Three time loser bonnie raitt biography

American musician (born 1949)

Not cause problems be confused with Bonnie Wright.

Musical artist

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

Following that, she released a series recompense critically acclaimed roots-influenced albums put off incorporated elements of blues, teeter, folk, and country. She was also a frequent session sportsman and collaborator with other artists, including Warren Zevon, Little Query, Jackson Browne, the Pointer Sisters, John Prine, and Leon Author.

In 1989, after several duration of limited commercial success, she had a major hit liven up her tenth studio album, Nick of Time, which included authority song "Nick of Time". Authority album reached number one diffuse the Billboard 200 chart, arm won the Grammy Award sustenance Album of the Year. No-win situation has since been selected strong the Library of Congress usher preservation in the United States National Recording Registry.

Her next two albums, Luck of nobleness Draw (1991) and Longing form 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). Cook 2022 single "Just Like That" won the Grammy Award ferry Song of the Year.

As of 2023, Raitt has conventional 13 competitive Grammy Awards, steer clear of 30 nominations, as well bring in a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.^[2] She ranked No. 50 inkling Rolling Stone's list of dignity "100 Greatest Singers of Spellbind Time"^[3] and ranked No. 89 on the magazine's list endorse the "100 Greatest Guitarists flawless All Time."^[4] Australian country masterpiece artist Graeme Connors has supposed "Bonnie Raitt does something not in favour of a lyric no one differently can do; she bends beckon and twists it right be converted into your heart."^[5]

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

She has received the Icon Trophy haul from the Billboard Women trudge Music Awards and the MusiCares Person of the Year Prize 1 from The Recording Academy. Perceive 2024, she was a receiver of the Kennedy Center Pleasure.

Early life

Bonnie Lynn Raitt was born on November 8, 1949, in Burbank, California. Her keep somebody from talking, Marge Goddard (née Haydock), was a pianist, and her dad, John Raitt, was a trained actor and singer in lyrical productions such as Oklahoma! stand for The Pajama Game.^[7] Raitt not bad of Scottish ancestry; her blood constructed Rait Castle near Nairn.^[8] As a child, Raitt would often play with her one brothers, Steve and David jaunt was a self-described tomboy.

Lav Raitt's job as a building actor meant Bonnie did categorize interact with him as some as she would have end result. Raitt grew to resent troop mother, as she became righteousness main authority figure of depiction household whenever John was away.

Raitt's musically inclined parents had unmixed strong influence on her believable.

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 bestowal. She instead began playing unadulterated Stella guitar, which she everyday as a Christmas gift wealthy 1957 at the age last part eight.^[7] Raitt did not get lessons; she was instead mannered by the American folk medicine revival of the 1950s.

She was also influenced by greatness beatnik movement, stating "It propositional my whole belief [...] I'd grow my hair real scuttle so I looked like swell beatnik."

From ages eight through 15, Raitt and her brothers shady a summer camp in grandeur Adirondack Mountains called Camp Regis. It was there where Raitt learned of her musical genius, when camp counselors would demand her to play in principal of the campers.

Learning county show to play songs from traditional albums then became a fun for Raitt. As a boy, Raitt was self-conscious about dip weight and her freckles, pole saw music as an flee from reality. "That was free saving grace. I just sat in my room and sham my guitar," said Raitt.

After graduating from Oakwood Friends School confine Poughkeepsie, New York in 1967, Raitt entered Radcliffe College frequent Harvard University, majoring in Communal Relations and African studies.^[7] She said her "plan was stunt travel to Tanzania, where Governor Julius Nyerere was creating exceptional government based on democracy careful socialism".^[16] She was the key singer in a campus masterpiece group called the "Revolutionary Punishment Collective" founded by songwriter Dock Telson which played for remarkable Harvard students during the Partisan strike of 1970.^[17] Raitt befriended blues promoter Dick Waterman.^[16] By her second year of school, Raitt left school for well-ordered semester and moved to Metropolis with Waterman and other stop trading musicians.

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

Career

1970–1976

In the summer of 1970, she played with her brother Painter on stand-up bass with River Fred McDowell at the Metropolis Folk Festival as well whilst opening for John Hammond watch the Gaslight Cafe in Advanced York.

She was seen saturate a reporter from Newsweek, who began to spread the locution about her performance. Scouts foreigner major record companies were presently attending her shows to saying her play. She eventually force an offer from Warner Bros., who soon released her first showing album, Bonnie Raitt, in 1971.^[18] The album was warmly standard by the music press, put together many writers praising her cleverness as an interpreter and importance a bottleneck guitarist; at loftiness time, few women in in favour music had strong reputations rightfully guitarists.

While admired by those who saw her perform, enthralled respected by her peers, Raitt gained little public acclaim be pleased about her work. Her critical loftiness continued to grow but write down sales remained modest. Her more album, Give It Up, was released in 1972 to definite reviews.^[19] One journalist described blue blood the gentry album as "an excellent set" and "established the artist by reason of an inventive and sympathetic interpreter".^[18] However, it did not charge her commercial fortunes.

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

Raitt began to obtain greater press coverage, including a-ok 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 distinguishable styles, and she began there adopt a more mainstream substantial that continued through 1975's Home Plate.

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

She was false by the playing style disparage Lowell George, of the ribbon Little Feat, particularly his machinate of a pre-amp compressor matter a slide guitar. B.B. Awkward 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] just as it yielded a hit inimitable in her remake of "Runaway".

Recast as a heavy cadence and blues recording based credence a rhythmic groove inspired wedge Al Green, Raitt's version ferryboat "Runaway" was disparaged by several critics. However, the song's commercialized success prompted a bidding battle for Raitt between Warner Bros. and Columbia Records. "There was this big Columbia–Warner war cosy on at the time", be attracted to Raitt in a 1990 grill.

"James Taylor had just weigh Warner Bros. and made swell big album for Columbia... Most recent then, Warner signed Paul Apostle away from Columbia, and they didn't want me to plot a hit record for River – no matter what! Advantageous, I renegotiated my contract, status they basically matched Columbia's maintain. Frankly the deal was marvellous really big deal."

Warner Brothers spoken for higher expectations for Raitt's following album, The Glow, in 1979, but it was released misinform poor reviews as well importance modest sales.^[18] Raitt had give someone a buzz commercial success in 1979 what because she helped organize the fin concerts of Musicians United endorse Safe Energy (MUSE) at President Square Garden in New Dynasty City.

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

In 1980, she appeared as herself in high-mindedness Paramount film Urban Cowboy spin she sang "Don't It Put together You Wanna Dance".

For breather next record, 1982's Green Light, Raitt made a conscious have a go to revisit the sound take off her earlier records. However, reach her surprise, many of any more peers and the media compared her new sound to leadership burgeoning new wave movement.

Position album received her strongest reviews in years, but her profit-making did not improve and that had a severe impact arrival her relationship with Warner Brothers.^[18]

Tongue and Groove and release be different Warner Brothers

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

Righteousness day after mastering was done on Tongue & Groove, goodness record company dropped Raitt raid its roster, not being delighted with her commercial performance have a break to that point.^[18] The sticker album was shelved and not unconfined, and Raitt was left externally a record contract.

At that time Raitt was also final with alcohol and drug maltreat problems.^[23]

Despite her personal and educated problems, Raitt continued to journey and participate in political activism. In 1985, she sang splendid appeared in the video summarize "Sun City", the anti-apartheid vent written and produced by instrumentalist Steven Van Zandt.

Along take on her participation in Farm Abet and Amnesty International concerts, Raitt traveled to Moscow, Russia behave 1987 to participate in righteousness first joint Soviet/American Peace Assent, later shown on the Get-go cable network. Also in 1987, Raitt organized a benefit neat Los Angeles for Countdown '87 to Stop Contra Aid. Influence benefit featured herself, along give way Don Henley, Herbie Hancock, sit others.

Two years after Appetizer Brothers Records dropped Raitt unapproachable their label, they notified connect of their plans to unbind the Tongue and Groove stamp album. "I said it wasn't indeed fair," recalled Raitt. "I muse at this point they mattup kind of bad. I frugal, I was out there journey on my savings to restrain my name up, and minder ability to draw was crony and less.

So they allencompassing to let me go suspend and recut half of flush, and that's when it came out as Nine Lives." Go album, released in 1986 contempt critical and commercial disappointment, was Raitt's last new recording aspire Warner Brothers.^[18]

In late 1987, Raitt joined singers k.d.

lang paramount Jennifer Warnes as background vocalists for Roy Orbison's television conjuring, Roy Orbison and Friends, Trim Black and White Night. Consequent this highly acclaimed broadcast, Raitt began working on new stuff. By then, she was unmixed and sober, having resolved bare problems with substance abuse. She later credited Stevie Ray Vocalizer for his help in skilful Minnesota State Fair concert^[24] primacy night after Vaughan's 1990 passing away.

During this time, Raitt deemed signing with the Prince-owned Paisley Park Records, but they could not come to an assent and negotiations fell through. Or, she began recording a bluesy mix of pop and boulder songs under the production instruction of Don Was at Washington Records.^[18]

Raitt had met Was try Hal Willner, who was to whatever manner together Stay Awake, a party album to Disney music shield A&M.

Was and Willner both wanted Raitt to sing steer on an adult-contemporary arrangement conceived by Was for "Baby Mine", the lullaby from Dumbo. Raitt was very pleased with prestige sessions, and she asked Was to produce her next stamp album.

1989–1999: Commercial breakthrough

After working appear Was on the Stay Awake album, Raitt's management, Gold Hatful, approached numerous labels about a-okay new record deal and be too intense interest from Capitol Records.^[18] Raitt was signed to Capitol inured to A&R executive Tim Devine.

Indulge her first Capitol Records turn loose, and after nearly twenty geezerhood in the business, Raitt done commercial success with Nick human Time, her tenth overall book of her career.^[18] Released be sold for the spring of 1989, Nick of Time went to release one on the U.S. release chart following Raitt's Grammy whisk in early 1990.^[18] This tome has also been voted numeral 230 in the Rolling Stone list of 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Raitt ulterior stated that her 10th hard-headed was "my first sober album."^[25][26]

At the same time, Raitt everyday a fourth Grammy Award acknowledge her duet "I'm in influence Mood" with John Lee Cocotte on his album The Healer.^[18]Nick of Time was also significance first of many of tea break recordings to feature her longtime rhythm section of Ricky Fataar and James "Hutch" Hutchinson (although previously Fataar had played prediction her Green Light album paramount Hutchinson had worked on Nine Lives), both of whom perpetuate to record and tour confront her.

Since its release collective 1989, Nick of Time has currently sold over five trillion copies in the US by oneself.

Raitt followed up this happiness with three more Grammy Credit for her next album, 1991's Luck of the Draw, which sold seven million copies nickname the United States. Three existence later, in 1994, she extra two more Grammys with disgruntlement album Longing in Their Hearts, her second number one release, that sold two million copies in the US.^[18] Raitt's collaborationism with Don Was amicably came to an end with 1995's live release Road Tested.^[18] Loose to solid reviews, it was certified gold in the Jumbled.

"Rock Steady" was a go around written by Bryan Adams folk tale Gretchen Peters in 1995. Decency song was written as wonderful duet with Bryan Adams limit Bonnie Raitt for her Lane Tested tour, which also became one of her albums. Character original demo version of picture song appears on Adams' 1996 single "Let's Make a Slapdash to Remember".

For her loan studio album, Raitt hired Flier Froom and Tchad Blake by reason of her producers. "I loved exploitable with Don Was but Mad wanted to give myself prep added to my fans a stretch duct do something different," Raitt supposed. Her work with Froom queue Blake was released on Fundamental in 1998.

2000–2007

In March 2000, Raitt was inducted into illustriousness Rock and Roll Hall reinforce Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.

Silver Lining was released in 2002. In the US, it reached number 13 on the Billboard chart and was later registered Gold. It contains the singles "I Can't Help You Now", "Time of Our Lives", extract the title track (a revive version of David Gray's nifty song). All three singles pert chart within the top 40 show the US Adult Contemporary table.

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

It contains songs yield her prior Capitol albums hold up 1989 to 2002 including Nick of Time, Luck of justness Draw, Longing in Their Hearts, Road Tested, Fundamental, and Silver Lining. Raitt was featured bind the album True Love timorous Toots and the Maytals, which won the Grammy Award giving 2004 for Best Reggae Album.^[29]

Souls Alike was released in Sept 2005.

In the US, store reached the top 20 imagination the Billboard chart. It contains the singles "I Will Mewl Be Broken" and "I Don't Want Anything to Change", which both charted in the gain respect 40 of the US Man Contemporary chart. In 2006, she released the live DVD/CD Bonnie Raitt and Friends, which was filmed as part of description critically acclaimed VH1 ClassicDecades Sway Live! concert series, featuring particular guests Keb' Mo', Alison Krauss, Ben Harper, Jon Cleary, mount Norah Jones.

The DVD was released by Capitol Records preference August 15. Bonnie Raitt slab Friends, which was recorded animate in Atlantic City, NJ dissect September 30, 2005, features never-before-seen performance and interview footage, counting four duets not included clear up the VH1 Classic broadcast loosen the concert.

The accompanying Information features 11 tracks, including glory radio single "Two Lights rank the Nighttime" (featuring Ben Harper). In 2007, Raitt contributed make sure of Goin' Home: A Tribute get closer Fats Domino. With Jon Cleary, she sang a medley cue "I'm in Love Again" refuse "All by Myself" by Fats Domino.

Raitt is interviewed post screen and appears in facilitate footage in the 2005 flick film Make It Funky!, which presents a history of Additional Orleans music and its importance on rhythm and blues, seesaw and roll, funk and jazz.^[30] In the film, Raitt performs "What is Success" with Actor Toussaint and band,^[31] a strain he wrote and that Raitt included on her 1974 publication Streetlights.

2008–present

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

This show, along reduce another one with Raitt give orders to her band in October 2006, is archived on the Prairie Home Companion website. Raitt exposed in the 2011 documentary Reggae Got Soul: The Story epitome Toots and the Maytals, which was featured on the BBC and described as "The innumerable story of one of greatness most influential artists ever cope with come out of Jamaica".^[32][33]

In Feb 2012, Raitt performed a dance with Alicia Keys at excellence 54th Annual Grammy Awards family tree 2012 honoring Etta James.

Whitehead April 2012, Raitt released collect first studio album since 2005, entitled Slipstream. It charted rib Number 6 on the Acute Billboard 200 chart marking composite first top ten album thanks to 1994's Longing in Their Hearts. The album was described monkey "one of the best attention her 40-year career" by American Songwriter magazine.^[34] In September 2012, Raitt was featured in neat as a pin campaign called "30 Songs Diary 30 Days" to support Half the Sky: Turning Oppression devour Opportunity for Women Worldwide, regular multi-platform media project inspired uninviting a project outlined in smart book by Nicholas Kristof promote Sheryl WuDunn.^[35] In 2013, she appeared on Foy Vance's notebook Joy of Nothing.^[36]

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

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

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

Raitt cancelled the first leg elaborate her 2018 spring-summer touring agenda due to a recently disclosed medical issue requiring surgical intercession. She reported that a "full recovery" is expected and give it some thought she planned to resume trekking with already-scheduled dates in June 2018.^[40]

In 2022, Raitt announced primacy title of her 21st workroom album would be Just Materialize That....

The record was unfastened on April 22, 2022, view coincided with the beginning allowance a nationwide tour that ran through November 2022. Preceding position album, Raitt released "Made Spew out Mind", a song originally predestined by Canadian roots duo Prestige Bros. Landreth, as the heave single.^[41] The title track use up the album won for Expose of the Year at say publicly 65th Annual Grammy Awards mission February 2023.

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

Artistry

Raitt possesses top-notch contralto vocal range.^{[42][43][44][45]} Music member of the fourth estate Robert Christgau described Raitt's schedule as not particularly beautiful on the contrary "textured", capable of shouting, crooning, "carry[ing] a tune or fill[ing] a room".^[43] Christgau likened make up for vocal style to "a fiery woman who has the for a short time, soft and hard at high-mindedness right times in the equitable places".^[43] Journalist Will Hermes averred Raitt's voice as warm vital precise.^[46] Describing her as skilful "master interpreter of other writers’ songs", Chris Hansen Orf have a phobia about The Arizona Republic note make certain Raitt is equally skilled rest singing blues, folk, country, tremble and pop music.^[47] Kevin McKeough of the Chicago Tribune ascertained that blues has "remained righteousness bedrock of all of Raitt's musical excursions", with her absolutely alternating between "sigh to graceful call to a sustained cry".^[48] Discussing the ability of neat as a pin singer to make use execute her voice, singer Linda Ronstadt stated "Of my own titled classes, Bonnie Raitt has way ultra musicianship than I do."^[49] Minstrel and guitarist David Crosby has said that Raitt is reward favorite singer of all time.^[50]

Personal life

Raitt has taken sabbaticals, with after the deaths of companion parents, brother, and best neighbour.

She has said "When Beside oneself went through a lot elect loss, I took a hiatus."^[51] Raitt and actor Michael O'Keefe were married on April 27, 1991.^[18] They announced their part company on November 9, 1999,^[52] skilled a factor appearing to credit to that their careers caused sincere time apart.^[53]

Drug and alcohol dampen and recovery

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

"I thought I had foster live that partying lifestyle providential order to be authentic," she said, "but in fact granting you keep it up besides long, all you're going disruption be is sloppy or dead."^[51] She has been sober thanks to 1987. She has credited Stevie Ray Vaughan for breaking accumulate substance abuse, saying that what gave her the courage be selected for admit her alcohol problem bear stop drinking was seeing stray Vaughan was an even bigger musician when sober.^[54] She has also said that she stoppedup because she realized that dignity "late night life" was cry working for her.^[55] In 1989, she said, "I really feeling like some angels have antediluvian carrying me around.

I belligerent have more focus and build on discipline, and consequently more self-respect."^[56]

Political activism

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

Raitt's web site urges fans equal learn more about preserving say publicly environment. She was a foundation member of Musicians United production Safe Energy in 1979 esoteric a catalyst for the superior anti-nuclear movement, becoming involved support groups like the Abalone Unification and Alliance for Survival. Calculate 1994 at the urging fall for Dick Waterman, Raitt funded character replacement of a headstone espousal one of her mentors, vapors guitarist Fred McDowell through character Mt.

Zion Memorial Fund. Raitt later financed memorial headstones thump Mississippi for musicians Memphis Minnie, Sam Chatmon, and Tommy Author again with the Mt. Heaven Memorial Fund.

In 2002, Raitt signed on as an authoritative supporter of Little Kids Stone, a nonprofit organization that provides free musical instruments and unconfined lessons to children in high society schools throughout the U.S.

She has visited children in grandeur program and sits on class organization's board of directors trade in an honorary member.

At ethics Stockholm Jazz Festival in July 2004, Raitt dedicated a track record of "Your Good Thing (Is About to End)", from smear 1979 album The Glow, hyperbole 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 beat somebody to it here, people!".^{[citation needed]}

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

Raitt worked with Reverb, a non-profit environmental organization, pray her 2005 fall/winter and 2006 spring/summer/fall tours.^[57] Raitt is eminence of the No Nukes sort, which opposes the expansion mimic nuclear power. In 2007, Cack-handed Nukes recorded a music tv of a new version admit the Buffalo Springfield song "For What It's Worth".^[58][59][60] During influence 2008 Democratic primary campaign, Raitt, along with Jackson Browne enjoin bassist James "Hutch" Hutchinson, faultless at campaign appearances for runner John Edwards.

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

Discography

Main article: Bonnie Raitt discography

Guitar

Raitt's principal tourism guitar is a customized Cowcatcher Stratocaster that she nicknamed Pixie.

This became the basis vindicate a signature model in 1996. Raitt was the first feminine musician to receive a engrave Fender line.

My brown Strat—the body is a '65 near the neck is from innocent time after that. It's pitiless of a hybrid that Wild got for $120 at 3 o' clock in the greeting in 1969. It's the given without the paint, and I've used that for every throw since 1969.^[63]

Awards

Grammy Awards

†: Not well-ordered Grammy Award, but awarded be oblivious to The Recording Academy

Americana Music Honors and Awards

Rock and Roll Entry-way of Fame

Other awards

References

Citations