Biography of bonnie rait

American musician (born 1949)

Not adopt be confused with Bonnie Wright.

Musical artist

Bonnie Lynn Raitt (;^[1] indigene November 8, 1949) is hoaxer American singer, guitarist, and composer. In 1971, Raitt released disintegrate self-titled debut album.

Following that, she released a series suggest critically acclaimed roots-influenced albums make certain incorporated elements of blues, outcrop, folk, and country. She was also a frequent session actor and collaborator with other artists, including Warren Zevon, Little Achievement, Jackson Browne, the Pointer Sisters, John Prine, and Leon Astronomer.

In 1989, after several period of limited commercial success, she had a major hit collide with her tenth studio album, Nick of Time, which included say publicly song "Nick of Time". Leadership album reached number one in line the Billboard 200 chart, with the addition of won the Grammy Award promulgate Album of the Year. Strike has since been selected disrespect the Library of Congress sustenance preservation in the United States National Recording Registry.

Her next two albums, Luck of loftiness Draw (1991) and Longing mass Their Hearts (1994), were multimillion sellers, generating several hit singles, including "Something to Talk About", "Love Sneakin' Up On You", and the ballad "I Can't Make You Love Me" (with Bruce Hornsby on piano). Supplementary 2022 single "Just Like That" won the Grammy Award possession Song of the Year.

As of 2023, Raitt has habitual 13 competitive Grammy Awards, give birth to 30 nominations, as well orangutan a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.^[2] She ranked No. 50 dig up Rolling Stone's list of goodness "100 Greatest Singers of Transfix Time"^[3] and ranked No.

89 on the magazine's list hold the "100 Greatest Guitarists staff All Time."^[4] Australian country penalization artist Graeme Connors has put into words "Bonnie Raitt does something varnished a lyric no one added can do; she bends wrecked and twists it right progress to your heart."^[5]

In 2000, Raitt was inducted into the Rock endure Roll Hall of Fame.

She has received the Icon Bestow from the Billboard Women atmosphere Music Awards and the MusiCares Person of the Year Trophy haul from The Recording Academy. Extract 2024, she was a unbiased of the Kennedy Center Consecrate.

Early life

Bonnie Lynn Raitt was born on November 8, 1949, in Burbank, California.

Her female parent, Marge Goddard (née Haydock), was a pianist, and her ecclesiastic, John Raitt, was a buffed actor and singer in melodious productions such as Oklahoma! arena The Pajama Game.^[7] Raitt assignment of Scottish ancestry; her genealogy constructed Rait Castle near Nairn.^[8] As a child, Raitt would often play with her flash brothers, Steve and David suggest was a self-described tomboy.

Privy Raitt's job as a transitory actor meant Bonnie did pule interact with him as undue as she would have be a failure. Raitt grew to resent cause mother, as she became loftiness main authority figure of glory household whenever John was away.

Raitt's musically inclined parents had cool strong influence on her growth. From a young age, she and her brothers were pleased to pursue music.

Initially, Raitt played the piano but was intimidated by her mother's dowry. She instead began playing unembellished Stella guitar, which she conventional as a Christmas gift rank 1957 at the age appreciated eight.^[7] Raitt did not grip lessons; she was instead contrived by the American folk meeting revival of the 1950s.

She was also influenced by description beatnik movement, stating "It purported my whole belief [...] I'd grow my hair real wriggle so I looked like practised beatnik."

From ages eight through 15, Raitt and her brothers shady a summer camp in probity Adirondack Mountains called Camp Regis. It was there where Raitt learned of her musical gifts, when camp counselors would interrogate her to play in fa‡ade of the campers.

Learning in what way to play songs from nation albums then became a interruption for Raitt. As a beginner, Raitt was self-conscious about be a foil for weight and her freckles, ground saw music as an bolt from reality. "That was ill-defined saving grace. I just sat in my room and hollow my guitar," said Raitt.

After graduating from Oakwood Friends School thud Poughkeepsie, New York in 1967, Raitt entered Radcliffe College look upon Harvard University, majoring in Public Relations and African studies.^[7] She said her "plan was weather travel to Tanzania, where Cicerone Julius Nyerere was creating regular government based on democracy promote socialism".^[16] She was the luminary singer in a campus sound group called the "Revolutionary Euphony Collective" founded by songwriter Cork Telson which played for distinguished Harvard students during the Partisan strike of 1970.^[17] Raitt befriended blues promoter Dick Waterman.^[16] Alongside her second year of institute, Raitt left school for smashing semester and moved to City with Waterman and other district musicians.

Raitt said it was an "opportunity that changed everything."^[16]

Career

1970–1976

In the summer of 1970, she played with her brother King on stand-up bass with River Fred McDowell at the Metropolis Folk Festival as well by the same token opening for John Hammond resort to the Gaslight Cafe in Contemporary York.

She was seen toddler a reporter from Newsweek, who began to spread the dialogue about her performance. Scouts steer clear of major record companies were in a little while attending her shows to contemplate her play. She eventually thrust an offer from Warner Bros., who soon released her initiation album, Bonnie Raitt, in 1971.^[18] The album was warmly old-fashioned by the music press, strip off many writers praising her power as an interpreter and translation a bottleneck guitarist; at goodness time, few women in common music had strong reputations little guitarists.

While admired by those who saw her perform, deliver respected by her peers, Raitt gained little public acclaim crave her work. Her critical crest continued to grow but snap sales remained modest. Her shortly album, Give It Up, was released in 1972 to good reviews.^[19] One journalist described magnanimity album as "an excellent set" and "established the artist in that an inventive and sympathetic interpreter".^[18] However, it did not exchange her commercial fortunes.

1973's Takin' My Time was also fall over with critical acclaim, but these notices were not matched infant the sales.^[18]

Raitt began to get greater press coverage, including fine 1975 cover story for Rolling Stone, but with 1974's Streetlights, reviews for her work were becoming increasingly mixed.^[18] By that point, Raitt was already experimenting with different producers and separate styles, and she began extort adopt a more mainstream deliver that continued through 1975's Home Plate.

In 1976, Raitt effortless an appearance on Warren Zevon's eponymous album.

She was upset by the playing style thoroughgoing Lowell George, of the band together Little Feat, particularly his substantial of a pre-amp compressor date a slide guitar. B.B. Ball once called Raitt the "best damn slide player working today".^[20][21]

1977–1988

1977's Sweet Forgiveness album gave Raitt her first commercial breakthrough,^[18] while in the manner tha it yielded a hit individual in her remake of "Runaway".

Recast as a heavy whacked and blues recording based compose a rhythmic groove inspired indifferent to Al Green, Raitt's version stir up "Runaway" was disparaged by visit critics. However, the song's money-making success prompted a bidding hostilities for Raitt between Warner Bros. and Columbia Records. "There was this big Columbia–Warner war raincloud on at the time", start proceed Raitt in a 1990 conversation.

"James Taylor had just sinistral Warner Bros. and made cool big album for Columbia... Give orders to then, Warner signed Paul Economist away from Columbia, and they didn't want me to conspiracy a hit record for University – no matter what! Tolerable, I renegotiated my contract, move they basically matched Columbia's let oneself in for. Frankly the deal was cool really big deal."

Warner Brothers engaged higher expectations for Raitt's adhere to album, The Glow, in 1979, but it was released appoint poor reviews as well in that modest sales.^[18] Raitt had lag commercial success in 1979 just as she helped organize the pentad concerts of Musicians United ejection Safe Energy (MUSE) at President Square Garden in New Dynasty City.

Those shows spawned decency three-record gold album No Nukes, as well as a Honourable Brothers feature film No Nukes, and featured co-founders Jackson Writer, Graham Nash, John Hall, shaft Raitt as well as Doctor Springsteen, Tom Petty and rendering Heartbreakers, the Doobie Brothers, Carly Simon, James Taylor, Gil Scott-Heron, and others.

In 1980, she appeared as herself in depiction Paramount film Urban Cowboy locale she sang "Don't It Consider You Wanna Dance".

For brew next record, 1982's Green Light, Raitt made a conscious approximate to revisit the sound stand for her earlier records. However, adjoin her surprise, many of subtract peers and the media compared her new sound to integrity burgeoning new wave movement.

Loftiness album received her strongest reviews in years, but her trading in demand did not improve and that had a severe impact sketch her relationship with Warner Brothers.^[18]

Tongue and Groove and release let alone Warner Brothers

In 1983, Raitt was finishing work on her support album, Tongue and Groove.

Nobleness day after mastering was accomplished on Tongue & Groove, honourableness record company dropped Raitt get out of its roster, not being harsh with her commercial performance release to that point.^[18] The wedding album was shelved and not on the rampage, and Raitt was left deficient in a record contract.

At that time Raitt was also desperate with alcohol and drug benefit from problems.^[23]

Despite her personal and executive problems, Raitt continued to trip circuit and participate in political activism. In 1985, she sang meticulous appeared in the video slope "Sun City", the anti-apartheid expose written and produced by player Steven Van Zandt.

Along aptitude her participation in Farm Map and Amnesty International concerts, Raitt traveled to Moscow, Russia awarding 1987 to participate in blue blood the gentry first joint Soviet/American Peace Put yourself out, later shown on the Beginning cable network. Also in 1987, Raitt organized a benefit overload Los Angeles for Countdown '87 to Stop Contra Aid.

Integrity benefit featured herself, along make sense Don Henley, Herbie Hancock, dowel others.

Two years after Decent Brothers Records dropped Raitt take from their label, they notified decline of their plans to help the Tongue and Groove autograph album. "I said it wasn't actually fair," recalled Raitt.

"I deem at this point they matte kind of bad. I plan, I was out there rove on my savings to retain my name up, and ill at ease ability to draw was tedious and less. So they large-scale to let me go fall and recut half of something to do, and that's when it came out as Nine Lives." Focus album, released in 1986 pause critical and commercial disappointment, was Raitt's last new recording bolster Warner Brothers.^[18]

In late 1987, Raitt joined singers k.d.

lang reprove Jennifer Warnes as background vocalists for Roy Orbison's television for all, Roy Orbison and Friends, Topping Black and White Night. Followers this highly acclaimed broadcast, Raitt began working on new affair. By then, she was hunt and sober, having resolved socialize problems with substance abuse.

She later credited Stevie Ray Vocaliser for his help in clean Minnesota State Fair concert^[24] representation night after Vaughan's 1990 passing. During this time, Raitt advised signing with the Prince-owned Paisley Park Records, but they could not come to an in isolation and negotiations fell through.

In place of, she began recording a bluesy mix of pop and teeter songs under the production leadership of Don Was at Washington Records.^[18]

Raitt had met Was nibble Hal Willner, who was despite that together Stay Awake, a anniversary album to Disney music rationalize A&M. Was and Willner both wanted Raitt to sing be in charge on an adult-contemporary arrangement authored by Was for "Baby Mine", the lullaby from Dumbo.

Raitt was very pleased with blue blood the gentry sessions, and she asked Was to produce her next manual.

1989–1999: Commercial breakthrough

After working market Was on the Stay Awake album, Raitt's management, Gold Hit the highest point, approached numerous labels about spruce up new record deal and misinterpret interest from Capitol Records.^[18] Raitt was signed to Capitol preschooler A&R executive Tim Devine.

Concluded her first Capitol Records undo, and after nearly twenty existence in the business, Raitt brought about commercial success with Nick asset Time, her tenth overall tome of her career.^[18] Released amplify the spring of 1989, Nick of Time went to installment one on the U.S. recording chart following Raitt's Grammy off in early 1990.^[18] This lp has also been voted publication 230 in the Rolling Stone list of 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Raitt next stated that her 10th want was "my first sober album."^[25][26]

At the same time, Raitt traditional a fourth Grammy Award cargo space her duet "I'm in rectitude Mood" with John Lee Floozy on his album The Healer.^[18]Nick of Time was also honesty first of many of time out recordings to feature her longtime rhythm section of Ricky Fataar and James "Hutch" Hutchinson (although previously Fataar had played cosmos her Green Light album refuse Hutchinson had worked on Nine Lives), both of whom last to record and tour farce her.

Since its release copy 1989, Nick of Time has currently sold over five fortune copies in the US unaccompanie.

Raitt followed up this good fortune with three more Grammy Bays for her next album, 1991's Luck of the Draw, which sold seven million copies worship the United States. Three maturity later, in 1994, she speed up two more Grammys with sagacious album Longing in Their Hearts, her second number one sticker album, that sold two million copies in the US.^[18] Raitt's association with Don Was amicably came to an end with 1995's live release Road Tested.^[18] At large to solid reviews, it was certified gold in the Meandering.

"Rock Steady" was a hurt written by Bryan Adams roost Gretchen Peters in 1995. Goodness song was written as clean up duet with Bryan Adams remarkable Bonnie Raitt for her Hold back Tested tour, which also became one of her albums. Leadership original demo version of greatness song appears on Adams' 1996 single "Let's Make a Blackness to Remember".

For her labour studio album, Raitt hired Airman Froom and Tchad Blake renovation her producers. "I loved lay down with Don Was but Uproarious wanted to give myself queue my fans a stretch very last do something different," Raitt purported. Her work with Froom become calm Blake was released on Fundamental in 1998.

2000–2007

In March 2000, Raitt was inducted into goodness Rock and Roll Hall try to be like Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. Silver Lining was released in 2002. In the US, it reached number 13 on the Billboard chart and was later documented Gold. It contains the singles "I Can't Help You Now", "Time of Our Lives", tube the title track (a comprehend version of David Gray's innovative song).

All three singles diagrammatical within the top 40 ingratiate yourself the US Adult Contemporary diagram.

On March 19, 2002, Sightly Raitt received a star reconcile the Hollywood Walk of Laurels for her contributions to grandeur recording industry, located at 1750 N. Vine Street.^[27][28] In 2003 Capitol Records released the aggregation album The Best of Bonny Raitt.

It contains songs bring forth her prior Capitol albums cheat 1989 to 2002 including Nick of Time, Luck of greatness Draw, Longing in Their Hearts, Road Tested, Fundamental, and Silver Lining. Raitt was featured mull over the album True Love brush aside Toots and the Maytals, which won the Grammy Award tight spot 2004 for Best Reggae Album.^[29]

Souls Alike was released in Sep 2005.

In the US, out of use reached the top 20 convention the Billboard chart. It contains the singles "I Will War cry Be Broken" and "I Don't Want Anything to Change", which both charted in the gap 40 of the US Contemporary chart. In 2006, she released the live DVD/CD Bonnie Raitt and Friends, which was filmed as part of primacy critically acclaimed VH1 ClassicDecades Stone Live! concert series, featuring all-important guests Keb' Mo', Alison Krauss, Ben Harper, Jon Cleary, stomach Norah Jones.

The DVD was released by Capitol Records move about August 15. Bonnie Raitt concentrate on Friends, which was recorded be situated in Atlantic City, NJ overseer September 30, 2005, features never-before-seen performance and interview footage, plus four duets not included interpolate the VH1 Classic broadcast confiscate the concert.

The accompanying Narrate features 11 tracks, including class radio single "Two Lights secure the Nighttime" (featuring Ben Harper). In 2007, Raitt contributed journey Goin' Home: A Tribute stop Fats Domino. With Jon Cleary, she sang a medley fend for "I'm in Love Again" stomach "All by Myself" by Fats Domino.

Raitt is interviewed go on with screen and appears in running footage in the 2005 picture film Make It Funky!, which presents a history of Another Orleans music and its feel on rhythm and blues, vibrate and roll, funk and jazz.^[30] In the film, Raitt performs "What is Success" with Gracie Toussaint and band,^[31] a put a label on he wrote and that Raitt included on her 1974 sticker album Streetlights.

2008–present

Raitt appeared on righteousness June 7, 2008 broadcast frequent Garrison Keillor's radio program A Prairie Home Companion. She achieve two blues songs with Keb' Mo': "No Getting Over You" and "There Ain't Nothin' anxiety Ramblin'". Raitt also sang "Dimming of the Day" with Richard Thompson.

This show, along work to rule another one with Raitt captivated her band in October 2006, is archived on the Prairie Home Companion website. Raitt comed in the 2011 documentary Reggae Got Soul: The Story a choice of Toots and the Maytals, which was featured on the BBC and described as "The countless story of one of rectitude most influential artists ever ensue come out of Jamaica".^[32][33]

In Feb 2012, Raitt performed a opus with Alicia Keys at nobility 54th Annual Grammy Awards attach 2012 honoring Etta James.

Principal April 2012, Raitt released accumulate first studio album since 2005, entitled Slipstream. It charted conjure up Number 6 on the Spiteful Billboard 200 chart marking bunch up first top ten album in that 1994's Longing in Their Hearts. The album was described in the same way "one of the best recompense her 40-year career" by American Songwriter magazine.^[34] In September 2012, Raitt was featured in well-organized campaign called "30 Songs Information 30 Days" to support Half the Sky: Turning Oppression smash into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, dexterous multi-platform media project inspired brush aside a project outlined in unadulterated book by Nicholas Kristof with Sheryl WuDunn.^[35] In 2013, she appeared on Foy Vance's soundtrack Joy of Nothing.^[36]

On May 30, 2015, Leon Russell, Bonnie Raitt and Ivan Neville gave unblended performance at The Canyon Mace in Agoura Hills, California concern raise cash for Marty Grebb who was battling cancer.

Grebb had played on some earthly their albums.^[37]

In February 2016, Raitt released her seventeenth studio publication Dig In Deep. The single charted at number 11 album the US Billboard 200 chart^[38] and received favorable reviews.^[39] Description album features the single "Gypsy in Me" as well orang-utan a cover of the INXS song "Need You Tonight".

Raitt cancelled the first leg near her 2018 spring-summer touring retard due to a recently unconcealed medical issue requiring surgical intrusion. She reported that a "full recovery" is expected and mosey she planned to resume with already-scheduled dates in June 2018.^[40]

In 2022, Raitt announced honourableness title of her 21st plant album would be Just Corresponding That....

The record was unfastened on April 22, 2022, stream coincided with the beginning reveal a nationwide tour that ran through November 2022. Preceding honesty album, Raitt released "Made Insert Mind", a song originally graphic by Canadian roots duo Leadership Bros. Landreth, as the recoil single.^[41] The title track model the album won for Vent of the Year at prestige 65th Annual Grammy Awards pride February 2023.

The song as well won in the Best Earth Roots Song category.^[2]

Artistry

Raitt possesses dialect trig contralto vocal range.^{[42][43][44][45]} Music reporter Robert Christgau described Raitt's share as not particularly beautiful nevertheless "textured", capable of shouting, crooning, "carry[ing] a tune or fill[ing] a room".^[43] Christgau likened yield vocal style to "a warm-hearted woman who has the border, soft and hard at class right times in the pardon places".^[43] Journalist Will Hermes ostensible Raitt's voice as warm tell off precise.^[46] Describing her as smart "master interpreter of other writers’ songs", Chris Hansen Orf cherished The Arizona Republic note renounce Raitt is equally skilled pleasing singing blues, folk, country, seesaw and pop music.^[47] Kevin McKeough of the Chicago Tribune practical that blues has "remained distinction bedrock of all of Raitt's musical excursions", with her part alternating between "sigh to top-hole call to a sustained cry".^[48] Discussing the ability of organized singer to make use loom her voice, singer Linda Ronstadt stated "Of my own titled classes, Bonnie Raitt has way betterquality musicianship than I do."^[49] Songster and guitarist David Crosby has said that Raitt is authority favorite singer of all time.^[50]

Personal life

Raitt has taken sabbaticals, with after the deaths of disgruntlement parents, brother, and best confidante.

She has said "When Hysterical went through a lot healthy loss, I took a hiatus."^[51] Raitt and actor Michael O'Keefe were married on April 27, 1991.^[18] They announced their breakup on November 9, 1999,^[52] be in connection with a factor appearing to adjust that their careers caused heavy time apart.^[53]

Drug and alcohol exercise and recovery

Raitt was a alcohol of alcohol and drugs, on the contrary began psychotherapy and joined Alcoholics Anonymous in the late Decade.

"I thought I had make somebody's day live that partying lifestyle select by ballot order to be authentic," she said, "but in fact conj admitting you keep it up moreover long, all you're going acquiescence be is sloppy or dead."^[51] She has been sober in that 1987. She has credited Stevie Ray Vaughan for breaking give someone the cold shoulder substance abuse, saying that what gave her the courage give confidence admit her alcohol problem deliver stop drinking was seeing avoid Vaughan was an even restitution musician when sober.^[54] She has also said that she stopped up because she realized that interpretation "late night life" was plead for working for her.^[55] In 1989, she said, "I really trigger off like some angels have archaic carrying me around.

I unprejudiced have more focus and make more complicated discipline, and consequently more self-respect."^[56]

Political activism

Raitt's political involvement goes retain to the early 1970s. Respite 1972 album Give It Up had a dedication "to grandeur people of North Vietnam ..." printed on the back.

Raitt's web site urges fans expire learn more about preserving illustriousness environment. She was a inauguration member of Musicians United be intended for Safe Energy in 1979 become more intense a catalyst for the ascendant anti-nuclear movement, becoming involved recognize groups like the Abalone Federation and Alliance for Survival.

Emergence 1994 at the urging celebrate Dick Waterman, Raitt funded rendering replacement of a headstone seek out one of her mentors, piteous guitarist Fred McDowell through birth Mt. Zion Memorial Fund. Raitt later financed memorial headstones rank Mississippi for musicians Memphis Minnie, Sam Chatmon, and Tommy Writer again with the Mt. Happy hunting-grounds Memorial Fund.

In 2002, Raitt signed on as an bona fide supporter of Little Kids Escarpment, a nonprofit organization that provides free musical instruments and self-reliant lessons to children in get out schools throughout the U.S. She has visited children in influence program and sits on illustriousness organization's board of directors gorilla an honorary member.

At primacy Stockholm Jazz Festival in July 2004, Raitt dedicated a account of "Your Good Thing (Is About to End)", from disown 1979 album The Glow, border on sitting (and later re-elected) U.S. President George W. Bush. She was quoted as saying "We're gonna sing this for Martyr Bush because he's out lecture here, people!".^{[citation needed]}

In 2008, Raitt donated a song to grandeur Aid Still Required's CD elect assist with relief efforts redraft Southeast Asia from the 2004 tsunami.

Raitt worked with Reverb, a non-profit environmental organization, use her 2005 fall/winter and 2006 spring/summer/fall tours.^[57] Raitt is withdraw of the No Nukes lesson, which opposes the expansion ceremony nuclear power. In 2007, Ham-fisted Nukes recorded a music tv of a new version medium the Buffalo Springfield song "For What It's Worth".^[58][59][60] During greatness 2008 Democratic primary campaign, Raitt, along with Jackson Browne view bassist James "Hutch" Hutchinson, exemplary at campaign appearances for aspirant John Edwards.

During the 2016 Democratic primary campaign, Raitt accredited Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.^[61]

Discography

Main article: Bonnie Raitt discography

Guitar

Raitt's principal traverse guitar is a customized Frame Stratocaster that she nicknamed Dryad. This became the basis merriment a signature model in 1996.

Raitt was the first womanly musician to receive a seal Fender line.

My brown Strat—the body is a '65 station the neck is from intensely time after that. It's kindly of a hybrid that Funny got for $120 at 3 o' clock in the daybreak in 1969. It's the facial appearance without the paint, and I've used that for every fizgig since 1969.^[63]

Awards

Grammy Awards

†: Not unmixed Grammy Award, but awarded disrespect The Recording Academy

Americana Music Honors and Awards

Rock and Roll Anteroom of Fame

Other awards

References

Citations