‘Catch of the Day’ – Bonnie Raitt – “Gypsy In Me” [VIDEO]

Today's focus is on a true trendsetter in not only country music, but music in general. An artist who has won 10 Grammy awards including multiple selections for Album of the Year, and who has been honored with lifetime achievement awards in both country music and rock and roll.

The daughter of Broadway star John Raitt, Bonnie Raitt was discovered in 1970 while she was opening for Mississippi Fred McDowell and a reporter from Newsweek caught her set and began to tell people about the performance. Scouts from major record labels soon began flocking to Raitt's performances, leading to her signing with Warner Bros. Records.

The label released Raitt's self-tittled debut album in 1971, and it was an immediate critical success. The music press welcomed Raitt, praising not only her vocal ability, but also her talent as a guitar player. At the time, few female performers were noted for their instrumental skills. Lauded as an exemplary live performer, she was loved by those who saw her perform, respected by her peers, but she struggled to find acclaim with the general public.

By 1975 Raitt had evolved into a more main stream style, but it did little to encourage the sales of her albums. In 1977 her album Sweet Forgiveness became her first commercial success, fueled by a cover of Del Shannon's "Runaway". The single started a bidding war between Warner and Columbia Records, as Raitt's original contract came to an end. In the end, she stayed with Warner, but after two more unsuccessful releases, she was dropped by the label in 1983. The label would release one Raitt album, 1986's Nine Lives.

It wasn't until 1989, after almost 20 years in the music industry, that commercial success caught up to Bonnie Raitt. Her tenth album, Nick of Time, went to the top of the Billboard Album chart, and led to a sweep of the 1990 Grammy Awards, taking home Album and Female Performance of the Year, as well as Tradition Blues Recording for her cover of "In The Mood" which she recorded with John Lee Hooker. Raitt commented later that the success of the album came from it being her "first sober album".

Raitt followed up this success with three more Grammy Awards for her 1991 album Luck of the Draw which sold nearly 8 million copies in the United States. Three years later, in 1994, she added two more Grammys with her album Longing in Their Hearts, her second no. 1 album. Both of these albums were multi-platinum successes.

In 2000, Raitt was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, though the body of her worked crossed genres from rock to blues to country. She released 4 albums following her early 90's success. 1998's Fundamental was certified platinum, while 2002's Silver Lining went gold. Her two other two albums, 2005's Souls Alike and 2012's Slipstream have both spent time in the top on the album charts.

Raitt is currently putting the finishing touches on a new album for 2016, Dig In Deep and the first single from the album is in our spotlight today. Bonnie Raitt and "Gypsy In Me" is today's Catch of the Day, new music you haven't heard, but you'll want to hear it again.