Bluesy singer/songwriter Bonnie Raitt has worked long and hard for her multiple Grammy Awards, hit singles and chart-topping records. Since her 1971 eponymous debut, the California-born performer and long-time activist has steadily maintained a music career, albeit with definite peaks and valleys. The red-headed songstress, one of the only women of her time to play guitar using the bottleneck technique, unleashed seven albums in just nine years, though her big commercial break came with her 10th studio set, 1989’s “Nick of Time.” That 11-track collection, produced by Don Was, earned three Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year.

Not only has the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer tackled multiple U.S. tours and international runs, but she’s also a frequent participant in events of social activism, such as Farm Aid and Amnesty International concerts.

Raitt’s 16th full-length album and most recent studio release, “Slipstream,” hit retailers in 2012. Not only did ticket sales for the support tour soar, but Raitt also landed the best-selling blues album of the year and took home the Grammy for Best Americana Album.