Bonnie is as known for her lifelong commitment to social activism as she is for her music. She has long been involved with the environmental movement, doing concerts around Forest, Oil, Mining and Water protection since the mid-70s. She was a founding member of MUSE (Musicians United for Safe Energy) which produced the historic concerts, album and movie, NO NUKES in 1979. She has been especially active in the fight to preserve our Ancient Forests, performing numerous concerts, lobbying in Washington and getting arrested twice in support of a change in forest policy.
She has also supported groups working for Native American, women's and human rights, as well as the fight against apartheid in South Africa and U.S. involvement in the war in Central America in the 80s.
As one of the founding members of the Rhythm & Blues Foundation she continues to work for increased recognition, health benefits and royalty reform for the pioneer generation of R&B artists to whom we owe so much. In 1995, she helped establish the Bonnie Raitt Guitar Program, which now provides free guitar lessons to kids in over 180 Boys and Girls Clubs around the world.
On her 2002 Summer Tour, Bonnie initiated Green Highway, a travelling eco-village providing information to concert-goers about alternative energy solutions (solar and wind power,) displaying Honda Hybrid vehicles and connecting fans to local environmental issues and organizations. Carrying the message of change to the national energy policy, Bonnie participated in the historic Vote For Change Tour, co-headlining a bill along with Jackson Browne and Keb’ Mo’. In October 2004, this multi-artist, multi-city tour through the battleground states aimed to get voters to the polls on Election Day to vote for a change. After an historic 40 shows in 30 cities in 9 battleground states over the course of 10 days, all 20+ artists and bands on the tour gathered for a rousing finale concert in Washington, DC bringing the message of change home to the nation’s capital.
For more complete information about the many benefit concerts Bonnie has played over the years, visit her Benefit History.
ACTIVISM WORKS!
Watch Robert Cray's powerful video for "Twenty" WATCH THE VIDEO
Green Highway and Biodiesel on tour
Read an article about Bonnie's Knoxville, TN biodiesel tour vehicle fill-up!
In 2002, Bonnie initiated the Green Highway eco-village that traveled along with her summer tour, bringing to every concert, two Honda hybrid vehicles, interactive demos and information tabling about renewable energy, sustainable living and local environmental organizations. Green Highway will return for the Souls Alike Tour, with information tabling at every concert coordinated by our partner organization, Reverb.
In our own effort to reduce gasoline consumption, the buses and trucks carrying tour personnel and gear will run on B20 (a blend of 20 percent by volume biodiesel with 80 percent by volume petroleum diesel.) For more information about Biodiesel and it’s benefits, please visit the National Biodiesel Board website.
Boys and Girls Clubs Guitar Program Update
More than 100 Boys & Girls Clubs around the country continue to provide guitar lessons as part of the original Bonnie Raitt/Fender Guitar Program, still utilizing the guitars and instruction materials that were provided during the initial rollout of the program between 1998-2000. At that time, Bonnie partnered with Fender Guitars to create the Bonnie Raitt Signature Series Stratocaster which prompted financial support and the donation of instruments from Fender to create a Guitar Program in Boys & Girls Clubs aimed at providing instruments and after-school lessons to young girls.
Recently, with a grant from NAMM (The International Music Products Association,) the BGCA has been developing the next generation “after-school” music education program to be implemented in all 3,700 Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide. It is in the interest of the music industry to foster the development of this next generation of musicians, and we will keep you posted on the progress of this program as music industry players step-up to the plate to help fund this endeavor.
Links to online sources of independent media:
Commondreams.org -- Daily progressive news and commentary
Alternet.org -– An “infomediary” leading readers to sources for information and insight
Links to important non-profit groups: Little Kids Rock, Alabama Blues Project, Blues Foundation, Music Maker Relief Foundation, American Friends Service Committee, Doctors Without Borders, Central American Resource Center, Global Exchange, Kitchen Sisters, Oceana, Public Citizen, A Nobel Prize for Pete Seeger, SEVA and Kamono Group.