Suzi Quatro is a rock musician from Detroit, Michigan, known for her powerful vocals and dynamic stage presence. Born on June 3, 1950, she grew up with a paternal grandfather of Italian origin and her last name Quattrocchi was shortened to Quatro. At the age of six, she was inspired by an Elvis Presley show on television, and went on to train in classical piano and percussion, her first instrument being the bongos. She began her career by joining her sister's all-female garage rock band called the Pleasure Seekers where they recorded three singles and released two. In late 1969, the band changed their name to Cradle and signed a contract with Mercury Records, however, the band split up due to differences of opinion about their future direction.
In 1971, Suzi Quatro moved to England to pursue her rock star dreams after being spotted by record producer Mickie Most. With Most's guidance and coaching, Quatro auditioned a band to accompany her and released her first single, "Rolling Stone." Her single "Can the Can" reached number one in several European countries and Australia in 1973, followed by three more hits "48 Crash", "Daytona Demon" and "Devil Gate Drive". She then released her first album, Suzi Quatro. Quatro also performed on Cozy Powell’s hit “Dance With the Devil” and opened for Alice Cooper in the United States.
In 1973, Suzi Quatro made her television debut on the show Top Pop with her band consisting of Alastair McKenzie, Dave Neal, Len Tuckey, and Robbie Blunt. In 1977, her single "Tear Me Apart" reached the Top 30 in the UK, and in 1978, her single "If You Can’t Give Me Love" became a hit in the UK and the US. In 1980, she signed with Chapman’s Dreamland Records and her album Rock Hard went platinum in Australia. In 1986, she collaborated with Bronski Beat and members of the Kinks, Eddie and the Hot Rods, and Dr. Feelgood on a cover of David Bowie’s "Heroes".
Throughout the 1990s, Quatro released four albums, including “Unreleased Emotion.” After a hiatus, she returned to the charts with her album Back to the Drive in 2006. Quatro then released What Goes Around – Greatest & Latest in 1995, Free the Butterfly in 1999 and In the Spotlight in 2011. To mark her 50th anniversary in music, she released the anthology Girl from Detroit in 2014. Suzi Quatro has also performed in a variety of roles, hosted radio shows, and played theater roles, including the title role in a musical about the life of actress Tallulah Bankhead and an appearance in Annie Get Your Gun.
In recent years, Suzi Quatro has hosted two weekly rock and roll shows on BBC Radio 2, "Rockin’ with Suzi Q" and "Wake Up Little Suzi." With nearly 60 years of uninterrupted career under her belt, Suzi Quatro remains an iconic figure in the music industry.
