Sony Holland and her guitarist/husband, Jerry, spent a good part of the pandemic lockdown focusing on a tribute to one of the greatest female rock stars in the music industry, Linda Ronstadt, whose iconic recordings and memorable concert performances include mega-hits like “When Will I Be Loved,” “Poor Poor Pitiful Me,”  “Desperado,” “Blue Bayou” and many more.  Sony will sing these hits, weaving in gems from some of Ronstadt’s subsequent projects and periods — songs in Spanish rooted in her family’s Mexican culture, jazz chestnuts, work “in every style and genre you can imagine… a treasure trove…”

Interviewed by Richard May for his piece in the July issue of the Noe Valley Voice, Sony noted that “My show is one of gratitude to one of the finest, strongest and most gracious females in the music industry. Linda Ronstadt is a force. She took on one musical challenge after another, scouted for her own songs, put the time in to perfect her craft and she helped others in the business get noticed. In other words, Linda gave of herself, night after night in concert and in the recording studio for over four decades. We are the lucky ones.”

Of Ronstadt’s adventurous and voracious interest in material, Sony has said “I love her choices. Like me, she grew up with the radio being her best friend, and she loved everything. Nobody can sing a rock song like Linda, with such precision, and then turn around and do a soft, sweet country heart-breaker, and then do something classical and traditional, and absolutely nail every one of them.”

Writer David Templeton, who solicited these thoughts from Sony in advance of a concert a few months ago up in Petaluma, noted that, “Asked if she remembers hearing Linda Ronstadt on the radio for the first time, Holland confirms that it would have been 1974, and the song would have been “You’re No Good.” “That’s a fun song to sing,” Holland said. “It’s a total blast singing that one! But then, as I often tell people, there are 19 songs in my show, and every one of them is my favorite Linda Ronstadt song.”

Sony notes that, “With a full band or with my duo it’s my passion to present a wide variety of great music. I started out busking at San Francisco’s Ghirardelli Square and Pier 39 and have played in top venues from coast to coast such as the Blue Note NYC, Herb Alpert’s Vibrato in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Jazz Center. I’ve fronted jazz combos in Tokyo, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Nashville, San Francisco and Los Angeles and held a three year residency at the Ritz-Carlton San Francisco.” With the duo, she’s also sung at Bird & Beckett and we’re more than pleased to have her back with this show.

The duo?! Sony’s partner and “in life,” as they say, is the terrific guitarist and writer Jerry Holland. In Nashville, where Sony was living for a stretch, doing some songwriting and performing where she could, she was combing through the catalogue of a music publisher that a friend worked for, checking out various writers’ work, and when she came upon Jerry Holland’s music, she said, “Now that’s a good writer!” She continues, “Spontaneously I asked Mike if Jerry was single… he said, “I think so. He just wrote the #1 song, FRIENDS, recorded by country star Jon Michael Montgomery and he’s a third degree black belt too.” The next thing I knew we were out on a blind date. Fast forward a few years and we’re still going strong, performing and recording together. What a blast!”

Expect a  good time at Bird & Beckett this evening, in the company of Sony & Jerry on their tour through the songs of Linda Ronstadt.

$15 cover charge, cash please.
Call for reservations – 415-586-3733
BYOB and a mask, at your discretion
Doors open ten minutes before the show.

Attend in person, or catch the live stream on our YouTube channel and Facebook page.