"Bonnie Raitt is a sweetheart and a good ole girl."
-- Joni MItchell
(From an article at http://www.jmdl.com/articles/docs/851216p.cfm)
Dear Susan,
Thanks for telling us all about seeing Bonnie in concert and meeting her
backstage. Congratulations!
Having lived most of my life in Massachusetts, I have been a Bonnie Raitt fan
since her Cambridge days. In fact, I have probably seen her perform more
times than I have seen any other artist over the years -- in every kind of
venue, from little coffee houses and bars to big arenas. She has never
disappointed me.
When I was 19 -- and even more obnoxious, if you can believe it -- I saw her
at an incredible, short-lived club in Harvard Square called the Performance
Center with a whole table full of my high school and college buddies. After
every number, we all shouted a request for "Women Be Wise." And eventually,
Bonnie, ever gracious, said, "This one is for those cavaliers in the back
row," and then played "Women Be Wise." We were all so proud of ourselves for
getting her to play the song until the local underground newspaper came out
the next week with a letter to the editor complaining about how ill-mannered
"those cavaliers in the back row" were. (I am much better behaved at concerts
since this incident.)
I also had the pleasure of being invited backstage to meet her at a concert
she gave on the Boston Common in 1986 or so. (Met some of her roadies in a
bar the night before -- it's a long story that even I can't even remember
that well!) I approached Bonnie as she was leaving, extended my hand and said
something like, "Hi, Bonnie, I just wanted to tell you that I've always loved
you." (Really, whatever I said was about that lame.) Luckily, she didn't
remember me from my cavalier-in-the-back-row days, and she was very sweet,
very genuine.
I love the fact that she always gives credit to her musical roots -- the
blues performers who have been such an enormous influence on her work
throughout her career. And it's always a treat when she includes these living
legends in her shows. I have heard that she also works to provide financial
aid and other help to some of the blues people who were, let's face it,
screwed by the music business. I think that's extremely admirable and wonder
why more performers whose music is heavily blues-influenced (The Rolling
Stones immediately come to mind) don't do the same. There is plenty of wealth
in the music biz to share with these pioneers -- mostly all elderly now --
who were so shamefully cheated out of the money and recognition they
deserved.
Bonnie has also shown impeccable taste in choosing songs to record over the
years. In all this talk about Methany, someone mentioned a song called "You."
I wonder if that's the same beautiful song Bonnie recorded (written by Bob
Thiele, Jr., Tonio K and John Shanks) on her "Longing in Their Hearts" album.
I wouldn't be surprised if she actually did listen to your friend's CD,
Susan. Wouldn't it be great if she chose to record something!
I know I've been rambling, so I'll close with this: Do you remember the old
Cloris Leachman series, "Phyllis?" There was an elderly lady who played, I
think, Cloris' mother or grandmother on the show and every time someone
talked about Charles Bronson, she would put down her needlepoint and
wistfully (and somewhat lustfully) sigh, "Charles Bronson . . ." Lust aside,
that's pretty much how I feel whenever anyone mentions Bonnie!
--Bob, putting down his needlepoint and sighing . . .
