Linda Ronstadt 'Can't Sing A Note' Due to Parkinson's Diagnosis

AARP reports that singer Linda Ronstadt has revealed that she suffers from Parkinson's disease, which has affected her ability to perform for some time. Diagnosed eight months ago, Ronstadt told the organization that she "can't sing a note" and that she realizes now she had started to show symptoms years ago.

"I couldn't sing, and I couldn't figure out why. I knew it was mechanical. I knew it had to do with the muscles," she told AARP in an interview. "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."

Read the original report here.

Ronstadt began her music career with the Stone Poneys and eventually made a name for herself as a solo artist, receiving eleven GRAMMY Awards and two Academy of Country Music awards. Her albums have gone gold, platinum and multiplatinum, and she has performed with the likes of Frank Zappa, Rosemary Clooney, Philip Glass, Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash and more. She has released over 30 studio albums to date.

She appeared on Broadway in 1981's The Pirates of Penzance, for which she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, followed by Canciones de mi Padre in 1988. PBS Great Performances later aired the stage show, and Ronstadt received an Emmy Award for the program.

Her new memoir Simple Dreams will hit the shelves on September 17.

Pictured: Ronstadt circa 1978.