Linda Ronstadt - Personal Life

Personal Life

Beginning in the mid-1970s, Linda Ronstadt's private life was given major publicity. It was fueled by a relationship with then-Governor of California Jerry Brown, a Democratic presidential candidate. They shared a Newsweek magazine cover in April 1979. They also made the cover of Us Weekly magazine. Ronstadt and Brown took a trip to Africa which became fodder for the international press, and they made the cover of People magazine. In the mid-1980s, Ronstadt was engaged to Star Wars director George Lucas. In December 1990, she adopted an infant daughter, Mary Clementine. She later adopted a baby boy, Carlos Ronstadt. Ronstadt has never married.

In the early 1980s, Ronstadt was criticized by some (mainly rock critics) for playing two concerts, as a replacement for Frank Sinatra, in South Africa under apartheid, at a time when Ray Charles, The Beach Boys, Tina Turner, Sinatra, Shirley Bassey and Cher were also performing there.

In 2009, in honor of Linda Ronstadt, the Martin Guitar Company made a 00–42 model "Linda Ronstadt Limited Edition" acoustic guitar. Ronstadt appointed the Land Institute as recipient of all proceeds from her signature guitar.

In the summer of 2011, Simon & Schuster announced they would publish Ronstadt's autobiography. To be titled Heart Like A Wheel, the memoir is scheduled to be released in 2013.