Music industry 'values sex appeal more than talent'

Linda Ronstadt has said today’s music industry values sex appeal more than talent.

“It puts a huge amount of pressure on kids” who are aspiring performers, said Ronstadt, 57, whose singing career began in the 1960s.

“If you are someone like Beyonce who happens to be gorgeous and talented, well, great. But there are a lot of people who are not paid attention to because they don’t look like a fashion model,” she said in an interview.

Ronstadt, a native of Arizona, was a sex symbol herself, with such hit albums as Heart Like a Wheel and Simple Dreams. She no longer plays those recordings, though.

“I never go back. I never listen to them,” said Ronstadt.