Few people have had as diverse and successful music careers as Linda Ronstadt. Her recordings dating back to the 1970s have sold millions of records. She has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three American Music Awards, two Country Music Awards, Emmy and Alma Awards. In 2014, she was inducted into the Rock ’n Roll Hall of Fame.

Even after bursting onto the music scene during the disco era, Ronstadt became one of the most enduring voices from that time by evolving over time. One of her most critically and commercially successful forays in her career was going back to her roots with the album Canciones de Mi Padre, which featured Ronstadt singing traditional Mexican folk songs. These were the songs she learned growing up in a traditional Mexican household in Tucson, Arizona.

Ronstadt appeared at the Valley Performing Arts Center on Sept. 29 with one of her friends growing up in Tucson, producer Dan Guerrero. The two had an open dialogue about Ronstadt’s long career, and even showed some concert footage from when she was one of the most famous singers worldwide.

On this night, there would be some live music, as Conjunto Hueyapan, with CSUN Alumna and 2015 Grammy nominee Ixya Herrera ’03 (Chicana/o Studies), played several traditional Mexican folk songs before an audience that included and Civil Rights Activist Dolores Huerta and Bob Mackie, a noted celebrity fashion designer.

Here are photos from the evening.

Arts and Culture, Chicano/a Studies, Events, Featured, Valley Performing Arts Center