Trisha Yearwood Honors Her Musical Hero Linda Ronstadt in Star-Studded Tribute Concert at the Country Music Hall of Fame

“I’m not exaggerating when I say that Linda Ronstadt is THE reason I became a singer,” Trisha Yearwood confessed. “Celebrating Linda and her fellow L.A.-based musicians alongside some of my biggest musical heroes is a lifelong dream come true for me.”

Last night, that dream became reality as Yearwood took the stage at a sold-out CMA Theater in Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum to honor Linda Ronstadt and the groundbreaking Los Angeles country-rock scene that helped shape American music from the 1960s through the ’80s.

A Night of Legends Celebrating a Legend

Yearwood was joined by an all-star lineup of musical greats, including Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, Bernie Leadon (co-founder of the Eagles), Patti Scialfa (Bruce Springsteen’s longtime bandmate and wife), and James Taylor. Together, they performed songs that paid tribute not only to Ronstadt but to the entire L.A. country-rock movement she helped define.

The evening’s heartfelt performances and collaborations transported the audience through a pivotal era in music history—one where country, rock, folk, and pop seamlessly fused in a way that changed the sound of American radio forever.

Western Edge: A Celebration and Farewell

The concert was part of the “Western Edge: The Roots and Reverberations of Los Angeles Country-Rock” exhibition, co-produced by Trisha Yearwood and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, and presented by City National Bank. The exhibit, which opened in 2022, has explored the deep influence of artists like Ronstadt, the Eagles, Buffalo Springfield, and others who made Los Angeles a mecca for musical innovation.

The concert also served as a symbolic sendoff, with the Western Edge exhibit set to close on September 16, wrapping up a nearly three-year run that attracted fans and music lovers from around the world.

Trisha Yearwood’s Full-Circle Moment

For Trisha Yearwood, the evening was more than a tribute—it was personal. From her earliest days as a young singer dreaming of stardom, Linda Ronstadt’s voice was her guiding light. “I used to sit in my room and sing along to her records, trying to match her phrasing, her emotion, her power,” Yearwood once shared in a previous interview. “No one could deliver a song like Linda.”

Now, standing on a stage surrounded by musical icons, Trisha gave that love back in the form of unforgettable performances that not only celebrated her hero but helped preserve the legacy of a movement that redefined American music.

A Timeless Legacy

As the final notes rang out and the audience rose to their feet, it was clear that the spirit of Linda Ronstadt and the country-rock pioneers of the Western Edge still lives on—vibrant, influential, and forever rooted in the heart of every artist who’s ever dared to blur genres and follow the song wherever it leads.

The Western Edge exhibit remains open through September 16, 2025. Don’t miss your chance to experience the sounds, stories, and soul of one of music’s most transformative eras.