College drop-out who battled drug and alcohol abuse until PRINCE helped her get sober: The incredible life of 73-year-old blues singer Bonnie Raitt, who beat Taylor Swift and Beyoncé for Song of the Year at the Grammys

• Many were shocked when Bonnie won Song of the Year at the 2023 Grammys
• She has had an impressive career that has spanned across five decades
• The singer shunned ‘commercial’ success, and struggled with drugs and alcohol 

When Bonnie Raitt won the award for Song of the Year at the 2023 Grammys on Sunday night for her track Just Like That, some were shocked that the accolade went to the 73-year-old folk singer – over huge artists like Taylor Swift, Lizzo, Harry Styles, Beyoncé, and Adele, who were also nominated for the category.

The blues singer was actually stunned herself, stumbling through her acceptance speech, admitting: ‘I’m so surprised, I don’t know what to say.’

The words ‘Who even is Bonnie Raitt?’ quickly took over social media following the win, but it turns out, the talented musician has had an impressive career that has spanned across five decades.

Bonnie has released a whopping 18 albums since she first entered the scene in 1970. Over the years, she has continuously topped the charts, she has sold out numerous world tours, and she even won 12 Grammys before Sunday night’s event – including the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022 – which now brings her total to 16 after she took home four on Sunday.

The 73-year-old was destined to be a star from a young age. She was born from famous parents – a successful pianist and well-known stage actor – and taught herself to play guitar by the time she was age eight.

When Bonnie Raitt won the award for Song of the Year at the Grammys on Sunday night for her track Just Like That, some were shocked that the accolade went to the 73-year-old folk singer

The words ‘Who even is Bonnie Raitt?’ quickly took over social media following the win, but the talented musician has had an impressive career that has spanned across five decades

She left college during her second year to pursue her love of music, and quickly found herself receiving a ton of attention from potential record labels.

But despite her obvious talent and passion for performing, Bonnie was uninterested in commercial success.

The singer actually loathed the idea of being a ‘commercial artist,’ and set a series of intense ‘conditions’ when she was signed by Warner Brothers in the early ’70s – including never being told ‘what or when to record’ or having to ‘work with someone she didn’t pick.’

And while many expected her to quickly flourish in the music industry, Bonnie struggled to find fame for many years – and her speedy start came to a screeching halt when she was dropped by her label after she released eight unsuccessful albums in a row.

She soon turned to drugs and alcohol, but after spending a few years caught up in the party scene, her good friend – music icon Prince – helped her get sober and reignited her love of music.

It was then that Bonnie truly shined – releasing her biggest album of all time in 1989, which launched herself into mega stardom.

After Bonnie won Song of the Year at the 2023 Grammys, FEMAIL is recapping her impressive journey from start to finish.

From her fierce determination to not sell out to her love-hate relationship with the spotlight to how she overcame her battle with substance abuse, here’s everything you need to know about the award-winning singer.

Bonnie’s talent was obvious from a young age – but she was uninterested in commercial success and was hesitant to sign with a record label

Bonnie (seen in 1977) was born from famous parents – a successful pianist and well-known stage actor – and taught herself to play guitar by the time she was aged eight

She left college during her second year to pursue her love of music, and quickly found herself receiving a ton of attention from potential record labels. She is seen in 1975

Bonnie was born on November 8, 1949, in Burbank, California, and from a young age, she had a passion for performing.

It seemed as though she was destined to be a star from a young age thanks to her famous parents – her mother, Marge Goddard, was a successful pianist and her father, John Raitt, was a well-known stage actor and singer.

But despite her obvious talent and passion for performing, Bonnie was uninterested in commercial success. She is pictured in 1976

Bonnie’s love for music was so obvious that her parents decided to gift her a brand-new guitar at age eight, and right away, it was a match made in heaven.

She didn’t even need lessons, and the then eight-year-old quickly taught herself how to play the instrument – and her goal to become a famous musician was cemented.

After graduating from high school, she headed off to the east coast to attend Radcliffe College at Harvard University, where she became the lead singer of an on-campus group called Revolutionary Music Collective.

It was during this time that she became friends with famous music promoter Dick Waterman, who encouraged her to leave school during her second year and move to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to focus on her music career full time.

She soon started playing in a series of bars and clubs around Philly, and in 1970, she was invited to perform at the Philadelphia Folk Festival – and thanks to her undeniable talent and powerful stage presence, the performance quickly caught the attention of many people in the music industry. 

She was then asked to open up for musical legend John Hammond during one of his shows, which took place at the Gaslight Café in New York City, where a writer for Newsweek was in the audience.

The singer actually loathed the idea of being a ‘commercial artist,’ and set a series of intense ‘conditions’ when she was signed by Warner Brothers in the early ’70s. She is seen in 1977

She released her debut album, Bonnie Raitt, in 1971, followed by a slew of other LPs – but unfortunately, none of early albums sold very well. Bonnie is seen in 1976

He wrote a glowing review about Bonnie, and suddenly, a slew of record labels came knocking at her door trying to sign her.

But according to the star, she never longed for commercial success and was hesitant to sign with a record label.

She ultimately signed with Warner Brothers, and released her debut album, Bonnie Raitt, in 1971 – but strong-minded Bonnie made it clear from the start that she was going to make her own decisions when it came to her music.

She told Variety in 2022: ‘As a 21-year-old, my condition of signing to any record label was that I didn’t want to have anybody tell me what or when to record, or have to work with someone that I didn’t pick, or be told how to look. 

‘I said, “I have no plans to be a commercial singles artist – I’m a stone-FM-album cut kind of a person.” And that’s why I went with Warner Bros.’

Her second LP, called Give It Up, came out in 1972, followed by her third in 1973, entitled Takin’ My Time – but unfortunately, none of her early albums sold very well, leaving Warner Brothers unhappy with Bonnie’s lack of success.

Bonnie was dropped by her record label and turned to drugs and alcohol during the ’80s, but she credits acclaimed singer Prince with helping her get sober and reigniting her love for music

Bonnie (seen in 1986) continued to release more music during the late 1970s, but in 1983, just days after she finished recording her ninth studio album, her record label dropped her

Bonnie continued to release more music during the late 1970s, but in 1983, just days after she finished recording her ninth studio album, her record label suddenly dropped her.

‘I was penalized for not going in the direction they thought I should go,’ she later told Variety about her falling out with Warner Brothers. 

She soon turned to drugs and alcohol, but after spending a few years caught up in the party scene, her good friend – music icon Prince – helped her get sober and reignited her love of music

Around the same time, Bonnie also began struggling with drugs and alcohol.

‘I thought I had to live that partying lifestyle in order to be authentic, but in fact if you keep it up too long, all you’re going to be is sloppy or dead,’ she later told Parade magazine. 

With no record label and her substance abuse problems growing, it definitely could have been the end of Bonnie’s career – but with the help of fellow artist Prince, as well as her intense determination, she was able to get sober and came back stronger than ever.

She recalled: ‘I was having a rough time… and then Prince called up and said, “Let’s do some stuff together. I’ll put you on Paisley Park.”

‘And I said, “You know what, if we make a video together, I better drop some weight.” So [I quit drinking] to lose weight and I just loved it.

‘I just [started] hanging out with a bunch of musicians who had gotten sober… they looked better, felt better, played better.’

She told Variety that becoming sober was ‘life-changing’ for her, ‘spiritually, physically, and artistically.’ 

But during the 2022 interview, she admitted that it’s something she still struggles with it today, even after 35 years of sobriety. 

After quitting the party scene and getting sober, it was then that Bonnie truly shined – releasing her biggest album of all time in 1989, which launched herself into mega stardom

‘As anyone in recovery knows, you’re never recovered. And in fact, a lot of people slip back,’ the musician explained. 

‘It’s a daily practice to take inventory of how you’re behaving and what faults are creeping up in personality quirks.

‘Especially during the pandemic, it was like, yeah, you can stay in bed and call in sick.

‘You can have another three pieces of pie instead of dinner. You can watch movies all night and sleep it off the next day. 

‘You know, we’re all human, we’re all dealing with an unprecedented amount of stress and anxiety, so it’s a constant surveillance. 

‘You have to pay attention to your goals and your health and take care of yourself. That’s what I’ve learned – [to] let myself be human and know I’m not perfect, but still not sway too far from a road that is balanced and healthy and considered and kind, and be true to my mission of why I’m here on the earth and be of service.

‘I think it’s been really important to have set my compass and set my sail for some higher purpose, and that I try to allow myself some slack and cheat days and all that and forgive myself when I mess up. 

‘And what’s important is perspective, allowing yourself enough time to have fun and be out in nature and appreciate life and not be so career – or goal-oriented.’

After quitting the party scene, Bonnie went back to making music, and was signed by Capitol Records.

After nearly two decades of making music, Bonnie (seen in 1997) finally earned ‘commercial’ success in the ’90s – becoming one of the most well-known singers in the world

She then released her 10th album, Nick of Time, in 1989, which was wildly successful. 

Not only did the LP reach number one on the Billboard 200 chart, but it also earned her four Grammy awards and is still ranked number 230 in Rolling Stone’s list of 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

After nearly two decades of making music, Bonnie had finally earned the ‘commercial’ success that she previously said she didn’t want – becoming one of the most well-known blues singers and guitarists in the world.

Her next album, Luck of the Draw, won three more Grammys and sold a whopping seven million copies across the US. 

Next up came Longing in Their Hearts, which earned two Grammys and became her second number-one album. 

But the singer admitted to struggling with the pressures that came from being in the spotlight while speaking to Variety, adding that she was thankful that her success came when she was older – because she wasn’t sure she would have been able to handle it if it happened any earlier.

‘I was really grateful that if I was going to get that kind of career boost, that it was brought to me at a time when I could handle it,’ she said.

‘Because I don’t think I could have handled it. I didn’t seek it and I wouldn’t have wanted a hit record. 

‘I actually turned down songs that would have made me a star, and turned down offers of management. 

‘I just didn’t want to be in that pressure. I was in it for the long run, and to be like my jazz and folk contemporaries – planning to be do this into my eighties or so.’

Bonnie has ’embraced’ getting ‘older’ and has no plans to slow down any time soon – hoping to continue making music and touring for as long as she can

Bonnie (seen in 2002) was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2002

And the star has no plans to slow down any time soon. She told Variety she is ‘in this for the long run,’ and hopes to be making music and touring for as long as she can. She is seen in 2022

Bonnie’s career continued to flourish during the early 2000s. She released two more albums in 2002 and 2005 – Silver Lining, which was certified gold, and Souls Alike, which contained big singles like I Will Not Be Broken and I Don’t Want Anything To Change.

She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2002. She also released a concert DVD in 2006.

Bonnie seemed to slow down a bit after that – but in 2012 she came back with vengeance when she performed at the Grammys with Alicia Keys honoring Etta James during a breathtaking rendition of A Sunday Kind of Love.

She then released her first studio album in seven years, entitled Slipstream, which went to number six on the chart.

She dropped two more albums in 2016 and 2022, and the latter, called Just Like That…, contained the recent Grammy award-winning Song of the Year, which had the same name as the album.

And the star has no plans to slow down any time soon. As she told Variety, she is ‘in this for the long run,’ and hopes to be making music and touring for as long as she can.

As for her advice to others who want to make it in the industry for a long time, she added to Variety: ‘I don’t sway from my being true to my own integrity’

Back in April, she also told NPR that she has ’embraced’ getting ‘older,’ especially because she spent years looking up to artists who seemed to get more talented over time.

‘My role models were people that were aging, just getting more experienced and richer in their tones and in their musical abilities,’ she explained. 

‘Those that continued to stretch and try new things have always been an inspiration, they seem to embrace being older and their position of emeritus, you know, being honored.

‘The older they got, [they were more] treasured… I just never even think about [aging], except when I’m asked all the time, “What’s it like to get older in the business?”‘

As for her advice to others who want to make it in the industry for a long time, she added to Variety: ‘I don’t sway from my being true to my own integrity about politics and what I spend my time and my money on, and I never record anything or tour with people that I don’t think are really of the highest quality.’ 

Bonnie has done her best to keep her personal life out of the spotlight. She was married once, to actor Michael O’Keefe from 1991 to 1999, but other than that, she hasn’t been linked to many other famous faces.

In fact, her only other rumored romance was with jazz saxophonist Euge Groove, but very little is known about their relationship.

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