Suzi Quatro
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Suzi Quatro | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Susan Kay Quatro |
| Born | June 3, 1950 |
| Origin | Detroit, Michigan, United States |
| Genre(s) | Pop rock Glam rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, record producer, actress, radio personality |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, bass guitar, piano |
| Years active | 1964–present (singer) |
| Label(s) | EMI Int'l EMI Bgo - Beat Goes on Disky Records Razor & Tie |
| Associated acts | Chris Norman, |
| Website | Official Website |
Suzi Quatro (born Susan Kay Quatro, June 3, 1950, Detroit, Michigan) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, radio personality and actress.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life
Born into a Catholic[1] musical family, Quatro's father, Art, a part time jazz musician, was of Italian descent,[2] while her mother, Helen Sanislay, was Hungarian.[3] She is the aunt of actress Sherilyn Fenn, whose mother is Quatro's sister Arlene.[4] Quatro began her musical career in the all-female band Pleasure Seekers and Cradle with her sisters Patti, Nancy, and Arlene. Patti Quatro later joined the band Fanny, one of the earliest all-female rock bands to gain national attention.[5] She has a brother, Michael Quatro, who is also a musician.[6]
Quatro moved to the UK in 1971 after being discovered in Detroit by record producer Mickie Most, famous for producing many artists such as The Animals, Jeff Beck, Lulu and Donovan.[7] By this time he had started his own label RAK Records, which made stars of many artists including Hot Chocolate and Mud.[8]
[edit] Career
[edit] Music
Quatro's first single "Rolling Stone" did not achieve popularity anywhere except Portugal, where it made number one. Mickie Most then introduced Quatro to the songwriting/production team Nicky Chinn/Mike Chapman.[9] Her second single "Can the Can" (1973) was a number one hit throughout Europe and in Australia. It was followed up by three further major hits: "48 Crash" (1973), "Daytona Demon" (1973) and "Devil Gate Drive" (1974) on RAK Records. Her first two albums were also huge European and Australian successes.
These recordings, however, met little success in her native U.S., despite her tours in the mid-1970s supporting Alice Cooper, and, except in Australia, the popularity of Quatro's hard rocking glam rock style declined rapidly from 1975. In the interim, she did enjoy some success as a session player.
Quatro's fortunes did not change until 1978 when "If You Can't Give Me Love" became a Top Ten hit in the UK and Australia. This track did nothing to prompt Stateside success for Quatro, but "Stumblin' In", a duet recorded later that same year for RSO Records with Chris Norman of Smokie finally secured her a smash hit, peaking at #4. Both of these tracks were featured on the 'If You Knew Suzi' album. A year later, Quatro released 'Suzi... And Other Four Letter Words'. She commented on it being her all time favourite album. This featured singles, such as "She's In Love With You", which made hit number 11 in the UK charts, Mama's Boy (number 34) and I've Never Been In Love (number 56). This success proved brief however, and her last UK hit was "Heart of Stone" in late 1982. In 1985 Quatro collaborated with Bronski Beat and members of The Kinks, Eddie & The Hot Rods, and Dr. Feelgood on the Mark Cunningham-produced version of David Bowie's classic "Heroes", released the following year as the official 1986 BBC Children In Need single.[10]
In February 2006 Quatro released "Back To the Drive", produced by Sweet guitarist Andy Scott. The album's title track was penned by her former collaborator Mike Chapman.[11]Later that year, a DVD documentary chronicling Quatro's life and career, "Naked Under Leather" was produced.[12]
March 2007 saw Quatro release a version of The Eagles' "Desperado", followed by the publication her autobiography, "Unzipped"[13]
In Australia, Suzi Quatro has sold more records than the Beatles. She has sold over 45 million records worldwide.
[edit] Acting and radio hosting
She is most famous in the United States as Leather Tuscadero in the TV show Happy Days. Show producer Garry Marshall reportedly offered Quatro the role without an audition after seeing her picture on his teenage daughter's bedroom wall. Leather was the younger sister of Fonzie's girlfriend, hot-rod driver Pinky Tuscadero. Leather Tuscadero fronted an all-girl rock band that was joined by principal character Joanie Cunningham. The character returned in other cameo roles, including once for a date to a fancy fraternity formal with Ralph Malph. Marshall offered Quatro a Leather Tuscadero spin-off, but she refused saying she did not want to be typecast.[citation needed]
Other acting roles include a 1980 episode of British comedy-drama series Minder called "Dead Men Do Tell Tales", as the singer girlfriend of Terry's (Dennis Waterman). In 1985 she starred as a mentally disturbed ex-MI5 operative in Dempsey and Makepeace - "Love you to Death". In 1986, Quatro appeared as Annie Oakley in a 1986 London production of Annie Get Your Gun.[10] In 1994, she made a cameo appearance in an episode of the comedy Absolutely Fabulous. She also was filmed in the 1990 Clive Barker horror film Nightbreed, but the studio drastically cut the film and cut out her character all together. [14]
In 2006, Quatro performed the voice of Rio in the Bob the Builder film Built To Be Wild,[15] and appeared in an episode of the second season of Rock School. She also appeared in the episode "The Axeman Cometh" of Midsomer Murders alongside Phil Grainger.[14]
In October 2006, Quatro was a contestant on the British reality television show Trust Me - I'm A Beauty Therapist'.[16]
The following year, she appeared on Irish television show The Podge and Rodge Show, in March 2007. Later that year, Quatro released her version of The Eagles' "Desperado", and her autobiography entitled Unzipped.[17]
In addition to touring, Quatro currently hosts a weekly Rock and Roll programme on BBC Radio 2, Rockin' with Suzi Q.[18]
[edit] Personal life
Quatro married her longtime guitarist Len Tuckey in 1976. Although they had two children together (Laura in 1982 and Richard Leonard in 1984), they eventually divorced in 1992 and she married concert promoter Rainer Haas in 1993.[19]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- 1973: Suzi Quatro (Can The Can in Australia)
- 1974: Quatro
- 1975: Your Mama Won't Like Me
- 1976: Aggro-Phobia
- 1977: Live And Kickin' (Japan & Australia only live album; re-released as double CD in 1990 in Australia)
- 1978: If You Knew Suzi...
- 1979: Suzi... And Other Four Letter Words
- 1980: Rock Hard
- 1982: Main Attraction
- 1990: Oh Suzi Q.
- 1996: What Goes Around
- 1998: Unreleased Emotion
- 2006: Back To The Drive
[edit] Singles
| Year | Title | B-Side | UK | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | "Rolling Stone" | "Brain Confusion" | - | - |
| 1973 | "Can the Can" | "Ain't Ya Something Honey" | 1 | - |
| 1973 | "48 Crash" | "Little Bitch Blue" | 3 | - |
| 1973 | "Daytona Demon" | "Roman Fingers" | 4 | - |
| 1974 | "Devil Gate Drive" | "In The Morning" | 1 | - |
| 1974 | "Too Big" | "I Wanna Be Free" | 14 | - |
| 1974 | "The Wild One" | "Shake My Sugar" | 7 | - |
| 1975 | "Your Mama Won't Like Me" | "Peter, Peter" | 31 | - |
| 1975 | "I Bit Off More Than I Could Chew" | "Red Hot Rosie" | - | - |
| 1975 | "I May Be Too Young" | "Don't Mess Around" | - | - |
| 1977 | "Tear Me Apart" | "Close Enough To Rock'n'Roll" | 27 | - |
| 1977 | "Make Me Smile" | "Same As I Do" | - | - |
| 1977 | "Roxy Roller" | "Close Enough To Rock'n'Roll" | - | - |
| 1978 | "If You Can't Give Me Love" | "Cream Dream" | 4 | - |
| 1978 | "She's In Love With You" | "Space Cadets" | 11 | - |
| 1978 | "Stumblin' In" | "A Stranger To Paradise" | 41 | 4 |
| 1979 | "The Race Is On" | "Non-Citizen" | - | - |
| 1980 | "Mama's Boy" | "Mind Demons" | 34 | - |
| 1980 | "I've Never Been In Love" | "Starlight Lady" | 56 | - |
| 1980 | "Rock Hard" | "State Of Mind" | 68 | - |
| 1981 | "Glad All Over" | "Ego In The Night" | - | - |
| 1981 | "Lipstick" | "Woman Cry" | - | - |
| 1982 | "Heart Of Stone" | "Remote Control" | 60 | - |
| 1983 | "Down At The Superstore" | "Half Day Closing (Down At The Superstore) " | - | - |
| 1983 | "Main Attraction" | "Transparent" | - | - |
| 1984 | "I Go Wild" | "I'm A Rocker" | - | - |
| 1985 | "Tonight I Could Fall In Love" | "Good Girl (Looking For A Bad Time)" | - | - |
| 1986 | "Heroes" | "A Long Way To Go"/"The County Line" | - | - |
| 1986 | "I Got Lost In His Arms" | "You Can't Get A Man With A Gun" | - | - |
| 1986 | "Wild Thing" | "I Don't Want You" | - | - |
| 1987 | "Let It Be" | "Let It Be (Gospel Jam Mix)" | - | - |
| 1988 | "We Found Love" | "We Found Love" (Instrumental) | - | - |
| 1989 | "Baby You're A Star" | "Baby You're A Star" (Instrumental) | - | - |
| 1991 | "Kiss Me Goodbye" | "Kiss Me Goodbye" (Instrumental) | - | - |
| 1991 | "The Great Midnight Rock'n'Roll House Party" | "Intimate Strangers" | - | - |
| 1992 | "Love Touch" "Love Touch" (Single Version) |
"We Found Love" | - | - |
| 1992 | "Hey Charley" | - | - | - |
| 1992 | "I Need Your Love" | "The Growing Years" | - | - |
| 1993 | "Fear Of The Unknown" (Radio Version) | "And So To Bed" | - | - |
| 1994 | "If I Get Lucky" (Radio Version) | "If I Get Lucky" (Long Version) | - | - |
| 1994 | "Peace On Earth" (Radio Edit) "Peace On Earth" (Album Version) |
"Frosty The Snowman" | - | - |
| 1995 | "What Goes Round" (Radio Edit) "What Goes Round" (Album Version) |
"Four Letter Words" (Remix Version) | - | - |
| 2006 | "I'll Walk Through The Fire With You" | - | - | - |
[edit] Filmography
[edit] Television
- Disco (1 episode, 1974)
- Happy Days (7 episodes, 1977-1979)
- Minder (1 episode, 1982)
- Rod and Emu's Saturday Special (1 episode, 1983)
- The Krankies Klub (1 episode, 1983)
- Dempsey & Makepeace (1 episode, 1985)
- Absolutely Fabulous (1 episode, 1994)
- Gene Simmons' Rock School (1 episode on series two, 2006)
- Midsomer Murders (1 episode, 2007)
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Danziger, Danny. "Relative Values: Suzi Quatro and her daughter, Laura Tuckey", The Sunday Times, 2007-08-19.
- ^ Quatro Crashes Back
- ^ Spence, Andrew. "Suzi Quatro: Exclusive interview", Bendinat.
- ^ Filmreference.com: Sherilyn Fenn
- ^ Anderman, Joan. "Rocking the Boat", The Boston Globe, 2007-04-20.
- ^ Quatrophonic.com
- ^ Oglesbee, Frank W.. "Suzi Quatro: A Prototype in the Archsheology of Rock", 1999.
- ^ McDougall, Liam. "Legendary British record producer Mickie Most dies of cancer aged 64", The Sunday Hearld, 2003-06-01.
- ^ Oglesbee, Frank W.. "Suzi Quatro: A Prototype in the Archsheology of Rock", 1999.
- ^ a b Suzi Quatro Timeline, Gunta Anderson
- ^ All Music Guide: "Back to the Drive" review/credits
- ^ Dwyer, Michael. "Eternity In Black", The Sunday Hearld, 2005-03-21.
- ^ Suzi Quatro Official website: News
- ^ a b IMDb credits: Suzi Quatro
- ^ Bob the Builder: Built to be Wild
- ^ Williams, Andrew. "60 SECONDS: Suzi Quatro", Metro.co.uk, 2007-08-05.
- ^ Suzi Quatro Official website: News
- ^ Suzi Quatro Homepage
- ^ Oglesbee, Frank W.. "Suzi Quatro: A Prototype in the Archsheology of Rock", 1999.
[edit] External links
- Official Suzi Quatro website
- Suzi Quatro at the Internet Movie Database
- Suzi Quatro at TV.com
- Suzi Quatro interview at BassGirls.Com
- Detailed Suzi Quatro Discography
- The Pleasure Seekers band info
- Detroit area rock 'n' roll bands: The Pleasure Seekers
- SUZI QUATRO – UNZIPPED! - Suzi Quatro reads from her autobiography on BBC Radio 2 - streaming audio
