Linda Ronstadt on Late Show, 1994 and 1995

[@janetmoran1495]

My favorite singer forever. Thanks Linda Ronstadt, for all the beautiful music you've given us.

[@patricklarry6645]

Man, she just takes it to another level. Her voice is the spark!

[@ClarkieandJoseph]

Damn, I remember seeing this when it aired! Thank you for uploading this. 😊

[@alexdesoufer]

"Better than Tom!" 🤣 My favorite singer with my favorite presenter! What a voice, Linda! 😍😍😍

[@patricias5122]

I think the late Tom Petty would agree. STUNNING work. Bless you, Linda!

[@jesussavesseq]

Million times better than Tom

[@Sparkydog11]

Different and excellent version but better? Just as good.

[@robinlooney5440]

A true legend in every respect. So thankful for the beautiful memories. Wishing Linda all the best. ❤

[@pmcclaren1]

hER eyes SPARKLE, no other singer does this, Stunning voice and beauty

[@marshallclark]

Wow...one word...speachless! I've always LOVED Linda...I played her hits on piano in restaurants from age 10 through college, sang her harmony enriched hits with friends a cappella style for years...but this, THIS concert brings EVERY facet Linda Ronstadt brings to that brilliant diamond she so creatively built over the years of her reining as the Queen of...the Queen of...EVERYTHING upon which she laid those beautiful vocal tones that emulated from her very soul...I'm simply speachless after sitting, watching and listening to every amazing note she sang...so diverse, just simply AMAZING! Linda, if you read this, PLEASE know, and I hope I'm speaking from everyone that knows what gift you gave to the ears of the world during your rein, Linda, please don't feel that you let anyone down because some uncontrolled condition prevented you from singing any longer once you decided it was just too much...by that time, you had already given us all the most wonderful gift any artist such as yourself could possibly give. The years of travelling with you along your vocal journey is a gift none of us could possibly give you the proper "Thank you" that you SO deserve! You're amazing, you're wonderful, you're beautiful...you lift the life in us all to a height from which we could never descend, because we don't want to...you've lifted us up so much with every note you sang. We LOVE YOU, LINDA!

[@richardcostella461]

What a beautiful, heartfelt message! I hope Linda has received it. If not, someday!

[@greg7656]

I could listen to that final, belted "the hardest part" on a continuous loop for hours. And always loved Letterman's "that's better than Tom" and Linda's modest head shake "no" in response...

[@deadandburied7626]

"The Waiting" is not a good song for Linda.

[@patricias5122]

And then he whispered it again in her ear....to make sure he knew she meant it.

[@siobob1]

Lovely Linda at age 47 in Feb. '94, no longer the girl of her youth, but a voice that was undiminished.

[@lnl3237]

I pray she received one tenth the pleasure from singing as I still do from listening to her. Thank you for posting these magnificent performances.

[@dan599]

Her voice, her looks. She melts me.

[@AlejandroGonzalez-eq1gb]

Thanks for this, Don. Linda has a beautiful voice.

[@abcde-ji6md]

Yes, thank you Don for your effort in preserving these otherwise lost moments in time!

[@donfilkins298]

your welcome!!!

[@michaelfeldman9698]

And somehow still underrated. Most people talk about Streisand, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion as the greatest female voices. They aren’t. She is. More powerful and undeniably more diverse, rock,pop, opera, standards, Latino.

[@patricias5122]

Please, don't do this...not the "underrated" comment. EVERYBODY knows Linda Ronstadt had a stunning voice. Never seen underrated. Never never never ever.

[@michaelfeldman9698]

@@patricias5122 most top female singer lists don’t even have her top 10. She’s #1 to me but I think she gets overlooked due to the country and rock part of her career

[@marywilliams6636]

She is #1 to me also. Had tickets to see her show and it was canceled…when she was becoming ill.

[@alfredneuman6911]

On the Rolling Stone Greatest Singers list they did not have her in the Top 200 for years. Now I see that she is #47. Still does not mean anything. A half dozen singers -- Mick Jagger, Dolly Parton, et cetera who are "higher" on the Rolling Stone list -- all have said that she was the best. But it's not about being "the best", anyway. It's about having a bargeque, a beer, on a lazy Sunday afternoon, listening, and enjoying the beauty of this singer.

[@TrevzTv]

What a voice.

[@patricias5122]

gorgeous backing band behind her, too, on the Waiting, wow, what a great sound. all around. RIP Tom Petty, I loved your song.

[@mthivier]

This live performance of “The Waiting” was even better than the album version.

[@kalevala29]

I agree. Great performance.

[@jacquelynnshea3186]

Top 10 list? Streisand in some category above it all, a little offset only & untouchable, created by herself. OK, top ten, Ronstadt, top of the list, enclosed, don't waste you're time discussing it further with other singers even tho they may be good.

[@Killahboot]

SHE COMPLETELY KILLED ITTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@janetmoran1495]

Oh no, not my sweet baby.❤ Oh Linda, you're the best.

[@andyinoregon]

Linda's voice and Sid's guitar solo … whew!

[@jeaniechowdhury6739]

Wonderful!! Thank you for this. ☮️❤️

[@frankmartinez2655]

Keeping tempo with right foot tapping in tune with the music ...I be one of many having seen and heard in person...Her name is Spanish for beautiful..Linda aye mama mia que bonita la sensoria Ronstadt..

[@GL22]

An amazing voice from a wonderful and classy lady.

[@m.campos254]

she was still rocking in the 90s

[@jesussoriano1666]

Canciones de mi Padre el mejor disco de todos los tiempos.

[@andreamaggiore5528]

Wonderful!! Finally Linda gets the sound she deserves :-)

[@HungryH1951]

It was good. Dang representative version. I think Tom would have approved of it.

[@royallins591]

Love her version of The Waiting - clear, Pure Pipes doing Tom Petty proud.

[@patricias5122]

I'm sure he loved it

[@angelsmusic5550]

She is a great inspiracion !!!

[@sp2435]

Incredible voice

[@troyhuffine2465]

Love Linda !!!!!!.

[@Filmherz89]

wow this video has a very good quality...The Waiting is such a favourite song...her voice just brings me down

[@deadandburied7626]

This performance is better than the album track...and you can watch Linda singing. ❤

[@marybaker1715]

She just pushes that song out effortlessly

[@robertsimpson5136]

Oh Yeah...She's My Baby....:)

[@jesussandoval5998]

LOVELY LINDA 😘💖

[@mwduck]

There is only one Linda Ronstadt. In her prime, she required no amplification.

[@vivian2934]

Que voz maravilhosa 😍

[@randyventresca4152]

Amazing voice! And still cute as Hell even though she is approaching 50 at this time.

[@deadandburied7626]

Put on some weight in the 94-95 year 😢

[@gottadomor7438]

TP musta been proud. Wow what a voice.

[@vonhayes6391]

The queen of covers!!

[@bobmoss4016]

Her finest moment

[@johnfulton4921]

I put Linda right up there with Barbra and Aretha

[@rogerwilliams7791]

I put her above them and everyone else. She's in a league all her own!

[@robinlooney5440]

Her voice is like no other. There's just no comparison whatsoever.

[@patricias5122]

Oh, she's better.

[@Clinton325i]

No comparison...better than the both of them.

[@renatasingslindaronstadtss4257]

Wow.

[@otaviorocha4156]

Better than Tom's and she goes noooo , what a classy person and magic singer

[@troyhuffine2465]

Tribute to Linda and Tom Petty..

[@danilodominguez6475]

Let it get started

[@c.s.mcleod7383]

Wished Linda had covered Lowell George's '20 Million Things'. Wonder why she never did?

[@robertc.snyderjr9860]

RIP Linda Rohnstat 🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@musicsavant1079]

she's still alive.

[@MustangRed1967]

Hhhahh Dave says That's better than Tom

[@mwduck]

Yes. Very petty of him.

[@calvinhilton7069]

"Would you like some Cocoa?" ... Dave's Mom from Lillihammer Norway's winter Olympics

[@waynej2608]

Lol. I remember Dave's mom. She was a trip. But, it would be more like, 'would you have some more cocoa, David'. She, Larry 'Bud ' Mellman and Chris Elliott were great touches, to Dave's original 'Late Show'. Oh, and Linda Ronstadt knocked it out of the park, as per usual.

[@Killahboot]

And Dave walks over to her and says, "You're better than Tom", meaning she was better than Tom Petty.... AND OF COURSE SHE WAS BETTER THAN FUKCING TOM PETTY!!! GOD DAMMIT. Linda is the greatest vocalist of ALL TIME!!!

[@brucybabyy7355]

linda on the same show as don imus???

[@cindyinnew]

This is where it started to become evident that she was losing the finesse of her voice. As perfect as she sounds to us, she has commented that around this time things were changing and she wasn’t sure why

[@johnfulton4921]

Sadly I must agree with you she was singing much louder than she usually does to try mask her slight but noticable vocal shortcomings

[@cindyinnew]

@@johnfulton4921 yes. The beautiful vibrato was gone 😢

[@HungryH1951]

But she still sounds great here. Other than Tom P & H this is the best version I have heard of this song. This live version by TP&H is my favorite. It sends chills when the band finally comes in. kzbin.info/www/bejne/h6GqYWyGmtONqpo

[@deadandburied7626]

Part of Linda's voice changing was middle age, approaching 50 then. Linda was also on the cusp of getting Hashimoto's, an auto-immune hypothyroid illness, which might have led to Parkinson's Disease/PSP. These songs have too much yelling, her more tender songs on WL and FLH albums show her voice was still beautiful.

[@randyventresca4152]

​@@johnfulton4921not true. Linda didn't start noticing her vocal decline for a few years after this. And if you listen to the Feels Like Home album which this time is from you will heae Linda still at the top of her game. Her voice is just changing somewhat due to getting older.

[@robertc.snyderjr9860]

RIP Linda Rohnstat 🙏🙏🙏🙏