Basic Information
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | Marjorie Geraldine Haydock |
| Also known as | Marge; later records show Marjorie Geraldine Goddard |
| Born | 1 September 1922, Los Angeles, California |
| Died | 2 July 2004, Seal Beach, California |
| Occupation | Pianist (classically trained) |
| Notable for | First wife of Broadway star John Raitt; mother of singer Bonnie Raitt |
| Spouse(s) | John Emmett Raitt (m. 1942; div. c. 1970–1971) |
| Children | Bonnie Lynn Raitt (b. 1949); Steven (Steve) Raitt; David Raitt |
| Parents | Earl Henry Haydock; Marguerite Roberta (Keister) Haydock |
| Later married name | Goddard (in some public records) |
| Family life | A musically rich, often bi-coastal upbringing; Quaker-influenced household |
A Musical Household: The Pianist Behind the Voices
As a steady left hand on the piano, Marjorie Haydock’s life unfolds quietly and firmly. She was born in 1922 in Los Angeles, where theatre was a way of life and language. At the keyboard, Marjorie spoke that language fluidly. Her piano training brought discipline and taste to a home that would produce Bonnie, one of America’s favourite voices.
Without seeking attention, Marjorie helped generate it. Music was breeze and bread in the family’s living rooms—first on one coast, then the other. Scales, showtunes, gospel, folk—the home resonated. Bonnie Raitt’s later recollections on her youth constantly recall a setting where music was nurtured daily and craft and sensitivity were there. That atmosphere was due to Marjorie’s musician’s ear and her husband’s Broadway thunder.
Marriage to a Leading Man: 1942–c.1970
She married rising baritone John Emmett Raitt in 1942, whose stage presence defined mid-century American musical theatre. John walked through Oklahoma roles!Marjorie balanced the home score in Carousel and The Pyjama Game. Touring, coast-to-coast moves, and a growing family kept the couple busy.
The couple had Steve, Bonnie, and David. John’s career was public, but Marjorie’s was personal and lasting. Their marriage ended about 1970–1971, ending a long period in which home and stage were intertwined and Marjorie’s stability anchored a postwar American show business household.
Raising Bonnie, Steve, and David
Every great musician had a first conservatory, Bonnie’s was the Raitt household. Marjorie’s piano performance showed the kids craft and feel—rhythm as duty, melody as empathy. The family’s Quaker upbringing shaped its music and morals: listening, speaking plainly, and maintaining time.
- Bonnie Lynn Raitt, born November 8, 1949, would go on to become a Grammy-winning singer and guitarist, often nodding to the formative musical currents at home.
- Steven (Steve) Raitt pursued creative and technical work across music-adjacent fields before his death in 2009.
- David Raitt has carried forward the family’s artistic threads in his own ways.
Marjorie’s fingerprints are audible in their trajectories: patience, precision, and the primacy of feel.
A Life in the Wings: Presence Without Fanfares
Marjorie is known as a background musician. She was not a feted recording artist or concert performer. However, premiere and public event photos show her with her children and ex-husband, gracefully speaking art. Rare unguarded shots—family photos, event arrivals—show a confident, attentive woman who lets others shine.
In later years, some public records reflect the name Marjorie Geraldine Goddard, indicating a subsequent chapter beyond the Raitt marriage. Even then, when the camera found her, she remained the same: a quiet force, perfectly tuned.
Timeline Highlights
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1922 | Born in Los Angeles, California |
| 1942 | Married John Emmett Raitt |
| 1940s–1950s | Family life set to the rhythms of John’s theater work; frequent moves between coasts |
| 1949 | Birth of daughter, Bonnie Lynn Raitt, in Burbank, California |
| Late 1950s | The family settles primarily in the Los Angeles area |
| c. 1970–1971 | Marriage to John Raitt ends |
| 1980s–1990s | Appears at public events and family gatherings; seen with Bonnie at premieres |
| 2004 | Dies on July 2 in Seal Beach, California |
Family Table at a Glance
| Name | Relationship | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| John Emmett Raitt | Spouse (first husband) | Broadway and film musical star; married 1942; divorced c. 1970–1971 |
| Bonnie Lynn Raitt | Daughter | Born 1949; acclaimed singer, guitarist, and activist |
| Steven (Steve) Raitt | Son | Worked in creative/technical fields; died 2009 |
| David Raitt | Son | Part of the Raitt family’s ongoing musical thread |
| Earl Henry Haydock | Father | Marjorie’s father |
| Marguerite Roberta (Keister) Haydock | Mother | Marjorie’s mother |
The Sound of Influence
Marjorie influenced songs with consistent pedal tones, not cymbal smashes. In a home filled with Broadway lights and American roots music, she offered discipline, listening, and taste—the unsung traits every artist needs to succeed. Her daughter’s slide-guitar phrasing and slow vocal lines reflect an early apprenticeship in an environment where constraint was passion’s frame.
Even the family’s frequent moves—those suitcase years of the 1940s and 1950s—helped shape adaptable, resourceful children. Marjorie’s piano—transportable in spirit if not in weight—became the portable hearth. Wherever the family landed, the music arrived first.
Later Years and Quiet Legacy
Marjorie made occasional public appearances in her senior years, such as premieres and family gatherings. She is recognised for her subtlety—keeping a family’s rhythm steady as one of the great American theatre voices flourished and another found her calling.
Her death in 2004 in Seal Beach, California, closed a life measured less by applause than by resonance. If legacies were chords, hers would be the supporting harmony that makes the melody shine brighter.
FAQ
Who was Marjorie Haydock?
She was a classically trained pianist, the first wife of Broadway star John Raitt, and the mother of singer Bonnie Raitt.
When and where was she born?
She was born on September 1, 1922, in Los Angeles, California.
When did she pass away?
She died on July 2, 2004, in Seal Beach, California.
Was Marjorie Haydock a professional performer?
She is best described as a trained pianist whose musicianship enriched her family’s life rather than as a public recording or touring artist.
How is she connected to Bonnie Raitt’s career?
She helped create a musically rich home environment that shaped Bonnie’s early ear and artistic sensibility.
Whom did she marry?
She married John Emmett Raitt in 1942; their marriage ended around 1970–1971.
Did she have other names later in life?
Some public records list her as Marjorie Geraldine Goddard, reflecting a later married name.
Who were her children?
She had three children: Steven (Steve) Raitt, Bonnie Lynn Raitt, and David Raitt.
What was her family background?
She was the only child of Earl Henry Haydock and Marguerite Roberta (Keister) Haydock.
What characterized her legacy?
A quiet, enduring influence—musical, moral, and maternal—felt in the lives and work of her family.
