If you were paying attention to the news in the past few weeks, you might have come across a rather startling headline. This year, a Grammy – the music world’s equivalent of an Oscar – for Songfrom her latest album of the same name (it also won the award for Best American Roots Song, withwinning Best Americana Performance). Of course, Raitt’s career has unfolded in anything but a ‘just like that’ manner. Her debut album came out in 1971 and, over the course of a 50-plus-year career she has won 13 Grammy Awards and no less than 30 nominations. It’s hard to think of a more illustrious and consistent contribution to guitar music, in some ways, given the quality of her playing, singing and recordings throughout.
