Bonnie Raitt Biography

Fast Facts

• Got involved in the environmental movement during the 1970s, and has since held concerts drawing attention to oil, nuclear power, mining, water and forest protection
• Was a founding member of Musicians United for Safe Energy, which produced the "No Nukes" concerts, album and movie
• Was inducted as a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000
• Taught herself to play guitar as a teenager, and in college shared the stage with such blues legends as Howlin' Wolf and Mississippi Fred McDowell thanks to a friendship with blues promoter Dick Waterman
• Quote: "[on choosing songs] "There are definitely veins of styles that I stay in․ I just let that mysterious process wash over me rather than try to analyze it․""
• Quote: "[on electric guitar] "It's like surfing-you can ride that wave of emotional intensity and taper it off and build it up, depending on how you work your volume knob․ It's really an exciting way to express yourself․""
• Best known for playing bottleneck slide guitar
• Became the first woman to have a signature Fender, and though she was at first hesitant about putting her name on the product, she eventually agreed and used the profits to create the Bonnie Raitt Guitar Project
• Enjoys doing yoga, hiking and biking in her spare time
• Her guitar collection includes signature metallic blue Fenders, a '63 sunburst Stratocaster once owned by Robin Trower and a Stratocaster with no paint that she bought for $120 at 3 o'clock in the morning in 1969 and used for every gig since then