Suzi Quatro, singer, songwriter, and bassist, was only 14 when she and her sisters formed the Detroit-based band The Pleasure Seekers. Even as a teenager, her powerful voice, commanding bass guitar, and electrifying stage presence made her a standout. A decade later, she carved her path as the first female bass player to become a major rock star and lead an internationally renowned rock band as a singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist.
Quatro’s influence is celebrated in the 2019 documentary Suzi Q (available on Amazon Prime), where icons like Joan Jett, Blondie’s Deborah Harry, and The Runaways’ Cherie Currie credit her as a pioneer. “She broke the ice and kicked the door open for us gals,” Currie remarked.
Rocking Through the Decades
Six decades on, Suzi Quatro remains unstoppable. Known for her signature leather jumpsuits, she continues to tour, write, and release new music. “I’ve always had the need to express myself, and I never run out of inspiration,” she says.
Her passion for music was sparked at age five after watching Elvis Presley perform Don’t Be Cruel on The Ed Sullivan Show. “It was a lightbulb moment,” she recalls. The King of Rock & Roll also inspired her iconic leather stage look after she saw his 1968 comeback special.
Quatro’s big break came when British producer Mickie Most discovered her. She moved to England in 1971 and never looked back, launching a career filled with chart-topping hits like Can the Can, Wild One, and Devil Gate Drive. Her duet Stumblin’ In with Chris Norman became one of her biggest hits in the U.S.
Acting & Beyond
In the late ’70s, Quatro landed a recurring role as Leather Tuscadero on the hit TV show Happy Days, earning lifelong friendships with the cast. Although she declined a spin-off series to avoid being typecast, she fondly remembers the experience.
Quatro has since showcased her talents on the West End stage, in radio hosting for the BBC, and as an author of six books, including poetry collections and novels.
New Horizons
True to form, Quatro continues to create. Last year, she collaborated with K.T. Tunstall on an album, including the track Truth Is My Weapon. She’s also working on a new solo album, starting with a duet featuring her longtime friend, Alice Cooper.
Though she never got to meet Elvis in person, Quatro treasures their brief phone call in 1974, where he praised her rendition of All Shook Up.
At 74, Quatro remains focused on the future. While her U.S. tours have been on hiatus since the 1980s, she hopes to return. “There’s nothing like performing live,” she says. “My fans leave smiling, and that connection warms my heart. What you see is what you get.”
Suzi Quatro’s groundbreaking journey has inspired countless artists and audiences alike, proving she’s not just a rock pioneer but a living legend.
