Bonnie Raitt Doesn't Shy Away From Her Gray Hair Streak - She Shows It Off

When you think of Bonnie Raitt, it's hard not to immediately picture her striking gray streak and bright-red curls. In fact, her silver streak has become part of her signature look as an artist and entertainer throughout her five-decade career. So how exactly did it come to be? "The silver-white streak is natural," Raitt told Parade in 2012. "I was 24 [when it came in] and you can sort of see it on album covers. By 1981 it was expanding and my red was fading, so I started dyeing my hair [around the streak]. No one else in my family has it. I've been told it means you've been kissed by an angel." 

Angel or not, it turns out there's a name for her condition — poliosis, which is a lack of melanin in a localized patch of hair. Instead of shying away from her gray streak, Raitt chose to embrace it and make it part of her style, just like these celebrities who proudly show off their gray hair. Now, it's hard to imagine Raitt without her iconic face-framing streak, but we think she could easily join this list of eight red-haired celebs who will make you want to try the flaming-hot look. But as the star ages gracefully, we doubt she'll want to hide her signature grays.

In November 2025, Bonnie Raitt celebrated her 76th birthday, and said in a Facebook post that she has no plans to retire anytime soon. In fact, the "I Can't Make You Love Me" singer kicked off her 2026 tour in May in Spokane, Washington. Raitt's secret to longevity? She told The Guardian that she credits her healthy lifestyle as the key to thriving in her late '70s. "I'm so grateful for my 38 years of sobriety — knock on wood, one day at a time — which is probably why I'm still here just in terms of perspective, emotionally and spiritually," she said. "But also getting enough sleep and getting some exercise: I do yoga and weights with a girlfriend on FaceTime three times a week, no matter where I am." It looks like Raitt is on to something, as she works hard to avoid these lifestyle mistakes that may be aging you.

The Grammy-winning artist is also known for her social activism, and standing up for environmental and human rights, women's issues, and Native American rights might have helped her maintain her wellness as she's aged. "From my folks converting to Quakerism after the Second World War, I learned pacifism, and simplicity: not focusing on the material and consuming as much as possible, but being of service," Raitt told The Guardian. It seems contributing to a world that she wants to live in has also helped the star to age gracefully and with contentment, as has spending time out in that world. "... I don't know what I would do if it wasn't for being able to get out into nature and hike and be with the fellowship of my people that feel like I do about the world," she added.