John Raitt

One of the prime Broadway musical stars of the post WWII period, handsome John Raitt was once described by composer Richard Rodgers as "a big, brawny fellow with a magnificent baritone." John would go on to maintain an incredibly resilient career spanning over 60 years, showing remarkable power, range and stamina for a man who defied the odds as he continued concertizing well into his 80s. He was born John Emmet Raitt in Santa Ana, California on January 29, 1917, the son of Archie John Raitt, founder and director of the North Orange County Young Men's Christian Association. His interest in theatre developed while attending Fullerton Union High School in Fullerton where he appeared in several plays at the local Plummer Auditorium and sang in the chorus of "The Desert Song." Also excelling in football and track, he won the state title in the shot-put in 1935, which, in turn, earned him a track scholarship to USC. A year later, however, he transferred to the University of Redlands and re