Biography
Who is Bonnie Raitt?
Early life and education
Bonnie Raitt was born on November 8, 1949 in Burbank, California. Her father, John Raitt, was a musical actor in Broadway plays. Her mother, Marge Goddard, played the piano. Bonnie received a Stella guitar as a gift in 1957. She taught herself to play using 1950s folk music. She was also influenced by the beatnik movement. She grew her hair long to match this style.
She attended Camp Regis in the Adirondack Mountains from age eight to fifteen. At age 14, she heard the album Blues at Newport 63. This record introduced her to slide guitar. She later enrolled at Radcliffe College in 1967. There she studied African studies and social relations.
Early career and debut
In 1970, Bonnie Raitt played with her brother David at the Philadelphia Folk Festival. They performed with Mississippi Fred McDowell. She also opened for John Hammond at the Gaslight Cafe. These shows led to a contract with Warner Bros. Her debut album, Bonnie Raitt, was released in 1971.
Critics praised her as a bottleneck guitarist. Few women in popular music had that reputation at the time. She released Give It Up in 1972 and Takin' My Time in 1973. Streetlights came out in 1974. Home Plate followed in 1975. She also appeared on a Warren Zevon album in 1976.
Commercial success and honors
The 1977 album Sweet Forgiveness featured the hit song Runaway. In 1979, she helped organize the MUSE concerts at Madison Square Garden. These events produced the film and album No Nukes. She also appeared in the movie Urban Cowboy in 1980.
Her tenth studio album, Nick of Time, hit the top spot of the Billboard 200 in 1989. It earned a Grammy for Album of the Year. Luck of the Draw and Longing in Their Hearts were multimillion sellers in the 1990s. These works included the song I Can't Make You Love Me.
Family and personal life
Bonnie Raitt is married to Michael O'Keefe. She has two brothers named Steve and David. Her father starred in Carousel and The Pajama Game. She has Scottish ancestry from the Rait Clan. This family built Rait Castle in the 13th century.
She attended Oakwood Friends School. During college, she joined the Revolutionary Music Collective. This group played for students during the 1970 anti-Vietnam War strike at Harvard University. She befriended Dick Waterman during her first year of college. In her second year, she traveled to Philadelphia with him.
Birthday and age
Bonnie Raitt was born on November 8, 1949, which makes Bonnie 76 years old today. That birthday falls under the Scorpio sign. Bonnie shares the date with 26 other famous people.
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