It was 7:45 p.m. on a rockin’ Friday night. People of all ages with their blue and white ticket stubs anticipated the red-haired woman with the white streak in her bangs. That unique blend of bluesy melodies, slide guitar and raspy vocals must mean the one and only: Bonnie Raitt.

A packed crowd had the fantastic pleasure of experiencing her live at Hilton Coliseum last Friday night. They arrived at Hilton ready for Raitt to give them something to talk about, and boy, did she ever. People bought cold brews, found their seats and kicked back in comfort, ready to watch the opening act.

Usually at concerts, crowds are not as thrilled to see the opening act as the big act, but we kept our optimism high, and we were not disappointed. In recent years, Bonnie has devoted a lot of time to the Rhythm and Blues Foundation, of which she is a founding member and vice-chairperson. The foundation is dedicated to garnering and financing the visibility for R & B artists.

On Bonnie’s 1990 American tour, she shared the spotlight with singer/songwriter Charles Brown, who was the first opening act Friday night.

He mesmerized the crowd with his brilliant bluesy voice and tinkled the old ivories in the context of his set. Next to hit the hot stage was a charming woman with a great personality. Ruth Brown, a Tony Award winner, was funny, high-spirited and a sister of soul throughout her entire set of sultry and sensual rhythm and blues.

Raitt gave a little background on the opening act in a press release: “Ruth and Charles Brown are people who recorded from the late 40s to the late 60s, and who created the foundation for all the music we all make our living on.

“They did not have a royalty agreement or didn’t get proper royalty statements. These people are in their 60s and 70s now and they didn’t make enough money to be in the union and they have no health insurance. It’s still a very racist situation and it’s an unfortunate one.”

What a heart Bonnie Raitt has, and the moment she graced the stage with her dazzling smile and red-and-black outfit, she was undeniably the goddess with the heart of rhythm-and-blues gold. She sang her hit songs such as “Come To Me,” “Something To Talk About,” “Anything You Want” and “Love Sneaking Up On You.” The Raitt tradition is a mixture of country, blues, early R & B and interpretations by new songwriters, as well as some original compositions.

Bonnie Raitt’s own musical history is inspiring. Her deep-felt love of rhythm and blues was first revealed in the early 70’s when she emerged as a unique folk and blues singer/guitar player in the Northeast club scene. Her avalanche of Grammy awards and public admiration is apparent when she’s on stage. You can tell that she truly loves what she’s doing.

One of her final songs, “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” sent chills through the crowd. It justified why she’s even in this business in the first place: because it makes her happy, and she loves to make her audience happy. She succeeded!