Beck gives Ramona a pat on the knee, as though the whole matter is settled. “We’ll discuss it in the morning, yeah?”
Nowthey want to let her sleep.
Her blood thrums with frustration. She wanted to stay calm during this conversation, but maybe the truth of it is that she doesn’t have the energy to fight them. Hawaii could be okay, as long as she doesn’t have to do any spa days with her mother, who loves schedules so much that she creates a “relaxation itinerary” for every vacation.
But Hawaii would only be temporary.
Someone knocks on the dressing room door. Suzette. “There’s a crowd of people waiting by the bus,” she says. “Security could send them away, but we didn’t know if you’d want to come out and say hi, with it being the last show? A couple reporters are there, too.BillboardandPeople.”
“Ramona’s pretty exhausted,” DeeAnn says, rubbing her daughter’s shoulder, a fake nail getting caught for a moment on the strap of that leather bra. “We did the meet and greet last night, and we’re flying home tomorrow morning. I think our girl just wants to rest!”
And that’s what does it. The subtle but persistent reminder that she is not the one with the power.
That none of this has ever beenhers.
With a sudden burst of adrenaline, Ramona shoves aside the blanket and leaps to her feet. Combs fingers through her hair. “I can talk for a few minutes,” she says, and she doesn’t pause to hearher parents’ protests as Suzette leads her down the hall, bending to whisper in her ear that her shorts are unzipped.
Before she steps outside, Suzette hands her a sweatshirt. She barely has time to utter a thank-you before the screams hit her eardrums, Milwaukee’s chilly air biting at her cheeks. The fans are wearing puffer jackets and wool coats over their concert outfits, and she can’t explain why it’s so incredibly endearing.
One of the reporters makes eye contact right away. She looks kind. Young. “Ramona, hi,” she says, fumbling to open a voice recording app. “I’m Astrid atBillboard. Amazing show. We’d love to get a quick statement—how do you feel about the Wasted Potential Tour ending?”
Ramona grins, feeling in complete control for what might be the first time all tour. “Hi, Astrid,” she says. “A lot of mixed emotions, definitely. Mostly because…” Anare you sure about this?shiver runs up her spine—because what she says next could alter the course of her entire life.
And that’s exactly what she wants.
Right before all hell breaks loose and she’s swallowed up by the crowd, she takes a deep breath, her heart pounding to the beat of a song she’s never heard before.
“That was my last show. I’m leaving the music industry.”
Ramona Wilder Announces Retirement
“Prom Queen” of teen angst expresses desire for quieter life
ew.com
That anguished, window-shattering sound you just heard? That was the collective cry of millions of fans around the globe as singer-songwriter Ramona Wilder declared her intent to retire.
Wilder made the announcement to a crowd gathered after the final show of her Wasted Potential World Tour last night in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, triggering shock and panic when distraught fans crashed through the security barrier. Before security regained control, Wilder sustained minor injuries that did not seem to require immediate hospitalization.
Wilder, who released her fourth album last year, got her start in commercials as a child before landing a role on the hit kids’ TV showGreta Life!, which followed a young aspiring stand-up comedian and her wacky group of friends. Wilder played Greta’s fan-favorite nemesis Billie for four seasons and a spin-off film. At age 17, just weeks after the movie’s release, her debut single, “Never Be Prom Queen,” burst onto the charts, shooting up to number one and breaking records for the most streamed song in a single day—as though to firmly separate her career as a child actor from everything that would come next. Her lyrics cover everything from bad boyfriends tocomplicated self-image to raging against the establishment, sometimes all in one song.
While she’s struggled to replicate the success of her breakout hit, the three-time Grammy Award winner remains beloved worldwide with a dedicated fan base, with her most recent tour selling out within hours and resale tickets going for as much as $2,000.
In a statement this morning, Wilder indicated she would be taking time away from the public eye. “I’m so grateful to the fans who’ve supported me all these years,” she wrote on Instagram, “and I hope they’ll give me the space to figure out what comes next.”
Related articles:
Ramona Wilder: “My Songs Have Matured and So Have I”
10 Times Ramona Wilder Wowed on the Red Carpet
Young Love: Ramona Wilder’s Complete Dating History
1
Six months later
Ramona sees the irony intaking an Uber to a hike, but her car is in the shop, and she lives in Calabasas and Betty lives in Culver City, andas much as I adore you, muffin, I value my sanity too much to go to the Valley on a Friday afternoon.
