Today is the birthday
… of Clive Cussler, 78.
… of Alex Karras, All-American, Heisman runner-up (and he was a lineman), Outland Award winner, NFL star (1958-1971), Monday Night Football sportscaster, TV sitcom actor and — most notably — Mongo in Blazing Saddles. He’s 74 today.
… of Tucson’s favorite daughter, Linda Ronstadt, 63 today. Miss Ronstadt has sold more than 66 million albums worldwide. The session band behind her on her third album became The Eagles. Linda went to a different high school and was behind me a year or two, but I did sit behind her cousin in many a class when the nuns had us in alphabetical order.
… of Arianna Stassinopoulos, 59. Born in Greece, educated at Cambridge, wealthy by her marriage to Michael Huffington, she is an actress, commentator, author of a dozen books, re-born liberal and founder of the Huffington Post.
… of Forest Whitaker, 48. Whitaker has been in more than 60 films and television productions, most notably Good Morning, Vietnam, The Crying Game and as Charlie “Bird” Parker in Bird (which earned him best actor at Cannes). He won the best actor Oscar, of course, for portraying Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland.
Rembrandt Van Rijn was born in Leiden, Netherlands on this date in 1606.
I never understood the appeal of Linda Ronstadt. I mean, she was cute. I got that. But she always sounds so bored when she’s singing, like she’s got an appointment coming up that’s more important than the song. She’s the voice equivalent of Al DiMeola, all technique with no juice. She sold 66 million records? To who?
Uh, I have five of her CDs.
And my college roommate had one that I wouldn’t let him play, so that’s six. I think my sister had a couple. That leaves 65,999,992 albums left unaccounted for.
Maybe George Lucas, Jerry Brown, Albert Brooks, Robert Plant and Steve Martin bought a few. They all reportedly dated her.
Oh, and my Dad had one of her CDs. He didn’t date her though.
Can’t say that I agree with Tom’s assessment at all. I had an album or two, and later I acquired the same “greatest hits” recording in CD.
For the record, since NMK mentioned high school, I went to the same Tucson high school she did, but started there the year after she graduated. (She slipped in during that 7 year span between us, since my first year of HS was served in Las Vegas.) I did ride the city bus to school with her brother, though. (She wasn’t famous quite yet.) Her mom had our mom over for lunch once, too, shortly before our mom died. Linda was quite famous by then.
Well, I love Linda Ronstadt. Her music always cheers me up. I also love Emmylou and Dolly, so there’s that bonus on the Trio albums.
A friend of mine grew up in Tucson and was friendly with one of the Ronstadt siblings. She spent quite a bit of time at the Ronstadt residence in high school. This friend is mostly ambivalent about Linda Ronstadt’s music.
OK, so Heart Like A Wheel comes out. My roommate brings the LP home and puts it on the only expensive thing in the house, the stereo. Desperado came on and my great dog, Hogan, came running from the kitchen and sat in front of the left speaker, head cocked, tail thumpin’. In no time at all, he was singing with Ronstadt. Howling with her highs, throaty on her lows. She’d fade out when the music swelled, he’d fade too. She rises again as the music steps back, he was right there with her. That dog loved Linda Ronstadt from that moment and always after. Whenever he heard her voice, he reacted the same way. I liked her too, but I love her, and love that dog, for the memory.