Every Friday around 11 a.m. Central, it’s time for Classic Americana on Radio Heartland. We pull a special track from the archives or from deep in the shelves to spotlight a particular artist or song.

This week’s classic Americana shines a spotlight Bonnie Raitt, who recorded her 1971 self-titled debut album on an island in the middle of Lake Minnetonka, a huge body of water located 15 miles west of Minneapolis. Since that time, Raitt has enjoyed a long career, releasing roots-oriented albums that blend elements of blues, rock, country and folk.

Raitt won three Grammy Awards for her 1989 album, Nick of Time, and to convince herself that it wasn’t a fluke, she went on a self-guided songwriting retreat in Northern California where she wrote three songs that would eventually land on her 1991 album, Luck of the Draw. Songs on that album also won three Grammy Awards — so Bonnie Raitt’s musicianship is certainly no fluke!

And it’s from Luck of the Draw that we draw this week’s Classic Americana pick. Luck of the Draw features the singles “Something to Talk About” and “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” and our featured track, “Not the Only One.”

The song was written by Irish singer-songwriter Paul Brady (who also wrote the album’s title track). Browsing the liner notes for Luck of The Draw, the recording of “Not the Only One” features Bonnie Raitt on lead vocals, songwriter Brady on backing vocals, Richard Thompson on electric guitar, and the Heartbreakers’ Benmont Tench on keyboards.

Bonnie Raitt has continued to win Grammy Awards since Luck of the Draw, including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022. In 2023, Raitt won three more Grammy Awards — including Best Americana Roots Song and Song of the year for “Just Like That” — the title track from her 2022 album.

External Links

Bonnie Raitt – official site