Bonnie Raitt And Her Music

“A True Blues Icon”
by Pamela L. Dow

I’ve been in love with blues music for as long as I can remember. My only disappointment has been the lack of female artists making a career in this genre. Finally within these past few years I’ve noticed a real improvement in the numbers of woman who consider blues music their home. Even though blues music was originally started by woman, it has since been a male-dominated genre

In the 1940’s, most women found greater success
becoming jazz singers, recording a couple of blues numbers to fill set lists for newly released jazz albums. As each decade passed the original format began to fade, altering it’s appearance to fit the times. Artists of the 1950’s and 1960’s, adopted the new, exciting sound of rock and roll. By the late sixties, female artists became equally
popular, and were moving right up the charts with number one hit singles. These hit singles were created by, mixing blues music with rock and roll, then tossed together with a funky beat and a new urban sound was born. This new format was
better known to everyone as “soul” music.

Entering the 1970’s, a new interest with the original sound of blues music had developed. The I, IV, V progressions were making a strong comeback, many traditional blues songs were being recorded by groups like the Rolling Stones. In 1971, a
new female artist emerged on the music scene, with her self-titled debut album. Much earlier, this artist had surrounded herself in folk music, developing a sound similar to that of Joan Baez and Pete Seager. Through this music, she found herself drawn to activism and the protest
movement. She felt deeply concerned over the different social issues facing our society. Around this same time, she heard a recording of the Newport Blues Festival, more specifically the song “Candyman”, by Mississippi John Hurt.
She fell in love with the delta style of blues, deciding immediately to change direction musically, and never looked back. The rest as they say, is history, this artist has gone on to become one of the very best female blues artist of our
generation. She’s known by many of her peers throughout the industry as, “The Queen of Slide Guitar”. Fortunately for all her fans, fifteen albums, multiple Grammy awards, and induction into The Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame hasn’t slowed
her down, in fact, I believe she’s just getting warmed up. This very talented musician, is Capitol Records artist Bonnie Raitt.

I’ve attended multiple Bonnie Raitt’s concerts during the different stages of her career at several venues on the east coast. While each concert has it’s own special moments and memories, they equally share in one thing, the excitement of
watching the very best blues musician in the business at work. She has a powerful connection with her fans who come to see her perform. At each concert, Bonnie plays each song
like it’s the very first time, taking her audience through a gamete of emotion. One minute your eyes begin to fill as she pulls on your heart strings singing one of her ballads, the next minute your up on your feet, as she’s rocking the house down.

One of the first Bonnie Raitt performances I attended, was at a venue in the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts called, The Lennox Music Inn( which no longer exists). It was
a warm summer evening, a sea of people were spread all across the grounds sitting on blankets(The Music Inn was an outdoor facility). The concert started off with a local band who performed for about an hour. After some confusion, the band
announced to this huge crowd that Bonnie’s bus broke down, but not to worry, she’s on her way. Another 30 to 45 minutes passed when Bonnie and her band finally arrived, the crowd went absolutely crazy the minute she stepped on stage. What really amazed me, was how Bonnie refused to let a single fan down that night. She played with a fury, “non-stop” from approximately 9pm, till the Music Inn officials insisted she finish, which
was long after midnight. Another of her earlier performances I attended was at the SUNY campus in Albany N.Y. A free concert was scheduled for the graduates consisting of several area bands, with Bonnie as the headliner. I remember
how unusually hot it was that day, several people from the crowd had to be carried out from the heat and humidity. Bonnie appeared on stage late in the afternoon, and had the whole place up on it’s feet right from her very first song. I had a better view of her on stage, being closer than at the Music Inn. I was impressed with her incredible stage presence, how all the musicians up there instinctively followed her lead. You could see the real affection they had for one another, how they loved performing together. I’ll never forget the image of her playing her heart out on this huge acoustic guitar, and regardless of the weather, not a
single person wanted her to leave.

Later into her career, I attended her concert at a club in Washington DC called The Wax Museum. This was during the time when Bonnie was at her lowest, dealing with alcohol and weight issues. I was surprised to see that Bonnie had a really short haircut, something unexpected since she’s known
for her beautifully long, wavy red hair. This concert was one of the scheduled stops on her “Green Light” tour, also around the same time that she was blind-sided by her record label when they let her go. The situation has since been well documented, explaining the on-going struggle that
contributed to her downward slide both physically and emotionally. Being the professional she is, other than her short hair and looking tired, there was no evidence of her personal struggles when it came to performing on stage. She played that night
for almost two hours straight, leaving us all wanting more. The love affair with her fans continued to grow with each performance, as that invisible bond of affection expands from both sides of the stage.

Around the time just after Nine Lives, and before Nick Of Time, Bonnie gave an intimate performance with only herself and I believe Johnny Lee Schell, at a small theater in Northampton, Mass. This concert is one of my most favorite, a real acoustic evening with Bonnie Raitt. The first thing she did was joke about the clothes she was wearing. Making fun of herself for wearing a dress type outfit, saying she wasn’t doing this again, making reference to looking like Carly Simon. Quite honestly, she looked very nice, but I could appreciate her sentimate, she wasn’t wearing the usual outfits we’re used to seeing, and felt a bit uncomfortable. Regardless of what garment she chose, this concert was really special, a real “one on one” with her audience. Luckily I had seats only two or three rows from the stage and got a close look at the detail of her slide work. What a treat, especially when playing one of my very favorite
songs, “Write Me A Few Of Your Lines/Kokomo Blues”.

I attended her performance at SPAC in Saratoga Springs, New York shortly after her successful CD release Luck Of The Draw. It was a clear September evening, and the temperatures
really dropped when the sun went down. During the concert, Bonnie commented on how she was really cold on stage, and how it was affecting the strings of her guitar, making it painful. I found out the next day that it was unseasonably cold for even that time of year, the temperature dropped to the upper twenties, so at the time of her performance, it was probably in the low to mid thirties at best. The concert itself was a complete sell-out, even with the lawn seats, not a blade of grass to be found. On a personal level, it was a very special evening for Bonnie, her Mom was in attendance, and it happened to be her birthday. Despite the cold weather, Bonnie was smiling from ear to ear, sharing with all of us just how truly happy she was.

With each new performance it’s clear to see just how much fun she’s having out there. I honestly believe that if she could, Bonnie would play all night long, or at least past the time restraints of a particular venue. Also, she’s one artist who makes the time at each of her concerts to acknowledge all those who are playing with and behind her. She openly sings their praises, announcing their talants and her sincere appreciation for having them with her, not many artists take this kind of time to say thanks.

The one thing that Bonnie doesn’t appreciate while
performing is people shouting out song suggestions. More specifically when people yell at her to sing, “Runaway”. C’mon folks, she has an arsenal of great songs to chose from. For the longest time she’s had to live in the shadow
of that one song, and she’s long since moved forward from that time in her career. Why some people can’t get past this with her, is something I personally don’t understand. I question their motivations, and if they really are fans at all. This happened to her at a concert recently at the
Oakdale Theater in Wallingford, Ct. After finishing a set of songs the applause starts to fade, and just before going into the next set, someone yells out for her to sing, ”Runaway”. The whole place heard it, as did Bonnie, who responded immediately,
commenting about never going there, trying to get the heckler to get over it with a light-hearted attitude. It was obvious she wasn’t pleased at all with the request, going into her next section of songs.

At each concert location, Bonnie gives of herself not only musically with the audience, but also with support for local homeless shelters and environmental groups that are working in the area. She has always been socially active since back
to those early days of her career. She has maintained a practice what you preach attitude. Being a familiar face within the music industry, including her faith and her parents upbringing, Bonnie believes she has a responsibility to the world we live in and is dedicated to making a
difference. She is an artist of integrity, compassion, and a true champion to the music she knows and loves. The success she enjoys today has been well earned and long overdue, nothing was ever handed to her. Bonnie has rightfully earned her place in the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. She continues to give back to this same industry through her dedication to the Rthymn and Blues Foundation, and also with her participation, along with Fender Guitars, in the Boys and Girls Clubs music education program. Donating electric
guitars to those children who would otherwise never get the opportunity to learn.

When it comes to having a mentor, or an artist that can be considered a role model in this industry, especially for woman, the choices are very slim. Of those few artists out there, Bonnie Raitt is certainly at the top of the list. She has a wealth of knowledge and experience when it comes to being a successful singer/songwriter. Many artists in the
industry consider her one of the best slide guitarists in music today. She’s gone through some hard times, refusing to back down under enormous pressures placed upon her by the
industry, demanding she change her style of music or re-invent herself. Thankfully, those days are in the past, as she looks ahead to a long and prosperous career.

Luckily for us, she continues to record, her new CD “Silver Lining” is scheduled to be released in the spring of 2002. If you’ve never listened to her music, then your in for a treat. Those who aren’t sure, I suggest you give her CD’s another try, her music will really grow on you, and you might just be surprised, wondering why you waited so long.

(C)2001 P.L.Dow