“The kind of music I do is not for sissies,” quips Bonnie Raitt, the veteran multi-Grammy-winning singer, whose blues-rock slide guitar is as fiery as her red mane.
“I mean, I love singing heartbreak ballads, and really intelligent singer-songwriter songs,” continues Raitt, 66, whose 20th album Dig in Deep, out Feb. 26, contains a rich share of both. “But when you do those R&B and rock ’n’ roll songs, that’s the reason I’m out here doing this. That’s why I like to get up there.”
Raitt’s devotion to both blues-rock and the touring life is clear on “Gypsy In Me,” the singer’s first lyric video and a “Dig In Deep” track, which debuted exclusively on Billboard.com.
Life on the road is in Raitt’s blood. “I love it; my dad loved it,” she says of her father, the late Broadway star John Raitt. “I watched him tour 25 consecutive years in summer stock and none of in our family could believe that he got paid for going up there and singing those songs every night. So early on, I got the bug.”
Raitt’s roots as a musician and social activist run deep, with some lasting—and lesser known—sources of inspiration. She was raised a Quaker. And during her childhood, as her father played summer stock, Raitt attended a Quaker camp in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State. Camp Regis-Applejack is still run by the Humes family on the shores of Lake Regis.
“I had eight summers there,” she recalls. “It changed my life. It’s where I got a lot of my humanism, my appreciation for nature, my love of folk music and social justice. The camp experience allows you to blossom out of your nuclear family role in a way that doesn’t happen anywhere else.”
Dig In Deep is on Raitt’s own Redwing label, as was her previous release Slipstream, which arrived in 2012 to critical acclaim, including a Grammy Award (her 10th) for best Americana album.
Photo by Taylor Hill /Getty Images – Honoree Joe Smith attends the 2nd annual Billboard Power 100 Cocktail Reception at Emerson Theater on Jan. 23, 2014 in Hollywood, Calif.
Smith, who signed the Grateful Dead, oversaw Warner Bros., Elektra/Asylum and Capitol-EMI
Joe Smith, a legendary record executive who signed the Grateful Dead
and helmed three labels, including as president and CEO of Capitol-EMI
Music, has died. He was 91. His son confirmed his death to Billboard.
Smith, who received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2015, worked closely with a number of artists, including Bonnie Raitt, whom he signed while president at Warner Bros. Records in the ‘70s and then brought to Capitol and was part of her comeback in the late ‘80s, including her multiple Grammy winner 1989’s Nick of Time.
“So sorry to mark the passing of my friend and record company mentor, Joe Smith. For signing me to Warner Brothers Records in 1971 and then to Capitol Records in 1989, I owe both my start and later career breakthrough to Joe. Aside from being one of the most beloved and respected executives in the music business, his support of the more non-mainstream artists like Ry Cooder, Randy Newman, The Meters, Little Feat and myself, was what drew me to Warners in the first place. In a business that became more preoccupied with short term profits and commercial viability, what set Joe apart is that he believed in supporting artists for the long haul, allowing us to stretch and grow at our own pace and direction. Giving me that second chance for Nick of Time has made all the difference in my life and career. He was a dear friend and one of the least phony, most warm hearted and loyal people any of us in this business will be blessed to know. My sincere condolences to Donnie and all his beautiful family.” —Bonnie Raitt
“Joe Smith was in the record business for one reason: to bring a sense of business to the art and bring a sense of the artist to the business. Good man,” Brooks told Billboard upon learning of Smith’s death. Smith and Brooks famously renegotiated Brooks’ Capitol Records Nashville contract one-on-one in 1992 alone in Smith’s Los Angeles office as the superstar’s career exploded.
Smith grew up in Chelsea, Mass. and attended Yale University. He worked as a DJ at several radio stations, including stints at WMEX and WILD Boston, for which the Valentines recorded an impossibly catchy doo-wop theme song, “You Gotta Rock with Joe Smith.” For Smith’s 85th birthday, his longtime friend Bob Merlis has LA a capella group The Mighty Echoes surprise him with a live rendition.
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His first label job in the early ’60s was as a promo man for Warner
Bros. It was in that capacity that he saw the Grateful Dead in the
mid-’60s in San Francisco. I “saw the Grateful Dead one night at an
unforgettable evening at the Avalon,” he said in a 1971 Rolling Stone interview.
“I’d never seen anything like that, never seen a light show, people
sitting around on the floor.” (He added in the interview that he
repeatedly turned down the band’s then managers’ entreaties to drop acid
with them.). Smith became president of the label in 1972, working with
acts as diverse as Van Morrison, Carl Reiner, Black Sabbath, James
Taylor and the Allman Bros. Band, as well as sister label Reprise
Records artists like Sinatra, Jimi Hendrix, Joni Mitchell and Neil
Young.
He reveled in a time when music men ran the labels and
putting artistry first in the era before corporations snapped up the
major labels and quarterly profits because a leading factor in decision
making. As he told Billboard
in 2014 when he received the Clive Davis Visionary Award at the 2014
Billboard Power 100 event. “At Warner Bros., we made more money than the
movie or the television people, so we had a lot of clout, so we could
go out and take shots. My partner Mo Ostin and our [Warner
Communications] associates Ahmet Ertegun, David Geffen and Jac
Holzman, we followed our instinct. We talked to our people…and we
didn’t have to go to corporate. Our bosses in New York said, ‘Hey, come
to us if you have any problems, but meanwhile run the company.’ That
doesn’t happen anymore.”
He
moved to Elektra/Asylum as chairman in 1975 and for the next eight
years aided the careers of The Eagles, Browne, Queen, Linda Ronstadt and
Motley Crue. He left
Elektra/Asylum and in 1983 became president and CEO of Warner Cable’s
Home Sport Entertainment before becoming president of the National
Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (now known as The Recording
Academy).
He returned to label life in 1987, at Capitol-EMI,
rising to president &CEO before his retirement in 1993. Following
his departure from Capitol-EMI, he worked with World Cup Soccer,
including securing The Three Tenors for World Cup USA in 1994. He was
also well known as an artists’ advocate in the halls of Congress.
In 2012, the Library of Congress acquired more than 200 hours of interviews conducted by Smith for his 1985 book, Off the Record: An Oral History of Pop Music,
a collection of interviews with more than 200 artists, producers and
executives, including Woody Herman, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, Barbra
Streisand, Little Richard, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Dick Clark, Tina
Turner, Tom Jones, B.B. King and Quincy Jones.
A gifted
raconteur, Smith became known as a toastmaster extraordinaire, hosting
industry events for more than 40 years. As he modestly told the Los Angeles Times in 1993,
if he had to toast himself, he’d laud his ability to encourage talent.
“I’m very proud of that, because I’m in awe of the creative process…I
can’t write and sing and perform, but I’ve been involved with music all
my adult life and to know that I maybe have pushed somebody in the right
direction, or gave ’em room to make a mistake, or make a bad record,
and do something else– I think I like that.”
Smith is survived by Donnie, his wife of 62 years, as well as his son and daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren.
Bonnie Raitt’s been around long enough to have ghosts — or at least friendly spirits — all over the country. And she was feeling them when she and her band hit Ann Arbor for the fifth show of their North American tour supporting Raitt’s new album, “Souls Alike.”
An effusive Raitt told the sold-out crowd at the Michigan Theater all about her past in the town, right down to meeting support act Stephen Bruton at a 1971 gig opening for Kris Kristofferson at nearby Hill Auditorium. She also shouted out to friends and heroes in the crowd, including mandolinist David Grisman, gospel singer Marianne Williams and Ron Harwood, who managed the late roots great Sippie Wallace. Raitt performed the latter’s “Mighty Tight Woman” during the show, with Bruton guesting.
Mostly, though, Raitt’s 19-song, 100-minute was for the living — and was a testament to her enduring creative vitality. She played seven songs from the self-produced “Souls Alike,” three of them right off the bat with the smooth ‘n’ slinky “Love on One condition” (written by keyboardist Jon Cleary), the moody “God Was in the Water” — which featured one of Raitt’s arrestingly supple slide guitar solos — and the anthemic “I Will Not Be Broken.” Throughout the night she paid tribute to the various writers whose songs she recorded for the new album, including Randall Bramblett and Maia Sharp.
Raitt’s past was hardly ignored. She deployed her hits throughout the show, touching on favorites such as “Luck of the Draw,” “Something To Talk About,” “Love Sneakin’ Up on You,” a show-stopping rendition of “I Can’t Make You Love Me” and a subtly re-arranged “Love Letter,” which was funkier and more clipped than its recorded counterpart. Raitt also delighted her fans by digging into her repertoire for both recent albums tracks like “Gnawin’ on It” and “Spit of Love” but also rarities such as “Papa Come Quick (Jody and Chico)” and “Matters of the Heart,” the latter from her 1995 live album “Road Tested.”
Still fresh in their return to the touring circuit, Raitt and her four-member band were typically tight — almost intuitively so as she, Cleary and guitarist George Marinelli seamlessly traded solos over the sturdy rhythm section of bassist James “Hutch” Hutchinson and drummer Ricky Fataar. The quintet never let the throttle out too much but played with adroit control, and a closing two-fer of Jr. Walker & the All Stars’ “Road Runner” and “Bad Case of Loving You” showed these 50-somethings could still rock with some abandon.
The spirits hovering in Ann Arbor were undoubtedly pleased. But the fans in the seats were probably happier — especially when Raitt promised she and the band would be back for another tour in the summer of 2006.
Here is Bonnie Raitt’s set list:
“Love on One Condition” “God Was in the Water” “I Will Not Be Broken” “Gnawin’ on It” “Matters of the Heart” “Crooked Crown” “Spit of Love” “Papa Come Quick (Jody and Chico)” “Mighty Tight Woman” “Two Lights in the Nighttime” “Trinkets” “Something To Talk About” “Love Sneakin’ Up on You”
Encore 1: “I Don’t Want Anything To Change” “I Can’t Make You Love Me” “Love Letter”
Bandana Blues is and will always be a labor of love. Please help Spinner deal with the costs of hosting & bandwidth. Visit www.bandanablues.com and hit the tipjar. Any amount is much appreciated, no matter how small. Thank you.
Bonnie has contributed a new recording of "Prison Bound Blues" written by Leroy Carr to a project called Better Than Jail, an extraordinary new album benefiting Free Hearts and Equal Justice USA. Better Than Jail is available everywhere today and features covers of iconic prison songs from Steve Earle, Taj Mahal,Margo Price, The War and Treaty and many more. The album seeks to raise awareness and support for the urgent need to reduce the harm of the criminal justice system. https://found.ee/BetterThanJail.
I'm so proud to have joined in with so many illustrious artists in creating this very special album in support of rural prison reform. Overlooked for far too long, this issue cuts across all cultural and political divides and deserves all our focused attention to finally bring about some swift and meaningful action. Better Than Jail is one of the most inspired and heartfelt albums I've been blessed to be a part of and I hope it sets a fire in hearts far and wide to join in our efforts." ~ Bonnie Raitt
Released on: 2024-10-04 Executive Producer: Brian Hunt Producer: Kenny Greenberg Producer: Wally Wilson Producer: Bonnie Raitt Recording Engineer: Jason Lehning at Sound Emporium Mastering Engineer: Alex McCollough at True East Mastering Production Assistant: Shannon Finnegan Mixer: Justin Niebank at Hounds Ear Music Publisher: Universal Music Corp. Composer, Lyricist: Leroy Carr ℗ Believe Entertainment Group and Wyatt Road Records
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The Fabulous Thunderbirds - Nothing in Rambling Ft. Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal, Keb' Mo' & Mick Fleetwood
In celebration of the band’s 50th Anniversary, The Fabulous Thunderbirds have just released Struck Down, their first studio album in eight years on Stony Plain Records. The ten-track album includes a wonderful cover of Memphis Minnie’s “Nothing in Rambling,” featuring longtime friends, T-Birds founding member Kim Wilson, along with Bonnie, Keb’ Mo’, Taj Mahal and Mick Fleetwood. — BRHQ
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Little Feat - Long Distance Call
“I’ve always loved Little Feat and this new incarnation of the band is bringing some serious heat, cred and new blood to their enduring legacy. Every Feat fan loves us some Sam. I’m so glad he’s now gotten a chance to step out front and center and put his spin on these wonderful blues songs. I loved singing "Long Distance Call" with him, always one of my favorites, and Scott slayed on slide. Know you’ll enjoy hanging out with us at Sam’s Place!" -- Bonnie Raitt
“Long Distance Call” was written by blues legend, Muddy Waters. It has Sam Clayton and Bonnie Raitt on vocals, Scott Sharrard on Dobro, Fred Tackett on acoustic guitar, Tony Leone on drums, and Michael “The Bull” LoBue on harmonica. The album also features Bill Payne on piano and Kenny Gradney on bass.
Little Feat have composed an album that’s their love letter to the blues entitled, ‘Sam’s Place.’ “Long Distance Call” plus many other blues classics are on this album. You can stream and order ‘Sam’s Place’ here: https://orcd.co/samsplace
Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs of John Prine, Vol. 2, the anticipated new John Prine tribute record from Oh Boy Records, is out today. Stream/purchase HERE.
Created as a celebration of Prine’s life and career, the album features new renditions of some of Prine’s most beloved songs performed by Brandi Carlile (“I Remember Everything”), Tyler Childers (“Yes I Guess They Oughta Name A Drink After You”), Iris DeMent (“One Red Rose”), Emmylou Harris (“Hello In There”), Jason Isbell (“Souvenirs”), Valerie June (“Summer’s End”), Margo Price (“Sweet Revenge”), Bonnie Raitt (“Angel From Montgomery”), Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats (“Pretty Good”), Amanda Shires (“Saddle in the Rain”), Sturgill Simpson(“Paradise”) and John Paul White (“Sam Stone”). Proceeds from the album will benefit twelve different non-profit organizations, one selected by each of the featured artists.
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Bonnie Raitt - Write Me a Few of Your Lines/Kokomo Blues
60 years anniversary celebration of Arhoolie
December 10, 2020
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Arhoolie Foundation celebrates it's 60th anniversary (1960-2020) with an online broadcast.
Bonnie Raitt - Shadow of Doubt
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival
October 3, 2020
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass celebrates it's 20th anniversary with an online broadcast titled “Let The Music Play On”.
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Bonnie Raitt & Boz Scaggs - You Don't Know Like I Know
Farm Aid 2020 On the Road
Sam & Dave classic written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter.
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Sheryl Crow & Bonnie Raitt - Everything Is Broken
[Eric Clapton’s Crossroads 2019]
Eric Clapton, one of the world’s pre-eminent blues/rock guitarists, once again summoned an all-star team of six-string heroes for his fifth Crossroads Guitar Festival in 2019. Held at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, the two-day concert event raised funds for the Crossroads Centre in Antigua, the chemical dependency treatment and education facility that Clapton founded in 1998.
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'A Tribute To Mose Allison'
Celebrates The Music Of An Exciting Jazz Master
Raitt contributed to a new album, If You're Going To The City: A Tribute To Mose Allison, which celebrates the late singer and pianist, who famously blended the rough-edged blues of the Mississippi Delta with the 1950s jazz of New York City.
NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro talks to Bonnie Raitt about her friendship with the Mose Allison. They're also joined by Amy Allison — his daughter, who executive produced the album — about selecting an unexpected list of artists to contribute songs to the album.
Recorded on tour June 3, 2017 - Centennial Hall, London - Ontario Canada