Bonnie Lynn Raitt (born November 8, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist whose music combines blues, rock, rhythm and blues, country, folk, and pop. Known for her expressive vocals and distinctive slide guitar playing, she built a respected career in roots music before achieving major commercial success in middle age. Her work has earned numerous Grammy Awards, induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, and a lasting reputation as one of the most accomplished guitarists in American popular music.
Born in Burbank, California, Raitt grew up in a family connected to musical theater. She began playing guitar as a teenager and developed a strong interest in blues performers whose work was not widely represented in mainstream rock. At Radcliffe College, she became involved in the Cambridge, Massachusetts, folk and blues scene, where her ability as a slide guitarist attracted attention. Her early influences included Mississippi Delta blues, Chicago blues, soul, and the singer-songwriters who were reshaping American music in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Raitt signed with Warner Bros. Records and released her self-titled debut album in 1971. The record introduced the qualities that would define her career: a warm, emotionally direct voice, inventive slide guitar, and a repertoire that moved easily between original songs and interpretations of blues standards and contemporary songwriting. Albums such as Give It Up (1972), Takin' My Time (1973), Streetlights (1974), and Home Plate (1975) established her as a thoughtful and versatile performer. Her first significant commercial breakthrough came with Sweet Forgiveness (1977), which included her muscular interpretation of Del Shannon's "Runaway."
During the 1970s and 1980s, Raitt maintained a demanding touring schedule and worked with artists including Jackson Browne, John Prine, Little Feat, Warren Zevon, and Bonnie Raitt's longtime circle of blues and roots musicians. Her albums were praised for their musicianship, but changing record-industry expectations and personal struggles affected her momentum. The Glow (1979), Green Light (1982), and Nine Lives (1986) showed her continuing artistic range, even as her commercial position became uncertain.
The turning point came with Nick of Time (1989), her first album for Capitol Records and a collaboration with producer Don Was. The album's carefully balanced mixture of blues, soul, rock, and adult contemporary songwriting brought Raitt to a much wider audience. It won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, while its title track and "I'm in the Mood" with John Lee Hooker also received major recognition. The follow-up, Luck of the Draw (1991), produced the hits "Something to Talk About," "I Can't Make You Love Me," and "Not the Only One." These songs made Raitt an international star without requiring her to abandon the musical identity developed over two decades.
Later albums, including Longing in Their Hearts (1994), Fundamental (1998), Silver Lining (2002), and Souls Alike (2005), continued to emphasize mature songwriting and roots-based performances. After a period away from recording, she returned with Slipstream (2012), followed by Dig in Deep (2016) and Just Like That... (2022). The title song from Just Like That... earned the Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Best American Roots Song, while the album further demonstrated her ability to address loss, compassion, and renewal with unusual emotional clarity.
Raitt has also been active in environmental, political, and social causes, using benefit performances and public advocacy to support peace, energy reform, human rights, and Native American and women's issues. Her career is notable not only for its longevity but for the way it connects traditional blues with contemporary popular music. Rather than treating the blues as a museum form, Raitt has used it as a living language for songs about love, regret, resilience, and change.