| Bonnie
Raitt, singer/guitarist, did not
begin to win the comparable commercial
success due her until the release of the
aptly titled 1989 blockbuster Nick of
Time; her tenth album, it rocketed her
into the mainstream consciousness nearly
two decades after she first committed
her unique blend of blues, rock, and R&B
to vinyl. Born in Burbank, CA, on
November 8, 1949, she was the daughter
of Broadway star John Raitt, best known
for his starring performances in such
smashes as Carousel and Pajama Game.
After picking up the guitar at the age
of 12, Raitt felt an immediate affinity
for the blues, and although she went off
to attend Radcliffe in 1967, within two
years she had dropped out to begin
playing the Boston folk and blues club
circuit. Signing with noted blues
manager Dick Waterman, she was soon
performing alongside the likes of idols
including Howlin' Wolf, Sippie Wallace,
and Mississippi Fred McDowell and in
time earned such a strong reputation
that she was signed to Warner Bros.
Debuting in 1971 with an eponymous
titled effort, Raitt immediately emerged
as a critical favorite, applauded not
only for her soulful vocals and
thoughtful song selection but also for
her guitar prowess, turning heads as one
of the few women to play bottleneck. Her
1972 follow-up, Give It Up, made better
use of her eclectic tastes, featuring
material by contemporaries like Jackson
Browne and Eric Kaz, in addition to a
number of R&B chestnuts and even three
Raitt originals. 1973's Takin' My Time
was much acclaimed, and throughout the
middle of the decade she released an LP
annually, returning with Streetlights in
1974 and Home Plate a year later. With
1977's Sweet Forgiveness, Raitt scored
her first significant pop airplay with
her hit cover of the Del Shannon classic
"Runaway"; its follow-up, 1979's The
Glow, appeared around the same time as a
massive all-star anti-nuclear concert at
Madison Square Garden mounted by MUSE
(Musicians United for Safe Energy), an
organization she'd co-founded earlier.
Throughout her career, Raitt remains
a committed activist, playing hundreds
of benefit concerts and working
tirelessly on behalf of the Rhythm and
Blues Foundation. She teamed with
producer Don Was and recorded Nick of
Time; seemingly out of the blue, the LP
won a handful of Grammys, including
Album of the Year, and overnight she was
a superstar. 1991's Luck of the Draw was
also a smash, yielding the hits
"Something to Talk About" and "I Can't
Make You Love Me." After 1994's Longing
in Their Hearts, Raitt resurfaced in
1998 with Fundamental. |
