Bonnie Raitt facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bonnie Raitt
Raitt in 2000
Background information
Birth name	Bonnie Lynn Raitt
Born	(1949-11-08) November 8, 1949 (age 75) Burbank, California, U.S.
Genres	Blues folk country rock
Occupation(s)	Singer musician songwriter
Instruments	Vocals guitar
Years active	1971–present
Labels	Warner Bros. Capitol Redwing Proper
Signature

Bonnie Lynn Raitt (born November 8, 1949) is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. She is known for her unique blend of blues, rock, folk, and country music. Bonnie Raitt released her first album in 1971. Over the years, she became famous for her amazing guitar playing and powerful singing.

Bonnie Raitt had a big breakthrough in 1989 with her album Nick of Time. This album became number one on the Billboard 200 chart and won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Her next albums, Luck of the Draw (1991) and Longing in Their Hearts (1994), also sold millions of copies. These albums featured popular songs like "Something to Talk About" and "I Can't Make You Love Me". In 2022, her song "Just Like That" won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year.

Bonnie Raitt has won 13 Grammy Awards and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Rolling Stone magazine listed her among the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time" and "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time." In 2000, she was welcomed into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She has also received special honors like the Icon Award and the Kennedy Center Honors.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Bonnie Lynn Raitt was born on November 8, 1949, in Burbank, California. Her mother, Marge Goddard, was a pianist, and her father, John Raitt, was a famous actor and singer in musical plays. Bonnie is from Scottish family background. As a child, she enjoyed playing with her two brothers, Steve and David.

Bonnie's parents loved music, and they encouraged her and her brothers to play instruments. Bonnie first played the piano, but she soon started playing the guitar. She received a Stella guitar as a Christmas gift when she was eight years old. Bonnie did not take formal lessons. Instead, she learned by listening to musicians from the American folk music revival of the 1950s.

When she was a teenager, Bonnie found comfort in music. She said, "That was my saving grace. I just sat in my room and played my guitar." At age 14, she became very interested in blues music and learned the slide guitar technique.

In 1967, Bonnie went to Radcliffe College in Massachusetts. She studied social relations and African studies. While in college, she joined a music group that played for students protesting the Vietnam War. Even though she was a talented musician, Bonnie first thought music was just a hobby. During her first year of college, she met blues promoter Dick Waterman. She later took a semester off to travel with Waterman and other musicians. Bonnie said this was "an opportunity that changed everything."

Music Career

Early Albums and Growing Recognition

In the summer of 1970, Bonnie Raitt performed with her brother David and blues legend Mississippi Fred McDowell. She also opened for John Hammond in New York. A reporter from Newsweek magazine wrote about her, and soon, record companies noticed her talent. She signed with Warner Bros. and released her first album, Bonnie Raitt, in 1971. Critics loved the album, praising her singing and guitar skills. At that time, not many women in popular music were known as strong guitarists.

Even though critics admired her, Bonnie Raitt's albums did not sell many copies at first. Her second album, Give It Up (1972), also received great reviews. One journalist called it "an excellent set." Her 1973 album, Takin' My Time, was also praised by critics.

Bonnie Raitt started getting more attention from the press, including a cover story for Rolling Stone in 1975. She began trying different music styles and producers, moving towards a more mainstream sound. In 1976, she appeared on Warren Zevon's album. Many musicians, including B.B. King, praised her slide guitar playing.

First Commercial Success and Activism

In 1977, Bonnie Raitt's album Sweet Forgiveness brought her first big commercial success. It included a popular remake of the song "Runaway." This song's success led to a competition between record labels to sign her. She stayed with Warner Brothers, who had high hopes for her next album.

Her 1979 album, The Glow, received mixed reviews and had modest sales. However, Bonnie Raitt had a big success that year by helping organize five concerts for Musicians United for Safe Energy (MUSE) in New York City. These concerts raised awareness about nuclear power and featured many famous artists like Bruce Springsteen and James Taylor.

In 1980, she appeared in the film Urban Cowboy, singing "Don't It Make You Wanna Dance." For her 1982 album, Green Light, Bonnie tried to return to her earlier sound. The album received strong reviews, but sales did not improve.

Challenges and Comeback

In 1983, Bonnie Raitt was working on her album Tongue and Groove. However, her record company decided to drop her because they were not happy with her album sales. The album was put aside, and Bonnie was left without a record deal.

Despite these challenges, Bonnie continued to tour and support important causes. In 1985, she sang in the "Sun City" music video, which was against apartheid in South Africa. She also participated in Farm Aid and Amnesty International concerts. In 1987, she traveled to Moscow, Russia, for the first joint Soviet/American Peace Concert.

Two years later, Warner Brothers decided to release her shelved album. Bonnie was able to re-record half of it, and it was released as Nine Lives in 1986. This was her last new album for Warner Brothers.

In late 1987, Bonnie Raitt sang background vocals for Roy Orbison's TV special, Roy Orbison and Friends, A Black and White Night. After this, she started working on new music. She began recording with producer Don Was at Capitol Records, creating a mix of blues, pop, and rock songs.

Major Commercial Success

Raitt at the 1990 Grammy Awards

With her first album for Capitol Records, Bonnie Raitt finally achieved huge commercial success. Her tenth album, Nick of Time, was released in 1989. It reached number one on the U.S. album chart after she won several Grammy Awards in early 1990. This album has sold over five million copies in the U.S. and is considered one of the greatest albums of all time by Rolling Stone.

At the same time, Bonnie Raitt won another Grammy for her duet "I'm in the Mood" with John Lee Hooker. Her next album, Luck of the Draw (1991), brought her three more Grammy Awards and sold seven million copies. In 1994, her album Longing in Their Hearts became her second number one album and won two more Grammys.

Bonnie Raitt's work with Don Was ended with her 1995 live album Road Tested. For her next studio album, Fundamental (1998), she worked with new producers, Mitchell Froom and Tchad Blake.

2000s and Beyond

Raitt performing at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, April 23, 2004

In March 2000, Bonnie Raitt was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Her 2002 album, Silver Lining, reached number 13 on the Billboard chart and included popular singles like "I Can't Help You Now." On March 19, 2002, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In 2005, she released the album Souls Alike, which reached the top 20 on the Billboard chart. In 2006, she released the live DVD/CD Bonnie Raitt and Friends, featuring guest artists like Alison Krauss and Norah Jones. Bonnie Raitt also appeared in the 2005 documentary film Make It Funky!, which explored the history of New Orleans music.

In April 2012, Bonnie Raitt released Slipstream, her first studio album since 2005. It reached number 6 on the Billboard 200 chart, making it her first top ten album since 1994. The album was praised as "one of the best of her 40-year career." In February 2016, she released her seventeenth studio album, Dig In Deep, which charted at number 11.

In 2022, Bonnie Raitt released her 21st studio album, Just Like That.... The album's title track won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year and Best American Roots Song in February 2023.

Musical Style

Bonnie Raitt has a deep and expressive singing voice. Music critics have described her voice as "textured" and capable of "shouting, crooning, carry[ing] a tune or fill[ing] a room." She is known for being a "master interpreter of other writers' songs," meaning she can sing songs written by others and make them sound like her own. She is skilled at singing blues, folk, country, rock, and pop music. The blues has always been a strong foundation for her musical journey. Singer Linda Ronstadt has said that Bonnie Raitt has "way more musicianship than I do."

Personal Life

Bonnie Raitt has taken breaks from her career, especially after losing family members and close friends. She was married to actor Michael O'Keefe from 1991 to 1999. They decided to divorce because their careers often kept them apart.

Activism and Causes

Raitt with musician Jackson Browne at a 1997 press conference opposing the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository

Bonnie Raitt has always been involved in social and political causes. Her 1972 album Give It Up included a dedication to the people of North Vietnam, showing her anti-war feelings. She was a founding member of Musicians United for Safe Energy in 1979, which worked against the expansion of nuclear power. She performed at benefit concerts and worked with anti-nuclear groups.

Bonnie Raitt has also helped preserve the legacy of blues musicians. In 1994, she helped fund a new headstone for her mentor, blues guitarist Fred McDowell. She later financed memorial headstones for other blues musicians like Memphis Minnie and Tommy Johnson.

Since 2002, Bonnie Raitt has been a supporter of Little Kids Rock, a group that provides free musical instruments and lessons to children in public schools. She visits children in the program and is an honorary member of the organization's board.

In 2008, Bonnie Raitt contributed a song to a CD that helped with relief efforts after the 2004 tsunami in Southeast Asia. She also works with Reverb, an environmental organization, for her tours. She is part of the No Nukes group, which continues to oppose nuclear power. During political campaigns, she has performed at events for candidates she supports.

Discography

Guitar

Bonnie Raitt's main guitar for touring is a special Fender Stratocaster that she calls Brownie. This guitar was so important to her sound that Fender created a special "signature model" based on it in 1996. Bonnie Raitt was the first female musician to have her own signature Fender guitar line.

She said about her guitar:

My brown Strat—the body is a '65 and the neck is from some time after that. It's kind of a hybrid that I got for $120 at 3 o' clock in the morning in 1969. It's the one without the paint, and I've used that for every gig since 1969.

Awards and Honors

Bonnie Raitt has received many awards for her music and contributions.

Grammy Awards

: Not a Grammy Award, but awarded by The Recording Academy

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
1980	"You're Gonna Get What's Coming"	Best Female Rock Vocal Performance	Nominated
1983	"Green Light"		Nominated
1987	"No Way to Treat a Lady"		Nominated
1990	Nick of Time	Album of the Year	Won
		Best Female Rock Vocal Performance	Won
	"Nick of Time"	Best Female Pop Vocal Performance	Won
	"I'm in the Mood" (with John Lee Hooker)	Best Traditional Blues Recording	Won
1992	Luck of the Draw	Album of the Year	Nominated
		Best Rock Vocal Solo Performance	Won
	"Something to Talk About"	Record of the Year	Nominated
		Best Female Pop Vocal Performance	Won
	"Good Man, Good Woman"	Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal	Won
	Bonnie Raitt	MusiCares Person of the Year	Won
1995	Longing in Their Hearts	Album of the Year	Nominated
		Best Pop Vocal Album	Won
	"Love Sneakin' Up On You"	Record of the Year	Nominated
		Best Female Rock Vocal Performance	Nominated
	"Longing in Their Hearts"	Best Female Pop Vocal Performance	Nominated
1996	"You Got It"	Best Female Pop Vocal Performance	Nominated
1997	Road Tested	Best Rock Album	Nominated
	"Burning Down the House"	Best Female Rock Vocal Performance	Nominated
	"SRV Shuffle"	Best Rock Instrumental Performance	Won
1999	"Kisses Sweeter Than Wine" (with Jackson Browne)	Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals	Nominated
2003	"Gnawin' on It"	Best Female Rock Vocal Performance	Nominated
2004	"Time of Our Lives"		Nominated
2006	"I Will Not Be Broken"	Best Female Pop Vocal Performance	Nominated
2013	Slipstream	Best Americana Album	Won
2022	Herself	Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award	Won
2023	"Just Like That"	Song of the Year	Won
		Best American Roots Song	Won
	Just Like That...	Best Americana Album	Nominated
	"Made Up Mind"	Best Americana Performance	Won

Other Awards

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Additional Honors

• In 1992, Bonnie Raitt received an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music.
• In 1997, she was awarded the Harvard Arts Medal.
• In 2017, the National Guitar Museum honored her with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
• In 2018, she received the People's Voice Award from the Folk Alliance International Awards for her activism.
• In 2022, Bonnie Raitt received the Icon Award at the Billboard Women in Music Awards.
• In 2024, she was a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors.

See also

In Spanish: Bonnie Raitt para niños