Bonnie Raitt on why Aretha Franklin is the most influential artist in her life
Bonnie Raitt is undoubtedly one of the finest musicians of her era, although she may not receive as much attention as some of her peers. With a distinctive blend of rootsy rock drawing from folk and country influences, she has garnered a dedicated following and earned recognition from prominent fans throughout her career.
It says all about the gravity of her efforts that one of her most famous and influential fans was the late David Crosby. The former Byrds man would even name Raitt as his choice for his favourite singer of all time, ahead of John Lennon and James Taylor. He wrote on Twitter: “Bonnie Raitt has been my most favourite singer for a long time ….does no tricks …no vocal pyrotechnics …but she tells the Tale, and her heart is in it, and she is just a beautiful singer”.
Raitt has many classic albums, with her self-titled debut arriving in 1971. Other highlights of her oeuvre include Takin’ My Time, Luck of the Draw, and Longing in Their Hearts. Her two bodies of work from the first half of the 1990s were global successes, generating hits such as ‘Something to Talk About’, and ‘Love Sneakin’ Up On You’. She’s clearly still got it, too, with the 2022 single ‘Just Like That’ winning the Grammy Award for ‘Song of the Year’.
As well as being a solo artist, Raitt has collaborated and played as a frequent session player for a host of notable names such as Jackson Browne, Little Feat, John Prine, The Pointer Sisters and Warren Zevon. These convergences helped her refine her potent sonics and confirmed to all she worked with just how exceptional her approach is, from the singing to the guitar playing.
A dynamic musician who has covered many different bases and seamlessly moved with the times, there’s no real surprise that the Californian holds many different trailblazers dear. One particularly resonant figure for her was the late Aretha Franklin, the ‘Queen of Soul’, who railed against racial and gender hindrances with unashamed brilliance in the 1960s and beyond. This meant that after the ‘Respect’ singer died in 2018, Raitt released a lengthy and heartfelt statement in which she called her the “most influential artist in my life.”
“I am so saddened by the loss of our beloved Queen of Soul, Aretha,” Bonnie Raitt on the most “influential” artist in her life said. “She has always been my favourite and the greatest singer I’ve ever heard. Along with Ray Charles, she has been the most influential artist in my life. She brought the raw passion and beauty of gospel and the deepest blues, irrepressible rhythm to every note she sang.”
“In songs like ‘I Never Loved A Man’, ‘Dr. Feelgood’, ‘R-E-S-P-E-C-T’, Natural Woman’, Ain’t No Way’ — I learned as a teenager most of what I still know about men, love, strength and vulnerability in the face of loss and betrayal about the deep well of spirit and surrender to a higher purpose, including standing up for oneself and demanding respect.”
Listen to Aretha Franklin’s ‘Respect’ below.
