LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT Bonnie Raitt
How Bonnie Raitt’s Slow Climb Resulted In A Lifelong Impact Some people were simply born to play music. Some of them are determined to keep pushing until they make it happen. Bonnie Raitt is a prime example of both. Though she’s now lauded as a pioneer for women in Americana and blues, Raitt didn’t turn into a 10-time GRAMMY Award winner overnight. Even so, music critics hailed her take on country blues and bottleneck slide guitar early on, catching attention for her masterful blending of soul, pop and rock to create a oneof-a-kind sound. Raitt’s 1971 self-titled debut swaggers between barroom shuffles and bluesy folk rock. As early as “I Know,” from her 1972 album Give It Up, Raitt was experimenting with New Orleans funk rhythms underneath her slide work. After scoring a hit with a cover of John Prine’s “Angel From Montgomery” in 1974, she put all of the pieces in place with 1977’s “Runaway”: smoky guitar played over a driving backbeat, with a honking harmonica solo and her undeniable voice soaring about it all. Still, it was another decade before her commercial success matched the dynamic stylings she was bringing to the table. But by the time Raitt broke through, it was clear she was going to be a mainstay: 1989’s Nick of Time swept the 1990 GRAMMY Awards, winning the coveted Album Of The Year, with its title track taking Best Female Rock Vocal Performance and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Raitt turned out an even bigger smash with Luck of the Draw, the 1991 follow-up that included her signature hit, the cheeky love song “Something to Talk About.” The album earned her three more GRAMMYs, with “Something To Talk About” winning Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female and two other album tracks winning in the Rock Category — further solidifying Raitt’s cross-genre impact. Raitt has also proven a perennial live draw, performing around the world with the nowiconic Fender Stratocaster she nicknamed
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“Brownie.” She has performed at the GRAMMY Awards a record nine times — more than any other woman — with her performances all showcasing her vast musical ability, including a duet with Alicia Keys in honor of Etta James in 2012 and a B.B. King tribute with Chris Stapleton and Gary Clark Jr. in 2016. The icon will carry her legacy into a sixth decade with her 21st studio album, due in 2022. Along the way, Raitt’s artistry and influence has been felt by her peers and successors. Fellow blues singer/guitarist Susan Tedeschi touted Raitt for “making blues and music approachable in a man’s world” in an interview with New York radio station WFUV. “Her voice
is a perfect blend of sweetness, soul, and blues,” Tedeschi added. “Always telling a story, she makes you feel just what she’s feeling.” The genre-bending singer-songwriter has earned honors on Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Singers of All Time and 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time lists. Nick Of Time and her hit Luck Of The Draw ballad “I Can’t Make You Love Me” have each earned a spot in the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame, in 2015 and 2017, respectively. Most recently, Raitt was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020. Fifty years in and showing no sign of stopping, Bonnie Raitt has certainly cemented her place as a Lifetime Achievement artist. — Jim Beaugez
“Her voice is a perfect blend of sweetness, soul, and blues. Always telling a story, she makes you feel just what she’s feeling.” — SUSAN TEDESCHI