We're coming close to the end.
Arizona was the 48th state.
And huge hitmaker Linda Ronstadt is from Tuscon, Arizona.
And huge hitmaker Linda Ronstadt is from Tuscon, Arizona.
She had a string of hit songs in the 1970s - her huge voice bringing life to songs that would be both pop and country hits. I'd say she was the Taylor Swift of her era... but literally every hit you know of hers is a cover.
This song is one of them. Originally recorded in 1958 by The Crickets - as in Buddy Holly and the Crickets - and written by Holly and Norman Petty, their version did not chart. Ronstadt took their song to the top 5 in 1977 (and to the country charts, too!), adding a bit of a bite and snarl to the song.
I have to be honest. I grew up hearing this version of the song, and when I heard Buddy Holly singing it, it felt wrong. This feels right.
Of course she performed the song live. Here she is with her band in 1980 - with the same snarl.
