Bonnie Raitt in Some Great Photos From the 1970s

“I’m glad people think I’m a badass. I’m a rock and roller, and I’m an R&B and a blueswoman. I don’t do fairy music, although I love Celtic music and sensitive music. There’s a balance between ballads and kick-ass songs. Leading a band and producing yourself and picking cool tunes and putting a show together takes a lot of thought, and a certain amount of courage. In my early twenties, if I wasn’t getting good enough at it, then people would not come and see me. Anybody who has lasted this long — I hope we get better with age. Some people are caricatures of themselves, and some people keep people coming back and keep themselves growing. Otherwise, the fans would get bored.” – Bonnie Raitt

Bonnie Lynn Raitt, an American blues singer, and guitarist, was born in Burbank, California, on November 8, 1949. She was one of three siblings growing up with musical parents in an environment that encouraged their musical talents. Raitt picked up a guitar at eight and proceeded to teach herself to play it. Instead of lessons, she took influence from the American folk music revival of the 1950s as well as the beatnik movement. During her second year of college, she left school and moved to Philadelphia with other local musicians.

In 1970, Raitt released her self-titled debut album. It was warmly received by the music press, who praised her for her impressive guitar skills. Over the next few years, Raitt wrote and recorded six new albums, her most acclaimed being “Sweet Forgiveness.” This album featured her first hit single, “Runaway,” which garnered her three Grammy nominations. In 1989, she changed record labels and began working with Capitol Records, this was a productive move, and she was rewarded with new levels of popular and critical acclaim. She won four more Grammy Awards in 1990, and the album Nick of Time shot to number one on the charts.

Amidst all this musical acclaim, Raitt is also an activist, and her political involvement goes back to the early 1970s. She has been involved in the environmental movement, doing concerts around oil, nuclear power, mining, water, and forest protection. Raitt is a founding member of Musicians United for Safe Energy which produced the historic concerts, album, and movie No Nukes. 21 albums later, numerous Grammy Awards and accolades, plus a Lifetime Achievement Award — Raitt’s career hasn’t looked to slow down or dim. Here are some photographs of a young Bonnie Raitt in the 1970s: