Day by Buddy Holly; When Will I Be Loved by Phil Everly; and You’re No Good,” by Clint Ballard Jr.. But my favorite song she did was ‘Long Long Time’ by songwriter Gary White.

The haunting and achingly melodic song wasn’t her biggest hit but I believe it to be, no only her best, but one of the great song performances in the last half century.

Both albums contain Long Long Time on it. Of the two albums, a Retrospective is probably the most interesting in that the two-record set does a deep dive into Ronstadt’s early career, grounded in more of a country feel. The other album has all of the hits and she had many.