Linda Ronstadt, in a rare and candid moment, revealed the five musicians who have hurt her most throughout her career.

These five names and stories were ones she thought she would take to the grave.

It was not an article, a rumor, or even a censored memoir.

Linda chose to speak her truth, revealing these personal wounds when she felt her voice no longer held the same power in the music world.

What she shared would forever change how we view some of the most iconic collaborations in rock history.

Everyone is familiar with the Eagles, who once served as Linda Ronstadt’s backup band before they became rock legends.

However, fewer people know that it was Linda who opened the door for them, offering them a chance to perform on a big stage.

She didn’t choose them because she was lacking in talent, but because she saw potential in them.

Glenn Frey, at the time, was still trying to find his way, and Linda appreciated his musicianship and teamwork.

Yet, as the Eagles’ fame grew with hits like “Hotel California,” the distance between them grew as well.

When Frey was asked in a 1977 interview about the band’s role as backup musicians, he casually dismissed their time with Linda, saying, “We learned a lot from those days, but frankly we’re on our own now.”

Linda, hurt but silent, stopped inviting the Eagles to collaborate with her.

The final blow came during a planned reunion at the Hollywood Bowl.

The Eagles insisted on performing after Linda, a role she couldn’t accept.

Frey canceled the collaboration, claiming, “I don’t think the audience will be expecting you anymore.”

To Linda, it wasn’t about needing the credit, but about the deliberate erasure of her contribution.

She never spoke publicly about Frey’s death in 2016, but privately, she said, “I wish him peace.”

The regret for Linda was that she had believed they were allies, only to find out otherwise.

Another name on Linda’s list is Neil Young, an artist she had truly admired.

She respected his activism and passion, but their falling out over a 1976 benefit concert would leave a lasting scar.

During the event, Linda suggested some songs with emotional depth, but Neil rejected her ideas, mocking them as “salon music.”

To Linda, this wasn’t just a creative disagreement—it was a denial of her role in the fight for social justice.

On that stage, she was left out, ignored, and sidelined.

After that night, Linda refused to collaborate with Neil again.

She didn’t criticize him publicly, but when asked about him years later, she simply said, “He is very good at making people believe that he is on the right side even when he is the one who silences them.”

Neil’s lack of respect for women in music, particularly those who didn’t fit his mold of protest, made her lose faith in him entirely.

Linda’s experience with Mick Jagger offers another example of her disdain for egotistical behavior.

In the 1980s, Mick Jagger proposed a charity event where they would all perform “Sympathy for the Devil.”

Linda agreed, but after the first rehearsal, her photo was used in promotional materials without her consent, simply labeled “Jagger and guest vocalists.”

She felt like a prop in someone else’s performance, not an equal collaborator.

Her silence spoke volumes when she refused to work with him again for over a decade.

Later, Mick made a joke about Linda, saying, “She looks better when she’s not singing.”

The audience laughed, but Linda didn’t.

The implicit understanding that women were expected to tolerate such remarks in exchange for staying relevant in the music industry was something Linda could not accept.

She refused to change her image to fit someone else’s standards, especially when it meant sacrificing her dignity.

Joanie Mitchell, whom Linda had always looked up to, is another figure who left Linda feeling inferior.

After covering Joanie’s hit “River” at a 1979 Rolling Stone concert, Linda overheard Joanie’s sarcastic comment about the popularity of her song.

A week later, Joanie was quoted as saying that only those who had lived her experiences could truly convey her songs.

Linda took this as a direct criticism of her sincerity, and from that point on, she distanced herself from Joanie.

Linda never publicly criticized Joanie, but she avoided working with her again.

To Linda, it wasn’t about talent—it was about kindness, and Joanie’s remark made her feel unworthy of expressing the emotions in the songs she interpreted.

Finally, Linda’s complicated relationship with Dolly Parton marked one of her most painful rifts.

Linda, Dolly, and Emmylou Harris had once formed a close bond as musical partners, especially during the success of their “Trio” albums.

However, when Dolly asked for her vocals to be removed from some tracks for personal reasons during the making of “Trio 2,” the situation quickly spiraled into misunderstanding.

Dolly was upset with how the decision was handled, and Linda was hurt that Dolly hadn’t communicated directly with her.

The silence between them grew, and their once unshakable friendship began to fade.

Linda never blamed Dolly for wanting to pull out of some songs, but the lack of open dialogue left Linda feeling misunderstood.

Even when they later reunited at an awards ceremony, Linda could sense that something between them was lost forever.

Linda never blamed Dolly for withdrawing, but the absence of a clear conversation about it made her feel abandoned.

Linda doesn’t need an apology or even an explanation from those she has fallen out with.

She chooses to speak out about her experience not to harm others, but to highlight the importance of kindness and communication.

These wounds came from people she once trusted and admired, but who, in their own ways, let her down.

Linda’s story is about recognizing the power dynamics at play in the music industry, especially for women who are often expected to remain silent.

Her reflections are not driven by bitterness, but by the realization that mutual respect and understanding are key to any meaningful collaboration.

She never needed anyone to validate her worth, but the experiences she shares have taught her important lessons about her place in the music world.