Before about age 14, my musical universe was–for the most part–overwhelmingly shaped by important people in my life, mainly my parents and their friends and romantic partners. But by 14, I had started making discerning choices. There was music my parents liked that I consciously rejected in favor of other albums and artists.

The best and perhaps first example was Bonnie Raitt. I don’t know what first brought Raitt to my attention, but it wasn’t any specific person in my life. Somehow, I was listening for myself and making choices. (At age 17, I left home for good, and my musical universe broadened even more.)