Fifty years ago on April 29, 1975, Bonnie Raitt gave a benefit concert with Mose Allison for WORT at the Capitol City Theatre in downtown Madison. This was a major event in the history of our station. On this very special edition of A Public Affair, WORT Production Coordinator Aaron Scholz is behind the mic to explain why. In addition to a special message from Bonnie Raitt, we hear four interviews with folks who helped coordinate the benefit show, were at the show, or were involved with WORT before we went on the air over six months later.
Bonnie Raitt Day - About 1975 benefit with Bonnie & Mose Allison
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The poster for the 1975 concert featuring Bonnie Raitt and Mose Allison.
In the first interview, Stu Levitan speaks with Glenn Silber about the genesis of the benefit concert. Silber is the director of the Academy Award-nominated documentary about Madison’s political history, The War at Home. In 1975, he was working for a group called People’s Video who were the co-beneficiaries of the Bonnie Raitt benefit concert. Not only was the show a flashpoint in the history of WORT, it also coincided with the fall of Saigon, as Silber explains.
Next we hear from Don Alan, who was the MC for the concert and later WORT’s News Director. He went on to become the Program Director and Station Manager before he left in 1984 to move to San Francisco. Alan says that he got involved with the creation of WORT because radio was an important part of his life. Fifty years on, WORT still depends on the passion of its volunteers and staff to make great radio and serve the community.
Mike O’Connor also spoke with Scholz about the nuts and bolts of getting WORT off the ground, including the initial start-up cost for the station of $3,200. Bonnie Raitt’s benefit concert raised one-third of this cost. O’Connor went on to help other community radio stations get their start and he co-founded the National Federation of Community Broadcasters.
Our last interview is with Gil Halsted, a retired Wisconsin Public Radio reporter and a regular contributor to a wide variety of programs at WORT including World View, Labor Radio and the Insurgent Radio Kiosk. Halsted tells Scholz about what it was like to attend that legendary Bonnie Raitt and Mose Allison show.
WASHINGTON, DC – NOVEMBER 06: (AFP OUT) Singer Willie Nelson performs at “A Salute to the Troops: In Performance at the White House” on the South Lawn November 6, 2014 in Washington, DC. The President and First Lady invited music legends, members of the U.S. military, military veterans, and their families to the White House for a celebration of the men and women who serve the United States. (Photo by Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, Texas — Willie Nelson, Paul Simon, James Taylor and Bonnie Raitt are the latest celebrities to step up for the victims of Hurricane Harvey. They are among the stars headlining a benefit concert next week to help Texas residents affected by the disaster.
Organizers said the “Harvey Can’t Mess With Texas” concert will be held in Austin on Sept. 22. It will be broadcast live on 11 Tegna stations in the state and on YouTube.
Also scheduled to perform are Lyle Lovett and Leon Bridges. Actors Renee Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey are scheduled to make special appearances at the four-hour show at the Frank Erwin Center.
Tickets go on sale Wednesday afternoon. Prices range from $30 to $199; proceeds will benefit the Rebuild Texas Fund.
Donations will also be collected from phone banks at the television stations.
The benefit comes on the heels of Tuesday night’s “Hand in Hand” broadcast, which featured CBS News’ Norah O’Donnell who was in Houston covering Harvey in its immediate aftermath. She was joined by a variety of celebrities — spanning the entertainment and music industries — like George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Beyoncé and Oprah Winfrey. “Hand in Hand” raised more than $44 million for several charities including United Way of Greater Houston, Habitat for Humanity, Save the Children, Direct Relief, Feeding Texas and The Mayor’s Fund for Hurricane Harvey Relief (administered by the Greater Houston Community Fund).
Voters for Choice fundraiser for Roe v. Wade Anniversary with Jimmy Dale Gilmore, CSN, The Story – Constitution Hall, Washington, D.C. 1-22-1994
When the Supreme Court handed down the Roe v. Wade decision on Jan. 22, 1973, Bonnie Raitt’s career was just getting underway. To celebrate the 21st anniversary of that ruling at Saturday’s Voters for Choice benefit concert in Constitution Hall, Raitt revisited those days. Accompanied only by guitarist-bassist Johnny Lee Schell, she built her set around old blues tunes by Fred McDowell, J.B. Lenoir and Chris Smither. “I haven’t played these songs in so long,” she exclaimed. “This is a powerful night for me.”
It was a welcome reminder of the long, glorious career Raitt had before she became an “overnight” success in 1990. Raitt may fill another shelf with Grammies from her new album due next month, but it’s unlikely she will ever give a performance more forceful than Saturday’s rendition of John Prine’s “Angel From Montgomery.” On this song about what happens to a woman with not enough choices, Raitt delivered some verses talking-blues style and belted out the chorus in that blues-soaked, daughter-of-Broadway voice of hers. Later she was joined by David Crosby and Graham Nash for harmonies on “Love Has No Pride,” and she joined them on the finale, “Teach Your Children.”
Crosby, Stills & Nash, the evening’s headliners, are little more than a nostalgia act these days. At least they faithfully re-created their earlier recordings Saturday — something they have often failed to do over the past 10 years. Opening the show was the Story, sort of a young, female version of Crosby & Nash. Like the headliners, Jonatha Brooke and Jennifer Kimball offered earnest politics and ethereal harmonies untethered to any particular tradition.
Well rooted in traditions was Jimmie Dale Gilmore, who preceded Raitt. The evening’s emcee, Gloria Steinem, introduced him as a “bridge builder,” and the long, tall Texan proved it by stitching his blues, honky-tonk and bohemian-folk sources into a sound unified by its warbling beauty. Backed by guitarist Chris Gage and percussionist Paul Pearcy, Gilmore sang songs by Johnny Cash, Butch Hancock and Lucinda Williams and made them all sound like acts of confession.
Bandana Blues is and will always be a labor of love. Please help Spinner deal with the costs of hosting & bandwidth. Visit www.bandanablues.com and hit the tipjar. Any amount is much appreciated, no matter how small. Thank you.
Bonnie Raitt is nothing if not loyal. And when she caught wind of the fact that Mike Reid and I were writing and recording together, she was quick to volunteer to sing on our song “The Bridge.” It’s one of my favorite songs Mike and I have written. And I can no longer imagine it without her heroic spirit present. ~ Joe Henry
Released on: 2025-09-05 Producer: Joe Henry Music Publisher: Rivers and Roads Music (ASCAP - admin by Endurance Music Group) Music Publisher: Mule Rider (ASCAP) Music Publisher: Blue Raincoat Music (ASCAP) ℗ 2025 Work Song Inc. marketed and distributed by Thirty Tigers
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Prison Bound Blues · Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie has contributed a new recording of "Prison Bound Blues" written by Leroy Carr to a project called Better Than Jail, an extraordinary new album benefiting Free Hearts and Equal Justice USA. Better Than Jail is available everywhere today and features covers of iconic prison songs from Steve Earle, Taj Mahal,Margo Price, The War and Treaty and many more. The album seeks to raise awareness and support for the urgent need to reduce the harm of the criminal justice system. https://found.ee/BetterThanJail.
I'm so proud to have joined in with so many illustrious artists in creating this very special album in support of rural prison reform. Overlooked for far too long, this issue cuts across all cultural and political divides and deserves all our focused attention to finally bring about some swift and meaningful action. Better Than Jail is one of the most inspired and heartfelt albums I've been blessed to be a part of and I hope it sets a fire in hearts far and wide to join in our efforts." ~ Bonnie Raitt
Released on: 2024-10-04 Executive Producer: Brian Hunt Producer: Kenny Greenberg Producer: Wally Wilson Producer: Bonnie Raitt Recording Engineer: Jason Lehning at Sound Emporium Mastering Engineer: Alex McCollough at True East Mastering Production Assistant: Shannon Finnegan Mixer: Justin Niebank at Hounds Ear Music Publisher: Universal Music Corp. Composer, Lyricist: Leroy Carr ℗ Believe Entertainment Group and Wyatt Road Records
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The Fabulous Thunderbirds - Nothing in Rambling Ft. Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal, Keb' Mo' & Mick Fleetwood
In celebration of the band’s 50th Anniversary, The Fabulous Thunderbirds have just released Struck Down, their first studio album in eight years on Stony Plain Records. The ten-track album includes a wonderful cover of Memphis Minnie’s “Nothing in Rambling,” featuring longtime friends, T-Birds founding member Kim Wilson, along with Bonnie, Keb’ Mo’, Taj Mahal and Mick Fleetwood. — BRHQ
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Little Feat - Long Distance Call
“I’ve always loved Little Feat and this new incarnation of the band is bringing some serious heat, cred and new blood to their enduring legacy. Every Feat fan loves us some Sam. I’m so glad he’s now gotten a chance to step out front and center and put his spin on these wonderful blues songs. I loved singing "Long Distance Call" with him, always one of my favorites, and Scott slayed on slide. Know you’ll enjoy hanging out with us at Sam’s Place!" -- Bonnie Raitt
“Long Distance Call” was written by blues legend, Muddy Waters. It has Sam Clayton and Bonnie Raitt on vocals, Scott Sharrard on Dobro, Fred Tackett on acoustic guitar, Tony Leone on drums, and Michael “The Bull” LoBue on harmonica. The album also features Bill Payne on piano and Kenny Gradney on bass.
Little Feat have composed an album that’s their love letter to the blues entitled, ‘Sam’s Place.’ “Long Distance Call” plus many other blues classics are on this album. You can stream and order ‘Sam’s Place’ here: https://orcd.co/samsplace
Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs of John Prine, Vol. 2, the anticipated new John Prine tribute record from Oh Boy Records, is out today. Stream/purchase HERE.
Created as a celebration of Prine’s life and career, the album features new renditions of some of Prine’s most beloved songs performed by Brandi Carlile (“I Remember Everything”), Tyler Childers (“Yes I Guess They Oughta Name A Drink After You”), Iris DeMent (“One Red Rose”), Emmylou Harris (“Hello In There”), Jason Isbell (“Souvenirs”), Valerie June (“Summer’s End”), Margo Price (“Sweet Revenge”), Bonnie Raitt (“Angel From Montgomery”), Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats (“Pretty Good”), Amanda Shires (“Saddle in the Rain”), Sturgill Simpson(“Paradise”) and John Paul White (“Sam Stone”). Proceeds from the album will benefit twelve different non-profit organizations, one selected by each of the featured artists.
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Bonnie Raitt - Write Me a Few of Your Lines/Kokomo Blues
60 years anniversary celebration of Arhoolie
December 10, 2020
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Arhoolie Foundation celebrates it's 60th anniversary (1960-2020) with an online broadcast.
Bonnie Raitt - Shadow of Doubt
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival
October 3, 2020
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass celebrates it's 20th anniversary with an online broadcast titled “Let The Music Play On”.
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Bonnie Raitt & Boz Scaggs - You Don't Know Like I Know
Farm Aid 2020 On the Road
Sam & Dave classic written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter.
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Sheryl Crow & Bonnie Raitt - Everything Is Broken
[Eric Clapton’s Crossroads 2019]
Eric Clapton, one of the world’s pre-eminent blues/rock guitarists, once again summoned an all-star team of six-string heroes for his fifth Crossroads Guitar Festival in 2019. Held at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, the two-day concert event raised funds for the Crossroads Centre in Antigua, the chemical dependency treatment and education facility that Clapton founded in 1998.
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'A Tribute To Mose Allison'
Celebrates The Music Of An Exciting Jazz Master
Raitt contributed to a new album, If You're Going To The City: A Tribute To Mose Allison, which celebrates the late singer and pianist, who famously blended the rough-edged blues of the Mississippi Delta with the 1950s jazz of New York City.
NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro talks to Bonnie Raitt about her friendship with the Mose Allison. They're also joined by Amy Allison — his daughter, who executive produced the album — about selecting an unexpected list of artists to contribute songs to the album.
Recorded on tour June 3, 2017 - Centennial Hall, London - Ontario Canada
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