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Mamie Smith
Ma Rainey
Bessie Smith
Ida Goodson
Ethel Waters
Alberta Hunter
Lizzie 'Memphis Minnie' Douglas
Victoria Spivey
Ida Cox
Blue Lu Barker
Lizzie Miles
Gladys Bentley
Billie Holiday
Rosa Henderson
Sara Martin
Bertha 'Chippie' Hill
Lucille Hegamin
Eva Taylor
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Lucille Bogan
Ruth Brown
Beverly 'Guitar' Watkins
Koko Taylor
Bonnie Raitt
Rory Block
© Harvey L. Silver/Corbis
A young Bonnie opening for The Byrds at Queens College in New York (1971)
While some of the names in this feature will be unknown to all but the most fanatical blues fiend, everyone knows who Bonnie Raitt is.
A brilliant slide guitarist and vocalist, Raitt played alongside legends like Howlin’ Wolf and Mississippi Fred McDowell on the 60s club scene before signing a record contract with Warner Bros in 1970. Her self-titled 1971 debut album established her as a serious blues artist with killer guitar chops.
Her tenth album, 1989’s Nick of Time, was a smash hit selling six million copies. One of Raitt’s finest moments came when she made a guest appearance on blues deity John Lee Hooker’s 1989 album The Healer. The sultry I’m In The Mood was a brilliant showcase for Bonnie’s slide guitar work. John Lee wasn’t too dusty on the track either.
