Linda Ronstadt Talks about Her Parkinson's Disease in Rare Interview Since Announcing the Diagnosis Last Year

"It's hard to wash my hair, brush my teeth, and put my clothes on," she said. "It's hard to get up and out of a chair."

The disease also, unfortunately, ruined her beautiful singing voice. "It wouldn't sound like anything. I can't get to the note. I can't make any quality sound. I can't arrange pitch. I might aim for a note and hit another one. It sounds like shouting," she added.

Ronstadt said she "couldn't sing a note" when she announced her disease last year.

"I couldn't sing," she told AARP, "and I couldn't figure out why. I knew it was mechanical. I knew it had to do with the muscles, but I thought it might have also had something to do with the tick disease that I had. And it didn't occur to me to go to a neurologist. I think I've had it for seven or eight years already, because of the symptoms that I've had. Then I had a shoulder operation, so I thought that's why my hands were trembling.

"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. No one can sing with Parkinson's disease. No matter how hard you try."

The singer was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April, but she did not attend the ceremony. Glenn Frey of The Eagles inducted Ronstadt while an all-star lineup of Stevie Nicks, Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow, Emmylou Harris and Carrie Underwood performed some of her beloved tunes.

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Linda Ronstadt, Glenn Frey, Stevie Nicks, Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl crow, Emmylou Harris, Carrie Underwood