Bonnie Raitt

Bonnie Raitt

Biographical Sketch

Bonnie Lynn Raitt (born Burbank, CA, USA, November 8, 1949) is an American blues singer-songwriter and slide guitar player. During the 1970s, Raitt released a series of acclaimed roots-influenced albums which incorporated elements of blues, rock, folk and country, but she is perhaps best known for her more commercially accessible recordings in the 1990s including Nick of Time, Something to Talk About, Love Sneakin’ Up on You, and the slow ballad I Can’t Make You Love Me (with Bruce Hornsby on piano). Her principal touring guitar, which she has been playing at everyone of her appearances since 1969, is a customized Fender Stratocaster that she nicknamed Brownie. It became the basis for a signature model in 1996. Raitt was the first female musician to receive a signature Fender line.

Raitt has received ten Grammy Awards in her career and is listed as number 50 in Rolling Stone’s list of the “100 Greatest Singers of All Time” and number 89 on the magazine’s list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time”. and is a lifelong political activist, supporting environmental and peace campaigns, as well as Little Kids Rock, a nonprofit organization that provides free musical instruments and free lessons to children in public schools throughout the U.S.A. Australian country music artist Graeme Connors said in a 2008 interview on ABC New South Wales that “Bonnie Raitt does something with a lyric no one else can do; she bends it and twists it right into your heart.”

Major Awards and Honors

Hall of Fame Inductions

Rock’n Roll Hall of Fame

2000: Individual Artist

Blues Hall of Fame

2010: Performer

Grammy Hall of Fame

2015: Rock Album – “Nick of Time”
2017: Rock Single – “I Can’t Make You Love Me”

Others

Grammies

1989: Album Of The Year – “Nick Of Time”
Grammy awarded to: Bonnie Raitt, artist; Don Was, producer.
1989: Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female – “Nick Of Time”
Grammy awarded to: Bonnie Raitt, artist.
1989: Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female – “Nick Of Time”
Grammy awarded to: Bonnie Raitt, artist.
1989: Best Traditional Blues Recording – “I’m In The Mood”
Grammy awarded to: Bonnie Raitt & John Lee Hooker, artists.
1991: Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female – “Something To Talk About”
Grammy awarded to: Bonnie Raitt, artist.
1991: Best Rock Vocal Performance, Solo – “Luck Of The Draw”
Grammy awarded to: Bonnie Raitt, artist.
1991: Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal – “Good Man, Good Woman”
Grammy awarded to: Bonnie Raitt & Delbert McClinton, artists.
1994: Best Pop Album – “Longing In Their Hearts”
Grammy awarded to: Bonnie Raitt, artist.
1996: Best Rock Instrumental Performance – “SRV Shuffle”
Grammy awarded to: Art Neville, B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt, Buddy Guy, Dr. John, Eric Clapton, Jimmie Vaughan & Robert Cray, artists.
2012: Best Americana Album – “Slipstream”
Grammy awarded to: Bonnie Raitt, artist; Ryan Freeland, engineer/mixer; Bonnie Raitt, producer.

Americana Music Honors and Awards

2012: Lifetme Achievement Award for Performance

Folk Alliance International Awards

2018: People’s Voice Award

Rolling Stone Magazine

100 Greatest Singers of All Time: #50
100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time: #89
500 Greatest Albums of All Time:
- #230 – “Nick of Time”
- #495 – “Give It Up”
500 Greatest Songs of All Time: #339 – “I Can’t Make You Love Me”
(Album: “Luck of the Draw”)

Hollywood Walk of Fame

2002: Star

Guitar Center Hollywood RockWalk

1996: Inductee

National Guitar Museum (USA)

2017: Lifetime Achievement Award

Berklee College of Music (USA)

1991: Honorary Doctorage of Music

Harvard University

1997: Harvard Arts Medal

Discography

Solo Releases

Bonnie Raitt (1971)
Give It Up (1972)
Takin’ My Time (1973)
Streetslights (1974)
Home Plate (1975)
Sweet Forgiveness (1977)
The Glow (1979)
Green Light (1982)
Nine Lives (1986)
Nick of Time (1989)
The Bonnie Raitt Collection (1990)
Luck of the Draw (1991)
Longing in Their Hearts (1994)
Road Tested (1995)
Fundamental (1998)
Silver Lining (2002)
The Best of Bonnie Raitt (2003)
Souls Alike (2005)
Bonnie Raitt and Friends (2006)
Slipstream (2012)
Dig in Deep (2016)

Soundtrack Contributions and Compilations

Urban Cowboy (1980)
– Songs: Don’t It Make Ya Wanna Dance? and Darlin’.
Bull Durham (1988)
– Song: Love Ain’t No Triple Play (with Bennie Wallaceand Dr. John).
Stay Awake (1989)
– Song: Baby Mine (with Was (Not Was)).
Coast to Coast (1990)
– Song: Once In a Lifetime.
Air America (1990)
– Song: Right Place Wrong Time (with B.B. King).
Boys on the Side (1994)
– Song: You Got It.
1995 Grammy Nominees (1995)
– Songs: Love Sneakin’ Up On You and Longing In Their Hearts.
Michael (1996)
– Song: Feels Like Home.
Tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan (1996)
– Song: Pride and Joy (with Double Trouble).
Rock and Roll Doctor: A Tribute to Lowell George (1997)
– Song: Cold, Cold, Cold (with Little Feat).
Steal This Movie (2000)
– Song: It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue.
The Country Bears (2002)
– Songs: Can Love Stand the Test (with Don Henley) and Straight to the Heart of Love (with John Hiatt, E.G. Daily, Colin Hay and Don Henley).
Grammy’s Greatest Moments Volume I (2004)
– Song: Thing Called Love (live version).
Grammy’s Greatest Moments Volume III (2004)
– Song: I Can’t Make You Love Me (live version).
Home on the Range (2004)
– Song: Will the Sun Ever Shine Again.
Goin’ Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino (2007)
– Song: I’m in Love Again / All by Myself (with Jon Cleary).
The 25th Anniversary Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Concerts (2010)
– Song: Love Has No Pride (with Crosby, Stills & Nash).

From the Lyrics

Nick of Time

“No matter how you tell yourself
It’s what we all go through
Those lines are pretty hard to take
When they’re staring back at you
Oh, scared you’ll run out of time
When did the choices get so hard
With so much more at stake
Life gets mighty precious
When there’s less of it to waste”