Bio

Born Susan Kay Quatro on June 3, 1950 in Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A., Suzi is the fourth born and has three sisters and one brother. She comes from a musically talented family, and played bongo drums in her father’s semi-professional band, the Art Quatro Trio, at the tender age of seven. Her father was Italian, and an Engineer for General Motors Corporation, and her mother was Hungarian, and a Homemaker.

At the age of 14, Suzi and her sister formed the Pleasure Seekers and later changed their name to Cradle when they began to write their own songs. They released two records and played at clubs, festivals, and toured Vietnam to entertain the American troops. They were together from 1964 to 1971, and had a good following.

In 1971, Suzi was discovered by British Record Producer Mickie Most, while he was in Detroit recording with Jeff Beck. She was invited to fly to England to make an album, and soon arrived with a suitcase and her bass guitar.

After two lonely years of working on songwriting and recording, Suzi put her first UK band together. They toured with Slade and used their own material, as well as cover songs.

Mickie soon had Suzi working with songwriting partners Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman. They wrote “Can the Can” which became her first #1 hit single. Other hits include “48 Crash,” “Devil Gate Drive,” “Daytona Demon,” “Too Big,” “The Wild One,” “Stumblin In,”  “If You Can’t Give Me Love,” and “She’s In Love With You.”

Suzi became famous for her leather outfits and her wild, tough style of rock.

In 1974, Suzi was asked by Elvis to go to Graceland, as he loved her version of “All Shook Up,” but she declined. Suzi appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, dated January 2, 1975, which at the time was quite an accomplishment for any female musician. 

In 1976, Suzi married her lead guitarist, Len Tuckey. In 1982 they had a daughter, Laura, and in 1984 a son, Richard.

In 1977, Suzi was offered her first major acting role as Leather Tuscadero in the number one U.S. television series Happy Days, in which she appeared in seven episodes opposite Henry Winkler, the Fonz, and Ron Howard.

In 1980, Suzi’s song “Rock Hard” was used in the film, Times Square. In the 80’s and 90’s she had various acting roles in “Minder,” “Dempsey and Makepeace,” and “Absolutely Fabulous.” Suzi also had her own chat show, “Gas St.”

Suzi played the part of Annie Oakley, in the theatre musical of “Annie Get Your Gun,” in London’s West End, and wrote the theatre musical “Tallulah Who?” with Shirlie Roden, and played the part of Tallulah Bankhead, the famous 1930’s actress.

In the 1990’s, Suzi continued to do her concert tours in the UK, Australia, Germany, Finland, Denmark, and Japan, while releasing numerous albums and singles.

1992 was a sad year for Suzi, as her marriage to Len Tuckey ended, and she suffered the loss of four people close to her, including her mother, and her mother-in-law, who was like a second mother to her.

In 1993, Suzi married German Concert Promoter, Rainer Haas.

In 1996, Suzi donated one of her leather jump-suits to the Hard Rock Café in Copenhagen, where it remains on display.

In 1999, she was asked to do her own radio show on BBC Radio 2, “Rockin’ With Suzi Q,” and can still be heard with “Suzi Quatro’s Heroes of Rock ‘N’ Roll,” live or via the internet in between tours. That same year, Suzi was honored by family and friends on “This is Your Life,” the U.K. version of an internationally known television show that surprised a guest with an emotional recounting of his or her life.

In 2001, Suzi’s daughter Laura gave birth to a daughter, making Suzi a very proud grandmother.

Suzi’s live performance in 2003 from Stuttgart, Germany, “Leather Forever-The Wild One Live!” is available on DVD. Producer Victory Tischler-Blue has a special way of catching Suzi at her best, and in a light not quite seen before. Don’t be surprised if you think you’re watching Suzi from the front row in person.

In 2005, Suzi recorded a special song in Nashville she wrote about Elvis, with his old back-up singers The Jordanaires, and Elvis’ lead guitarist James Burton. Suzi showcased her song, “Singing With Angels” in a tribute to Elvis, at the Elvis Presley UK fan club’s annual Hayride event in Stoke-On-Trent, in October.

In 2006, Suzi played the part of Sunny Jacobs in “The Exonerated” at Riverside Studios Theatre in London. In February 2006, she was a special guest on Gene Simmons ‘Rock School,’ a reality TV series where Rock Legends like Suzi teach up and coming students just what it takes to become a professional musician.

Suzi’s long awaited album, “Back to the Drive” was released on February 27, 2006 on EMI worldwide. Suzi did an album launch at the Hard Rock Café in London on Feb 23, and the concert was free to fans who were fortunate enough to arrive early. She is as busy as ever this year on the live circuit promoting her new album, and has also done countless radio interviews. Suzi has written all but two of the songs on the album, and they tell the story of her life. She has sold over 50 million records.

May 2006, Suzi was nominated for “Presenter of the Year,” at the Sony Radio Awards Program, for her weekly radio show on BBC Radio 2. June 2006, “I’ll Walk Through the Fire With You” was released as a single from “Back to the Drive.”

August 2007, Suzi’s autobiography so fittingly titled “Unzipped,” published by Hodder & Stoughton, is made available in hard back. It’s in these pages we get to know little Susie from Detroit, and the real Suzi Quatro, as she reveals her deepest secrets and what makes her tick.

Suzi was the first serious female rock musician and role model, who kicked the doors down, and paved the road for other female musicians and singers, and many bands. She is the only female rocker who has continued to do concerts for over forty years, and still writes and records her own original material. Today, Suzi is still known as the Queen of Rock.

“Naked Under Leather,” a documentary about Suzi’s extra-ordinary life and career, is due to be released in 2008, and is produced and directed by Victory Tischler-Blue.