5 Things About Bonnie Raitt

Happy 75th birthday to Bonnie Raitt!

The blues rock singer is a pretty big deal in the music world – she has 13 Grammy Awards and is in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame!

Still, there’s probably a lot you don’t know about her, so in honor of her big day today, here’s 5 Things About Bonnie Raitt!

#1 She is No. 89 on Rolling Stone’s list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time,” but started out playing the piano. She was reportedly intimidated by her mother’s abilities on the piano, and picked up a guitar at age 8.

#2 Her debut album, Bonnie Raitt, was released in 1971. It wasn’t until her tenth album Nick of Time, in 1989, that she finally had some commercial success.

#3 She has been sober since 1987, having battled alcohol and drug addictions. She has credited Stevie Ray Vaughan for helping her, saying that what gave her the courage to admit her alcohol problem was seeing that Vaughan was an even better musician when sober.

#4 She is a political activist, encouraging fans to learn more about preserving the environment and is involved in the anti-nuclear movement. She works with a nonprofit that provides free musical instruments and lessons to children in public schools. In 2016, she endorsed Bernie Sanders for President.

#5 She was married for less than a year to actor Michael O’Keefe in 1991. He was Danny Noonan in “Caddyshack,” and also played Fred, Jackie’s husband, on “Roseanne.”

OK, now that you know a little more about Bonnie Raitt, here are two of our favorite songs to help celebrate her 75th birthday!