How Many Grammys Does Bonnie Raitt Have?
Singer, songwriter, and guitarist extraordinaire Bonnie Raitt has achieved so much during her impressive career. Raitt started out playing small gigs in Cambridge, Massachusetts, while attending college there, per her official site. She fell in love with the blues and abandoned her studies when she got a chance to share the stage with great blues artists like Mississippi Fred McDowell and Howlin' Wolf.
As word spread about her soulful vocals and great guitar chops, Raitt soon landed a record deal with Warner Bros. She made her debut in 1971 with her first, self-titled album, but it wasn't until nearly the end of that decade that Raitt earned her first Grammy Award nomination. She earned her first nomination for the song "You're Gonna Get What's Coming" in the best female rock vocal performance in 1979 (via the Grammy Awards). Raitt lost out to disco sensation Donna Summer for her song "Hot Stuff," but the budding blues musician was just getting started. Over the years, she has netted 26 Grammy Award nominations.
A career crisis
Bonnie Raitt received her next Grammy Award nomination for the title track of her 1982 album "Green Light" in the best female rock vocal performance. This time around, she lost to '80s rock powerhouse Pat Benatar and her song "Shadows of the Night." Four years later, Raitt was once again waiting to see if the presenters would call out her name in the best female rock vocal performance category. She earned her nomination for "No Way to Treat a Lady" from her "Nine Lives" album.
This nomination came at a dark time in Raitt's career, according to AllMusic. This was her final album for Warner Bros., which dropped her from the label for declining sales. In her personal life, Raitt had problems with substance abuse. She was once again passed over for the Grammy, with the honor instead going to Tina Turner and her song "Back Where You Started." Raitt's future in music looked uncertain.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Raitt makes an impressive comeback
Near the end of the 1980s, Bonnie Raitt dedicated herself to rebuilding her life. She entered a program for alcoholics in recovery and got sober, according to Rolling Stone. Raitt also got her career back on track, working out a deal with Capitol Records in 1989 (via her official site). All of her efforts paid off with her next album, "Nick of Time," released that same year. She worked with legendary producer Don Was on the project. Since her recording debut, Raitt had enjoyed a lot of critical praise, but "Nick of Time" also brought her major commercial success as well. The record reached the top of the charts shortly after it came out, and it eventually went triple platinum.
"Nick of Time" also brought Raitt her first Grammy Award win, plus two more for good measure. After more than a decade since her first nomination, she dominated the Grammy Awards that night in 1990. Raitt won for album of the year, best female pop vocal performance, and best female rock vocal performance. To round out the magical night, she also picked up a fourth Grammy Award for her collaboration with legendary bluesman John Lee Hooker on "I'm In The Mood," which won for best traditional blues recording.
Her hits kept coming
With her next album, "Luck of the Draw," Bonnie Raitt enjoyed even greater popularity. It made it to the No. 2 spot on the Billboard album charts shortly after its June 1991 release, and it remained on the charts for an amazing 120 weeks (via Billboard). It featured such hits as the sultry "Something to Talk About" and the tender ballad "I Can't Make You Love Me." She also sang with Delbert McClinton on the track "Good Man, Good Woman."
Raitt netted five Grammy Award nominations for her work on the album, which highlighted how well established she had become in both the worlds of pop and rock music. She won both the best female pop vocal performance for "Something to Talk About" and the best solo rock vocal performance. Her other win at the awards ceremony was for her duet with Delbert McClinton, which took home the top honors for best rock performance by a duo or group with vocal.
Her winning streak continued
Bonnie Raitt had another winner on her hands with her 1994 album "Longing in Their Hearts." The title track was a collaboration between Raitt and her then-husband, actor Michael O'Keefe, per AllMusic. It also featured guest vocals by Levon Helm of The Band fame and David Crosby of Crosby, Stills & Nash. The record also contained the song "Love Sneakin' Up On You," which proved to be a hit commercially and critically.
At the Grammy Awards, Raitt picked up the win for best pop album for "Longing in Their Hearts." She also had four other nominations, including record of the year for "Love Sneakin' Up On You." Raitt, a touring veteran, gave fans an inside look on her life with a live double album and film, both entitled "Road Tested" in 1995. A frequent collaborator, she earned her next Grammy Award in 1996 for the instrumental piece "SRV Shuffle," which appeared on the "A Tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughn" album.
Raitt keeps on rocking
Bonnie Raitt's deal with Capitol Records ended in 2005 with the album "Souls Alike," per The New York Times. She took some time away from music after experiencing two tremendous losses — the death of her father, Broadway star John Raitt in 2005 and her brother Steve in 2009. Striking out on her own, Raitt decided to set up her own label, Redwing Records, which released her next studio record, "Slipstream," in 2012. Fans found the album well worth the wait. In true Raitt style, it defies categorization and pulls from her many musical influences. She recorded covers of Bob Dylan's "Million Miles" and "Standing in the Doorway," as well as a reggae-infused version of Gerry Rafferty's "Right Down the Line" (via AllMusic).
"Slipstream" brought Raitt her 10th Grammy win, but it was an honor that she had never received before — she picked up the award for best Americana album. More than 250,000 copies of the record were sold, an impressive feat for an independent release (via her official site). And Raitt continues to thrive as an independent artist, touring extensively and releasing new music through her own company.