Okay, maybe that’s a bold statement, but so was 22-year-old Linda Ronstadt’s panty-less debut on the Johnny Cash TV show in 1969. A two-DVD best-of set of the series (which saw 58 episodes air on ABC from 1969 to 1971) released by Sony-Legacy last month includes this peculiar detail, recounted by the show’s makeup artist, Penni Lane. "At rehearsal, June [Carter Cash] noticed that Linda didn’t have any panties on, so she came running back to the dressing room, [saying], ‘Somebody get down the street and buy her some bloomers, she’s out there showing herself!’," Lane claims. "When Linda was told she would have to wear underwear, she was very upset. She said, ‘I sing better bare-butted.’" June’s response at the time? "Not in front of my Johnny!"
We asked longtime Cash manager Lou Robin, who also booked Ronstadt’s early tours, to verify this story. "That was true," he said. "June wasn’t too thrilled about it, that was Mrs. Johnny Cash speaking out. But Linda was a free spirit, and she sure could sing. John really enjoyed having her on the show. She made a total of five appearances." (Judging by the length of her skirt, it’s no wonder.) Continues Robin: "She would always come in barefooted, which was thought to be kind of unusual in those days." Something else she has in common with our beleaguered Brit! My, how times don’t change.
But all panties aside (did I just say that?), I highly recommend checking out the DVD, which includes history-making performances by the likes of Stevie Wonder, Neil Young, Louis Armstrong, and Ray Charles (doing "Ring of Fire"), among others. And Robin says we could see a couple more editions in the coming years, possibly one dedicated to Johnny’s many duets.
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Do not forget Tallulah Bankhead in Alfred Hitchcock’s LIFEBOAT. She would climb in and out of the lifeboat set panty-less, and the cast complained. Hitchcock said, “It was a dilemma. I did not know whether to call costume, makeup, or hairdressing.”
I might check that out. I really enjoyed Johnny Cash, and I wish I’d been old enough to appreciate that variety show. As for comapring Linda Ronstadt to Britney, I’m glad you made it clear that you were joking, lol.
Outrageous, maybe. The only songs that were written for her were “Poor, poor Pittiful Me, and Different Drum”. She was mainly a cover artist similar to UB40 except she did not sing to a reggae pop beat. You can’t compare her to Spears vocally because Rondstat has a great range, Brit can’t sing
I don’t think Different Drum was written for her. Didn’t Michael Nesmith (he wrote it) record it first with his First National Band? Cover artist or no, she has great pipes and is one of my favorite female singers of all time.
To compare Linda to Britney is like comparing a T-Rex to Barney. LR was prettier, vastly more talented and certainly didn’t go “bloomerless” in order to make the front page of the tabloids. Cash probably wasn’t wearing his jockeys, either.
Wow…that answers SO many questions. When I was a kid, I noticed that my dad had a bit of a crush on Linda Ronstadt. But this was in the 80s and I never understood the attraction. Now, seeing that picture of her above, I FULLY understand…she was a hottie!
I forgot how much of a “kook” she was back then. Sooooo much more talented than Britney. And so much cuter. Johnny Cash & June were cool too. I guess it was about breaking boundaries then; being free spirits. Not trying to be “daring” or trashy to get attention. (I’m old, but just a toddler then.)
The only thing you can compare ronstadt and brit too, is there massive popularity, ofcourse it took ronstadt 5 years after this to become the Top female singer of her era.
AS far as cover artist, she was not, she is a song interpreter, and her albums sold more, and in the albums were vast new songs, including some she wrote. She only had hits with some remakes, but he majority of her chart success came from her ALBUMS.
How dare you mention Linda and Britney in the same sentence, let alone the same headline. Linda is sweet, sexy, intelligent, and talented. None of those apply to Britney. You should be shot.
Just so we’re clear, Linda Ronstadt was SCORCHING hot back in the day. Brit WISHES she has one-sixteenth of Ronstadt’s talent. Never had it, never will.
That’s like saying, “Britney wears wigs, just like Tina Turner! They’re the same!” No. No, they are not.
No way Jose, because Linda Ronstadt had talent and if she was cheeky and went braless and pantyless hell, she had the talent and cajones to back it up….
I’m 22 (wow, the age Linda was in the pic!) and even I know that there is no comparison! Ronstadt could (can!) sing… Britney is a faded celebrity in her mid 20s who never had the chops. And, yes, Ronstadt was a babe! Check out youtube… she was hottttttttt!
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ur article is very wonderful i think it’s very interesting
greetings from little singapore.linda ronstadt sang covers? of course not!she sang as if these songs were specially written for her.just listen to blue bayou.roy orbison recorded rock and roll of it but ms ronstadt totally changed the soundscape of the entire song – u can say she literally nailed and stamped the song – with a mexican twist in the end. there are so many others.she is truly the only of a kind- intelligent with beautiful expressive vocals.yes truly a legend – and she deserves all the riches and fame that came with it all,
besides being a hippie early in her career, she shouldnt be compared to spears. linda is one of the most respected and highly awarded artists of time!
Linda once used my face for a bicycle seat- – I was sure glad she wore no underwear!
Well that is nothing!— I gave her a mustache ride… and yes it was good that she had no pantys on that time either. God, back in the day- 70′ = 80’s= =she was a babe!
TRUE! Yes, many of young men had many wet dreams in the late 70’s dreaming about Linda- Mercy was she a hottie back then!
I agree linda was a babe years ago! I often dreamed that I was a pair of her pantys in the early 1980’s when she was in her late 30’s HOT HOT HOT!!!!
That Gov Jerry Brown that dated her in the late 70’s was one lucky SOB!
Linda had a killer ass clear up till the 90’s- when she finally started to get fat. Before tht– my god it was sweeeeet!
I want to eat Linda’s musky panties!
I would have loved to lick her clean after she peed years ago- she was that hot! I would have been her sex slave!!