Chris DeLine

While names such as Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, or Ida Cox might initially come to mind when thinking of classic female blues singers, it’d be hard not to include Bonnie Raitt among the names of the best blues singers—male or female—who followed. And she can play, too. Despite having released 15 studio albums, Raitt might best be known for her biggest commercial success, the 1991 hit “Something to Talk About,” which peaked at the fifth position on Billboard’s Hot 100 singles chart. She’s tallied nine Grammy Awards in her nearly 40 years of recording, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2000, a testament to her influence on generations past and generations still yet to come. Nowadays Raitt continues hitting the road diligently; this summer she and Taj Mahal have taken on some 30 dates, the first tour the duo has done together and one that will certainly lend the 2009 Minnesota State Fair one of its most engrossing performances. All ages.

[This critics’ pick was originally published by City Pages.]