'ROCK AND ROLL HEROINE'
S U Z I
Q U A T R O
ON THE RAY SHASHO SHOW
SUZI QUATRO is an
internationally renowned renaissance woman. Although most of her extraordinary
achievements in the arts were celebrated outside the United States, she has
left a momentous impression as the original first lady of rock ‘n’ roll.
The leather clad, bass guitar slingin,’ Motor City- rock ‘n’ roll queen- Quatro, first gained notoriety in the early 60’s playing venues around Detroit in an all-female garage rock band called The Pleasure Seekers. Her sister Arlene became the bands piano player and Suzi’s older sister Patti Quatro their guitarist. Patti would later become epitomized as a member for yet another all-girl rock sensation ‘Fanny’ (“Butter Boy” #29 Hit on Billboard’s Hot 100).
The leather clad, bass guitar slingin,’ Motor City- rock ‘n’ roll queen- Quatro, first gained notoriety in the early 60’s playing venues around Detroit in an all-female garage rock band called The Pleasure Seekers. Her sister Arlene became the bands piano player and Suzi’s older sister Patti Quatro their guitarist. Patti would later become epitomized as a member for yet another all-girl rock sensation ‘Fanny’ (“Butter Boy” #29 Hit on Billboard’s Hot 100).
The Pleasure Seekers
shared the limelight in those early days with future rock legends Bob Seger,
Grand Funk Railroad, Ted Nugent, Alice Cooper and many other acts. In
1965, The Pleasure Seekers recorded two singles, “Never Thought You’d
Leave Me” and “What a Way to Die.” In 1968, Mercury Records signed The
Pleasure Seekers to a recording contract and the band began touring
extensively throughout the U.S. and internationally. Also that year, the band
toured with Eric Burdon and The Animals.
With the music scene rapidly changing into heavier album rock format FM radio, the band quickly shifted gears. They formed a new band called ‘Cradle’ which spotlighted the sensational vocalizations of Suzi and Nancy Quatro. Cradle became an incredible psychedelic/hard rock act that toured with groups like The Jefferson Airplane, Jeff Beck, Santana, Ten Years After, Traffic, Mountain, and numerous other bands. The band broke up in 1973.
With the music scene rapidly changing into heavier album rock format FM radio, the band quickly shifted gears. They formed a new band called ‘Cradle’ which spotlighted the sensational vocalizations of Suzi and Nancy Quatro. Cradle became an incredible psychedelic/hard rock act that toured with groups like The Jefferson Airplane, Jeff Beck, Santana, Ten Years After, Traffic, Mountain, and numerous other bands. The band broke up in 1973.
Suzi Quatro’s vivacious performances in Cradle caught the
attention of legendary British producer Mickie Most (The Animals, Herman’s Hermits, The Jeff
Beck Group, Donovan, Hot Chocolate and Lulu). In 1971, Quatro moved to England
permanently and signed onto Mosts’ label RAK Records.
Her first single was called, “Rolling Stone” (#1 Hit in Portugal) and featured Peter Frampton (Humble Pie) on guitars, Micky Waller (Jeff Beck Group) on drums and Errol Brown (Hot Chocolate) on back-up vocals. After modest success from her debut single, Most brought in the songwriting and production team of Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman. Quatro immediately hit the road on a UK tour supporting the bands Thin Lizzy and headliners Slade.
Her first single was called, “Rolling Stone” (#1 Hit in Portugal) and featured Peter Frampton (Humble Pie) on guitars, Micky Waller (Jeff Beck Group) on drums and Errol Brown (Hot Chocolate) on back-up vocals. After modest success from her debut single, Most brought in the songwriting and production team of Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman. Quatro immediately hit the road on a UK tour supporting the bands Thin Lizzy and headliners Slade.
Suzi Quatro’s second single; “Can the Can” became a #1 Hit in Europe and Australia in 1973. Quatro followed with a string of hits, “48 Crash,” “Daytona Demon,” and “Devil Gate Drive.” Each sold over a million copies.
Quatro supported Alice Cooper on his ‘Welcome to my Nightmare’ tour in 1975 but couldn’t duplicate the notoriety she earned in the UK and Australia. But in 1979, Suzi scored big in the U.S. with the hit, “Stumblin’ In” (#4 Hit on Billboard’s Hot100) a Chinn/ Chapman penned composition performed as a duet with Chris Norman (Smokie).
Suzi Quatro became
a household name in the U.S. as ‘Leather
Tuscadero’ on
the hit Television sitcom, ‘Happy Days.’ Leather was the leader of an all-girl
band called, ‘Leather Tuscadero and the Suedes.’ Her sister in the series was
‘Pinky Tuscadero’ a former girlfriend of ‘The Fonz.’ Garry Marshall offered her
an audition after seeing a picture of Suzi on his daughter’s bedroom wall.
In 2005, Quatro was featured in a documentary film called, ‘Naked Under Leather’ illustrating her life and much-esteemed career. Also that year she recorded a tribute song, “Singing With Angels” dedicated to her lifetime idol Elvis Presley at Emerald Studios in Nashville with Presley’s original backup singers The Jordanaires. Quatro released her self-written autobiography, ‘Unzipped’ in 2007.
In 2010, Quatro was inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends online Hall of Fame. Quatro released her fifteenth studio album, In the Spotlight in 2011.
Suzi Quatro has sold over 50-million records and helped pave the wave for generations of women rockers. Some of the women inspired by Quatro are Joan Jett, The Runaways, Pat Benatar and Deborah Harry to name just a few.
Let’s hope the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame realizes that too.
And just think … it all began when her father gave her a 1957 Fender Precision, her first bass guitar, which she still plays today.
Recently Quatro
performed at the third “Remember the Child” Dick Wagner memorial fund concert
at the MotorCity Sound Board. Proceeds went to the Children’s Miracle Network
Hospitals, which include Beaumont Children’s Hospital and Flint’s Hurley
Children’s Hospital, providing music therapy and music instruction to
hospitalized children. Wagner’s old friend Mark Farner, who rocketed to fame
with Flint’s Grand Funk Railroad, headlined the roster of talent, along with
Suzi Quatro and the Pleasure Seekers.
Suzi celebrates over 53
years of performing and eloquently states …
"I
WILL RETIRE WHEN I GO ONSTAGE, SHAKE MY ASS,
AND THERE IS SILENCE"
QSP
featuring Suzi Quatro
Andy Scott (guitar Sweet)
and Don Powell (drums Slade)
can be purchase at
amazon.com
The
Girl From Detroit City
A four CD set, the first ever career-spanning anthology
from
the Queen of Rock N Roll
as she celebrates 50 years
in the music industry
also available at amazon.com
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