When it comes to musical legends, Bonnie Raitt is the real deal.
Slide guitarist and vocalist Bonnie Raitt mixes political and social causes into her musical career. In Hawai’i, she has done benefits for Hurricane Iniki victims and for Hawaiian language preservation. Raitt, 54, hit the big time after two decades playing for a loyal core of fans.
First and foremost, she is one of the most naturally gifted female slide guitarists the blues genre has ever produced. The owner of a warm, smoky growl of a voice that has charmed hardcore blues fans and mainstream rock fans alike, Raitt earned commercial success after two decades of patiently waiting for popular musical tastes to come around to her wonderfully earthy country-and-folk-tinged roots rock.
Now a multimillion selling, multi-Grammy winning musician and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, the 54-year-old Raitt remains the committed social and political activist she was long before a little inspiration from a handful of blues legends turned her toward a music career.
Genuinely friendly and inquisitive in conversation, Raitt also is intelligent, articulate and fiercely dedicated to the causes in which she believes.
A couple of weeks away from her first shows here since 1998, Raitt called from her home in Northern California, eagerly chatting about kayaking alongside humpbacks off Maui.
Sounds like you’re really looking forward to coming here.
Oh, yeah! I mean, have you ever heard anybody not say they’re looking forward to it? (Laughs.) And you get to live there.
Well, yeah. But I’ve heard that you visit Hawai’i a lot yourself.
No, no. I come on vacation every few years because, luckily, I have friends on Maui. And I know people on Kaua’i as well. So I tend to stay on those two islands when I come on vacation. But because of my touring schedule, and my album cycle when I’m on a tour, I haven’t been there in a while. And I haven’t been to Honolulu in a while.
You’ve kept other connections here as well, through benefits (for Hawaiian language preservation and victims of Hurricane Iniki ) and charity work (donating guitars to music students at Wai’anae Boys & Girls Club through the Bonnie Raitt Fender Guitar Project) for local causes.
Oh, yeah! I mean, I’ve been going on vacation to Hawai’i since ’73 or so, when I moved back to California. It’s really kind of our playground. I have lots of friends who’ve moved there and many that go back and forth. I would do (the benefit and charity work) whether I lived there or not because I think it’s really important. It’s one of the most beautiful places I know in the world, and has its own culture and deserves to have it preserved. I do benefits for Native American culture on the Mainland, too.
You’ve often described yourself as “a citizen first, and a musician second.”
In response to someone asking why I’m political, yeah. (Laughs.)
And if one looks far enough back into your music career, they’d find that that’s been true since you started. Why has being socially and politically conscious always been so important to you?
I think it’s just the way I was raised. I came from a family that was Quaker and very much involved in the peace movement and civil rights movement. And part of the morality of what I thought was the reason why we were on Earth is to give something back, try to alleviate suffering and share what you have. If there’s some injustice or suffering that you see, you do what you can to rectify it.
That was kind of the guiding force of the way I was raised. My heroes, musically, when I used to go to Quaker summer camp were the folk music (revivalists). The folk music revival was happening around the same time as the beginning of the civil rights and “Ban The Bomb” movements. And so Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and a lot of those groups were coming out of that terrific tradition of protest songs and folk music of the people, and singing about conscience and changing the world.
That’s what moved me to pick up the guitar … those heroes of mine. And then I was also just a fan of blues, rock ‘n’ roll, rhythm and blues and the music I heard on the radio, too. It’s always been kind of a dual road.
… I would go to demonstrations as much as you can when you’re 13 or 14 (years old). I mean, (at that age) you can’t even drive, so I went with my folks to a big peace march in Washington (D.C.) during the Vietnam War. And as soon as I was in college I was very active in anti-war groups and the burgeoning feminist movement. As soon as I became a musician (in) my senior year, I was doing benefits for Vietnam Veterans Against The War. I went on to do many more environmental and social justice issues.
It’s really been a tandem. Every time I do a concert tour, I mix in a lot of benefits and receptions for the causes I care about.
I imagine your growing fame over your career — especially post-“Nick of Time” — has made your activism both easier and more difficult.
Yeah, that’s pretty astute. I mean, in the sense that I have more clout … when I talked about an issue — at least, during the time that I had a hit record, which was a while ago — I was a big news item from the Cinderella story of winning all those Grammys and then going to No. 1. I had been talking about (causes) for many years, (but) when you don’t have any clout, the press doesn’t really cover it.
So I had very much increased visibility and, therefore, an ability to raise money and draw attention to things like the Rhythm & Blues Foundation, which had just been started at that point. The whole idea of royalty reform for rhythm-and-blues artists who never got paid anything from their wonderful recordings was very important.
The “No Nukes” issue has always very much been in the forefront and is rearing its ugly head again as we enter this era of renewed talk about nuclear weapons being safe and terrorist attacks threatening nuclear power plants.
The negatives?
The negative side? I don’t really know if I have one. I imagine if I turn people off because of my politics, (then) they’re not going to buy my records. But that’s never bothered me in the past. It’s not gonna bother me now. I mean, I’m an American. We’re allowed to say what we want, hopefully.
So you never worry about the kind of backlash the Dixie Chicks faced after Natalie Maines’ comments about President Bush?
Oh, I think they handled themselves really well after that. She was very clear. I think it politicized them to a level that they weren’t politicized before, actually.
But you know I’m not all about politics. A lot of what I do is music as well. (Laughs.) People come to my shows for various reasons. But (they come) primarily, to hear my music. And I don’t ram my politics down peoples’ throat in an inappropriate venue. …
I get asked about all kinds of things in interviews. And I’ve always been asked about politics. Whether I brought it up or not, people would ask me what I thought. So when people say, “I wish artists would shut up!” or “What right do you have to talk?” I think you have to talk to the journalists who are asking in the first place (about) what your feelings are on the current issues of the day.
Artists have always been reflective of what’s going on and, in many ways, (are) the conscience and town criers for what’s happening whether it’s corruption or injustices. One of the great ways to educate people and rally them to the cause, especially (of) the underdogs, is to be able to sing their praises. If you’re famous, the press will cover an issue. When I was less famous, I could talk about redwood trees all I want and nobody would cover it.
So the good news is, your clout gives you an ability to make a difference. The bad news is you get some crackpots that are threatening you behind the scenes. But I’m not going to worry about whether my record sales are affected by it. I’m more worried about big brother government trying to squelch free speech. …
There’s a lot of behind-closed-doors (meetings) going on in Washington circles to try to shut down a lot of the ability of people to express themselves peacefully, which is very worrisome.
Has the Bush presidency increased your activism?
Oh … are you kidding? We’ve had incredible setbacks on every single issue. So yes, when people say, “Are you writing more songs now?” I’m going, “Uh, yeah … when would I have time for that?”
But I think you’ll find a lot of people’s music is reacting to what’s been going on.
Are you OK with your increased activism taking away time that you would’ve spent working on your music?
To be honest, it hasn’t made that much of a difference. If it wasn’t the Bush administration, (it’d be) the environment, civil liberties, healthcare, women’s rights … you name the issue. … So do I mind? You don’t have the luxury of minding if you’re awake and you care about the future.
I would say (the Bush presidency) hasn’t really increased my level of activism, it’s just broadened it to many more issues that normally I wouldn’t have had to pay attention to.
So with the presidency on the line, I’m guessing it’s bound to be another busy year for you on the activist front.
Oh, yeah! Definitely! In this kind of a cycle and with the war on, it’s a lot more important to speak out and help change things than it is to write the next love ballad, you know?
Have you been writing?
I’ve got a bunch of great songs already, and hopefully after my Australian and New Zealand tour, we’ll be settling down to write some. We’re going to Europe again this summer.
We had a wonderful tour over there last summer; one of the most fun (tours) I’ve ever had. It was just great! One day I was playing with Saxon and Motorhead and ZZ Top, and the next day I was on the bill with Toots and The Maytalls and the Bembeya Jazz (National). In the middle, it was Charlie Haden and Van Morrison.
Over in Europe, they mix all kinds of music together in a festival on one day in ways that would be impossible to do in America. …
Hopefully, by the end of the summer I’ll be both in the studio and doing a lot more concerts to get out the vote.
Some history, Bonnie. After two decades of recording and performing, were you, like, ‘It’s about time!” when “Nick of Time” won three Grammys — your first ever — in 1990, and you found yourself with your first Billboard No. 1 album?
You know by then I had my same 150,000 people who were buying my records regardless of whether Warner Brothers or whatever label I was on was promoting them. That following was built from many years of loyal deejays on progressive FM stations and college markets, and many, many months on the road.
I mean, I stayed on the road at least nine months of the year for the first 10 years of my career. I think I put out six albums in six years, too. And how I did that, I’ll never know. So I was not expecting (“Nick of Time”) to have the response that it did, certainly.
There were several factors that made (“Nick of Time”) happen the way it did. One, is that it was a particularly good version of a Bonnie Raitt record. But also, it was on a new label (Capitol, Raitt’s current label). And when you switch labels, the new label has something to prove and they want to show that they can really treat you with respect and get (you) out there.
(Also) very important was album-oriented-radio, college radio and, at the time, VH1, which was just coming up. MTV would never have played my videos.
So between VH1 and (multiple radio formats) that would actually play people my age with a little bit more of an earthy rootsy sound, I had an opportunity that I wouldn’t have had had “Nick of Time” come out in 1982.
If you thought about it, could you really draw a dividing line between what your life and career was like before “Nick of Time” and since?
I don’t. I mean, journalists do. But I don’t have to analyze my life. I get to live it. (Laughs.) It’s one of those things where you guys have that job, unfortunately. …
I just look at (life) as a continuum. It was certainly a big, huge boost and change to win those Grammys and go to No. 1. In that sense, many things have changed. But in terms of my musical tastes, my politics and my personal life, that’s been a steady progression of, hopefully, growing up and evolution without any big demarcations in it.
When you were just starting out, how difficult was it to get to the point where you actually became friends — much less played music — with blues legends like Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker and Sippie Wallace?
It was immediate. When I was in college, a friend of mine who was on the Harvard radio station asked if I wanted to meet Son House. I met Dick Waterman, who handled many many great blues artists, that afternoon and became friends with him. There was absolutely no effort. …
I would’ve eventually hung out with blues people, I think, because I was such a fan. But at that point, I had no interest in being a musician myself. I was just an absolute blues hound. And the fact that one of the great legends — a person who rediscovered Son House, and managed Mississippi Fred McDowell, “Big Boy” Arthur Crudup and later Buddy Guy and Junior Wells — was living right in our neighborhood … through him I met all of these wonderful people. And he went on to book me for 15 years.
Were these blues legends, for the most part, welcoming guys happy to help someone with an interest in playing the blues, and chat with blues hounds like you?
I already knew how to play by the time I met them, so I was mostly just meeting them as friends. I kind of helped them out on the road. I was kind of like a little assistant tour manager when we would go to blues festivals. But I didn’t ever sit down and ask them for lessons or anything.
What I gained from them was (watching) how they lived their lives and what it was like for them to be married and on the road, how they handled their liquor, what they talked about, what kind of strings they used. It pretty much became a musician-to-musician (relationship). And, of course, getting to watch them up close as people as well as musicians was an incredible gift.
After notching 14 of ’em, what do you still enjoy about putting together a CD of new music every couple of years?
It’s as fun and as challenging to put together a CD as it is to put a set list together. … I try to plan every concert and every CD to get around to everything that I like. I find a bunch of material that holds together as a piece in one sitting and really reflects where I’m at at the time. But in the back of my mind, I also know that I pick these songs so that I can add them to my repertoire when I’m go on the road.
For example, “Hear Me Lord” from my Zimbabwean friend (chimurenga vocalist) Oliver Mtukudzi. I just love Soweto, South African and Zimbabwean music, as well as pretty much all of West African guitar playing. And as I make these forays into Celtic, African and reggae music, which I’ve always really loved, I just wanted to play it on the road. It wasn’t enough for me to just listen and dance around on the bus. I actually wanted to play that song live.
Sometimes, I’ll write songs specifically to put a groove in that I missed. I’ll custom write a song to fit on a record that’s missing it.
So it’s really kind of like putting together a play or a movie or a really hot date. (Laughs.) You gotta plan for the appetizers and the foreplay and then the meat of the matter and then the nice goodbye. And then the sad ballad has to go in just in the right place. There’s an art to it. After the first couple of albums and doing some shows on the road, you get better at it.
And I’m guessing you have enough control over your music by now to put out whatever you please without label interference.
I’ve actually always had. I told Warner Brothers in 1971, “Unless you give me complete artistic control, never tell me who to work with, how to make the record sound, what songs to record or even when (and how often) to record, I won’t sign.” I didn’t think they’d say yes, (but) they did. (The labels) have never been able to suggest a producer or songs or make any comments about my records. I know that in this day and age there’s hardly anybody with that kind of power, unless they’re a huge seller.
Do you still enjoying being on the road?
I love it! I mean, I wouldn’t want to do it year-in and year-out. I did a hundred cities in America, and then we did 50 in Europe. And I do a sprinkling of benefits and side projects all the time. I would say it’s two years of touring, then a year getting ready to record and recording. It’s about a four-year cycle. But if I had to be on the road all the time, it would get really tiring.
What do you still love about the stage and playing for an audience?
Well I like playing the actual music with my musicians the most. And then I love … that the audience is going crazy for it. It’s wonderful to have this kind of connection and emotional feedback between you and the audience. You throw it out. They throw it back. It’s a wonderful relationship that I have with my fans, because they’ve stayed with me for so long.
So you’re going to be pursuing this music thing for as long as you’re able.
Oh, yeah! I mean, my dad (noted Broadway vocalist John Raitt) is 86 and he’s still singing. … He does mostly benefit concerts, Christmas specials and raises a lot of money for really good causes. Sometimes you can actually bid on him at some of these things to come to your house and sing. It just cracks me up. I’ll call him up, and he’ll say, “Yeah, I’m on my way over to this lady’s house. I hope they have a piano.” He stayed on the road up until just a couple of years ago. It was an unbelievably long run and he still sings beautifully. …
My dear friend Ruth Brown (is) still singing in her 70s. Tony Bennett shows no signs of being any less active. So as long as you keep your health and your sense of humor and you’re stretching as an artist, I think your fans will still want to see you.
On Bonnie Raitt’s CD player
“Labor & Spirits,” Emory Joseph (Capsaicin). “A self-produced, self-released album out of Berkeley. He’s recorded with Tom ‘T-Bone’ Wolk, Levon Helm and a bunch of really cool musicians. It’s his first album, even though he’s in his early 40s. He’s a terrific writer, and I haven’t enjoyed anybody like him since Lowell (George) or Little Feat. He’s got that kind of rootsy flavor with great singing and great songs.”
“The Indestructible Beat of Soweto, Volumes 1-4,” various artists (Earthworks). “My favorite records of all time to dance to. I was listening to it today while I was hiking. Needless to say, I got up a really steep hill just on the pace of that beat.” (Laughs.)
Jay Farrar: “I’ve listened to his solo albums outside of Son Volt and have been really knocked out by them, although I’m sure younger people have been aware of him for a long time.” Alison Krauss: “I’ve been listening to her a lot lately.” Oliver Mtukudzi: “His new album is terrific.”
Hawaiian slack-key guitar. “There’s a bunch of masters of slack key that just thrill me. One of the exciting parts about coming to Hawai’i is the idea that on a night off I could actually find someone playing.”
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