Sermon Illustrations
Linda Ronstadt Shares Her Struggle with Envy
In her new book, Linda Ronstadt: Simple Dreams, the 11-time Grammy Award singer recalls the first time she heard fellow singer Emmylou Harris.
My first reaction to it was slightly conflicted. First, I loved her singing wildly. Second, in my opinion, she was doing what I was trying to do, only a whole lot better. Then came a split-second decision that I made that affected the way I listened to and enjoyed music for the rest of my life. I thought that if I allowed myself to become envious of Emmy, it would be painful to listen to her, and I would deny myself the pleasure of it. If I simply surrendered to loving what she did, I could take my rightful place among the other drooling Emmylou fans, and then maybe, just maybe, I might be able to sing with her. I surrendered.
Linda went on to not only sing with Emmy, but also record three award-winning albums with her and Dolly Parton as a trio.