Hi George and everyone,
I have so much to say about Bonnie, I almost don't know where to start 
...George, Bonnie's been mentioned many, many times on here, but I guess she never had her own thread. Alot of the stuff I say is starting to repeat, so either I've been blabbing here too long or the established long time readers need to skip over me. 
First...on Joe's old forum, there use to be a guitar test, where you had to guess the guitarists by looking at a photo of their guitar and hands without showing their faces...Bonnie was one of them. Also, Joe mentioned both Bonnie Raitt and Susan Tedeschi very favorably previously.
I actually started listening to Bonnie's father first, John Raitt, since my Mom was a huge fan & had extensive musical training herself and absolutely adored that man. (Think Oklahoma) We grew up less than 2 hours from New York City so my parents frequented broadway shows. My parents had a huge vinyl collection of Broadway shows, the Big Bands, Frank, Dean all those classics...I can recite lots of those broadway show tunes, but the funniest one to us kids at the time was South Pacific...I'm Gonna' Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair, later came to understand what that meant....
http://www.google.com/musica?aid=CHHMG3 … ;ct=result My mom was really concerned for John's health the last time she saw him perform and she took his death to heart, she loved him that much! Bonnie's Dad was a huge influence on Bonnie and by just a few words that hit hard, finally got Bonnie to give up drinking. (George, I copied you a couple of cool articles coming your way) Bonnie lost both of her parents in a short time and her brother developed a brain tumor, so the last couple of years have been emotional for her, which overflowed into her music.
My oldest brother, 2 years older than me, is responsible for the core of music I still listen to. He brought home, Give It Up, Bonnie's 2nd release (1972 I think) and I have been hooked every since. Bonnie lived in the northeast (Boston area) and came up and down the eastern seaboard in the early years, especially when she hooked up with Freebo, who had his own band in Philadelphia. She's very witty and from a woman's prescpective, she says it like it is and has been on both sides of heartache and breakup. I love when her voice gets gravely, almost like she needs to clear it...she's just tops in my book! I' ve seen her several times, just love her!! Cathy, lucky you, never saw her with John Lee Hooker, but their stuff together....well all s's apply...just sizzles...:P
The last 2 times I saw Bonnie were only a couple months apart, the tour for Souls Alike and the VH1 Classic show in Atlantic City, which is an excellent DVD with special guests Keb'Mo', Norah Jones, Allyson Krause (sp) and Ben Harper. My Give It Up album cover was signed by Bonnie with some thankful fan comments...I framed it. I didn't get to meet her, but bid on tickets to do a meet and greet and lost. (Next time maybe I'll get Stu's advice with odds etc. ) An employee delivered a package to her along with some CD's of Joe's that Jim M. got signed for me. It's no secret that I'd love to see Bonnie Raitt and Joe share the stage someday or collaborate musically...!!! Bonnie isn't the first blues lady on the scene, but I feel when it comes to guitar playing, she opened the door for lots of the badass women out there today. Bonnie's music nursed me through my first broken heart, so she's just extra special all the way around!
My Mom's almost 80, she's requested that she would like to accompany me to the next Bonnie show, sounds like a plan.
Road Tested is excellent Ges...the DVD is an excellent example of a show.
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