My Ten Favorite Linda Ronstadt Songs: Willin' (#5)

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Here it is, July 15, the 70th birthday of the iconic singer Linda Ronstadt. She's lost her ability to sing due to Parkinson's disease, but she's still with us. Here's wishing her a happy birthday and many, many more. In celebration, I've been counting down my favorite Ronstadt songs, similar to what @JohnRoberts did earlier this year. Here's the next song on the list. #5: Willin' Little Feat was one of the greatest "FM rock" bands of the 70s. They never had a "top 40" hit, but songs such as "Dixie Chicken," "Time Loves a Hero," "All That You Dream" (which Ronstadt also covered), and "Oh Atlanta" received massive FM rock airplay. One of their all-time greatest songs, to me, was "Willin'," a song about a truck driver and his not exactly ethical cargo on occasion ("I smuggled some smokes and folks from Mexico"). And, oh, did Linda ever nail this song in her cover. Little Feat's lead singer Lowell George (who also wrote the song) sang it quietly, almost as a confession, and Ry Cooder (who sang lead on the first recording of the song, on Little Feat's first album) sang it almost as a parody of country truck driving songs. Linda, however, sang it like a trucker standing on top of his rig boasting about his escapades: "I've been from Tucson (Ronstadt's hometown, BTW) to Tucumcari, Tehachapi to Tonapah." All of that with those wonderful harmonies that her sterling backing band provided her. This is one of the most iconic songs in Little Feat's history. One of Linda's, too. Willin' Written by Lowell George From Heart Like a Wheel, 1974 John's #5 Song: "When Will I Be Loved" (which is the song that immediately precedes "Willin'" on Heart Like a Wheel!) Listen to the hilarious story that Linda tells about falling in love with a very married Lowell George after meeting him in Atlanta before she sings the classic song: