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was the daughter of Broadway star John Raitt, best known for his starring performances in such hit Broadway musicals as Carousel and Pajama Game. Bonnie learned to play guitar at age 12 and later dropped out of Radcliff College in Boston to play on the local folk and blues scene. Debuting in 1971 with a self-titled album, Bonnie enjoyed a strong positive reception from critics who lauded not only for her soulful vocals and thoughtful song selection but also for her guitar skills, as she became one of the few women to play bottleneck. Throughout the 70s, Bonnie released several albums to critical acclaim, but little commercial success. In the 80s, though her reputation as a progressive activist involved in a number of benefit concerts was growing, Raitt found that her recording career was floundering. Then, in 1989, she hooked up with Don Was for her tenth album—The Nick of Time—which became a monumental mainstream success. The album won a bunch of Grammys, including Album of the Year, and Raitt, seemingly overnight, became 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," which solidified her status as a successful mainstream artist.



Tapping producers Mitchell Froom and Tchad Blake, Raitt came back in 1998 with Fundamental. In March 2000, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Raitt came out with Silver Lining in 2002, followed by Souls Alike in 2005, both on Capitol Records. A year later, Bonnie Raitt and Friends was released, featuring guest appearances from Norah Jones and Ben Harper among others. Bonnie has won a total of nine Grammys thus far in her career, and is still going strong with yearly benefit performances tied to several political and social causes. As Australian recording artist, Graeme Connors has said: "Bonnie Raitt does something with a lyric no one else can do; she bends it and twists it right into your heart." Millions of fans share the sentiment.