Suzi Quatro videos and info

This article is about the musician and actress Suzi Quatro. For other uses see Quatro and Suzie Q (disambiguation)

Biography

Early life

Quatro was born into a Catholic^[2] musical family. Her father, Art, a part time jazz musician, was of Italian descent,^[3] while her mother, Helen Sanislay, was Hungarian.^[4] She is the aunt of actress Sherilyn Fenn, whose mother is Quatro's sister Arlene.^[5] Quatro began her musical career playing bass in the all-female band Pleasure Seekers and Cradle with her sisters Patti, Nancy, and Arlene. Her first bass was a 1957 Fender Precision, given to her by her dad. Patti Quatro later joined the band Fanny, one of the earliest all-female rock bands to gain national attention.^[6] She has a brother, Michael Quatro, who is also a musician.^[7]

Career

Music

Quatro's first single "Rolling Stone" did not achieve popularity anywhere except Portugal, where it made number one. Most introduced Quatro to the songwriting and production team Nicky Chinn/Mike Chapman.^[10] Her second single "Can the Can" (1973) was a number one hit throughout Europe and in Australia. It was followed up by three further hits: "48 Crash" (1973), "Daytona Demon" (1973) and "Devil Gate Drive" (1974) on RAK Records. Her first two albums were also European and Australian successes.

These recordings, however, met little success in her native U.S., despite tours in the mid-1970s supporting Alice Cooper, and, except in Australia, the popularity of Quatro's rocking glam rock declined from 1975. In the interim, she did enjoy success as a session player.

Quatro's fortunes did not change until 1978 when "If You Can't Give Me Love" became a hit in the UK and Australia. This did nothing to prompt Stateside success, but "Stumblin' In", a duet recorded that same year for RSO Records with Chris Norman of Smokie secured peaked at #4. Both tracks featured on the If You Knew Suzi album. A year later, Quatro released Suzi... And Other Four Letter Words. She called it her favourite albums. This featured singles, such as "She's In Love With You", which made number 11 in the UK , "Mama's Boy" (34) and "I've Never Been In Love" (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 and the Hot Rods, and Dr Feelgood on the Mark Cunningham-produced version of David Bowie's classic "Heroes", released the following year as the 1986 BBC "Children In Need" single.^[11]

In December 2005, a documentary chronicling Quatro's life, "Naked under leather" directed by former Runaway Victory Tischler Blue appeared.^[12]^[13] 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.^[14]

March 2007 saw Quatro release a version of The Eagles' "Desperado", followed by the publication of her autobiography, "Unzipped"^[15]

Acting and radio hosting

She is known in the United States as Leather Tuscadero in the TV show Happy Days. Show producer Garry Marshall offered the role without an audition after seeing her on his daughter's bedroom wall. Leather was the younger sister of Fonzie's girlfriend, hot-rod driver Pinky Tuscadero. Leather fronted an all-girl rock band 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.^[11] 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. ^[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.^[15]

In addition to touring, Quatro has hosted weekly Rock and Roll programmes on BBC Radio 2. The first one was Rockin' with Suzi Q. Her current programme is called "Wake Up Little Suzi". It airs on Saturdays and can also be found on the BBC Radio web site ^[19].

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. She lives in the moated manor house in Essex she and Len bought in 1980, with her two children and grandchild. Towards the end of 2008, Quatro's children moved out of the house, and she put the house up for sale, although there is no evidence of her leaving the mansion at the moment.

Discography

Albums

Singles

Filmography

Television

Diemazz

Contents