One of my very favorite female recording artists, Linda Ronstadt, turns 66 years old today, July 15, 2012. Ronstadt, a top-selling artist in the 1970s-1980s, released 27 studio albums, 63 singles and has won 11 Grammy awards among accomplishments. She popularized many songs originally written and sung by others through her vocal talent, range and interpretation.

Five of my Ronstadt favorites are embedded below. Happy birthday Linda!

Perhaps my all-time favorite Linda Ronstadt song, this performance of "Long, Long Time" in 1970 makes me sit and watch over and over in awe of her voice and interpretation.

"When Will I Be Loved," written by Phil Everly and a 1960 hit by The Everly Brothers. Sung by Ronstadt, it reached #2 on the U.S. charts in 1975.

Here's a funky version of her #1 hit "You're No Good" that was originally written and performed in the early 1960s.

Ronstadt popularized Roy Orbison's "Blue Bayou" when it hit #3 on the charts in 1977. What impresses me about this performance with The Muppets is that she retains such a serious composure throughout. I don't know how she does it.

And my final choice is her 1978 version of "Ooh Baby Baby," which was originally a hit single for The Miracles, featuring and written by Smokey Robinson, in 1965. She does it justice.