Suzi Quatro

Suzi Quatro

Suzi Quatro is an American rock singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, radio personality and actress from Detroit, Michigan. Born Susan Kay Quattrocchi in 1950, she is known for a career that spans music, television and stage work.

Career

Quatro begins performing in the 1960s in Detroit garage rock group The Pleasure Seekers, alongside her sisters. She is trained in classical piano and percussion, and also plays bass guitar. In the early 1970s she moves to England and works with producer Mickie Most, then becomes associated with songwriting duo Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman. Her recordings combine glam rock, hard rock, pop and rock, and she becomes identified with the 1970s glam rock era and a tough stage image that influences later female rock acts such as The Runaways and L7.

Her first single, Rolling Stone, finds success only in Portugal, where it reaches number one. Can the Can follows and becomes a number one hit across Europe and in Australia, with further hits including 48 Crash, Daytona Demon and Devil Gate Drive. These releases appear on RAK Records. Her first two albums also sell well in Europe and Australia.

Although her early recordings attract little success in the United States, she tours in the mid-1970s supporting Alice Cooper and also works as a session player. Her British and Australian profile continues with If You Can't Give Me Love in 1978, and Stumblin' In, a duet with Chris Norman, reaches the US Top Five. Both songs appear on the album If You Knew Suzi. The following year she releases Suzi... And Other Four Letter Words, which she calls her favourite album. It includes She's In Love With You, Mama's Boy and I've Never Been In Love.

Later work and television

In 1979 Quatro plays Leather Tuscadero on Happy Days for three seasons, appearing as the younger sister of Fonzie's love interest, Pinky Tuscadero. Her song Rock Hard appears on the soundtrack of Times Square in 1980. Her last UK hit is Heart of Stone in 1982.

In 1985 she collaborates with Bronski Beat and members of The Kinks, Eddie and the Hot Rods and Dr Feelgood on a version of David Bowie's Heroes, which is released as the 1986 BBC Children In Need single. She also appears in the Runaways documentary Edgeplay and in UK television series including Minder, Dempsey and Makepeace and Absolutely Fabulous.

Stage work, radio and later releases

Quatro appears in London's West End in 1990 as the lead in Annie Get Your Gun and writes and stars in a musical about Tallulah Bankhead. She continues to write, perform and record original material, and hosts a show on BBC Radio 2. Her later releases include Back to the Drive, produced by Andy Scott, and a version of Desperado. She also publishes her autobiography Unzipped.

Recognition

Quatro sells more than 45 million records and has 16 hit singles. She tours from 1964 onwards and remains a significant figure in glam rock and classic rock.