Susan Kay Bogguss (born December 30, 1956) is an American country music singer and songwriter. She began her career in the 1980s as a solo singer. In the 1990s, six of her songs were Top 10 hits, three albums were certified gold, and one album received a platinum certification. She won Top New Female Vocalist from the Academy of Country Music and the Horizon Award from the Country Music Association.
Susan Kay Bogguss[1] was born on December 30, 1956, in Aledo, Illinois, United States, the youngest of four born to Barbara "B.J." (née Stewart) and Charles "Bud" Bogguss. Charles was an Army officer who served in the Pacific Ocean theatre of World War II,[2] and later became a machinist who worked at an International Harvester plant at East Moline.[3] B.J. was a secretary-auditor for a Midwest grocery chain.[3] Her grandmothers played piano at theaters.[4] At age 5, she began singing in the Angel Choir of the College Avenue Presbyterian Church in her hometown. With her parents' encouragement, she took lessons in piano and drums, and as a teenager picked up the guitar as well.[4] In her youth, Bogguss would visit Roy Rogers and Dale Evans at their home in Apple Valley, California, as they attended the same church as her grandparents.[5] She starred in several musicals at Aledo High School, where she was crowned homecoming queen.[6] After graduating in 1975, she enrolled at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, but later transferred to Illinois State University (ISU) in Normal. She graduated from ISU in 1980 with a bachelor's degree in metalsmithing. She would later use these skills to design her own jewelry.
Bogguss later recalled of her interest in music, "Being from a small town I didn’t realize that somebody had to make this stuff. I was so green. I also knew about Elton John and other big performers, but it never occurred to me that somebody like me from my small town could make a living making music."[5] Having sung and played guitar and drums in local coffeehouses during her college years, Bogguss embarked on a nationwide tour as a folk troubadour after graduating from ISU.[7][8] At the time, she was drawn to other singers such as Emmylou Harris, James Taylor and Bonnie Raitt.[9] During this time, she produced her first independent album for Old Shack Recording: Suzy. The LP was available for purchase at her shows and is now a rare collector's item. In 1984, while touring at the Huntley Lodge resort in Montana, Bogguss discovered that she spent most of her money on clothes for her later shows. She also realized that she had no health insurance, very little car insurance, and low chances of performing further, and there were no talent scouts.[3][7]
After moving to Nashville, Tennessee, in 1985,[3][7][8] Bogguss began working at the local Tony Roma's restaurant on her first day there.[10] While there, she performed a three-day audition for entertainer Dolly Parton at Silver Dollar City, a theme park which would eventually become Dollywood.[10] The following year, she became the first featured female performer at the park, playing four solo shows at the park's train station and appearing in the "Jamboree" show. On performing at the train station, Bogguss later recalled that "I kept thinking, 'I'm going to get black lung disease [from the coal train in Dollywood].'"[10] Bogguss said that performing at the park "was the first situation where I knew that every time I introduced a song by a country artist, they knew who the artist's mom was, who his or her brothers and sisters were and who he or she was married to."[11] These performances prompted her to make a self-produced demo recording at a studio owned by folk singer Wendy Waldman, who would eventually become Bogguss's first producer.[11] Bogguss made several copies and sold them while performing in Dollywood.[11] At the time, she recorded a demo of "Hopeless Romantic", a song written by Doug Crider that would become part of her debut studio album. Crider and Bogguss met each other,[12] and eventually married in November 1986.[8] The demo soon caught the attention of Capitol Records president Jim Foglesong, who offered her a recording contract on the Liberty/Capitol Nashville label.[citation needed]
Liberty/Capitol recording career
In 1987, Bogguss released her first three singles for Capitol, a cover of The Ink Spots' 1941 song "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire," "Love Will Never Slip Away," and "Come as You Were". Two of these singles succeeded in making the lower reaches of the Billboard country music charts. Her debut studio album for Capitol, Somewhere Between was released in March 1989. Somewhere Between, with its blend of traditional and contemporary styles, drew positive reviews from critics. The album's second single, "Cross My Broken Heart," became a top-20 hit on the country music charts. The same year, Bogguss won the award for Top New Female Vocalist by the Academy of Country Music.[13]
For her second album, Moment of Truth, production tasks were taken over by new label-head and Nashville producer Jimmy Bowen, who moved Bogguss's sound in a more polished direction. However, the album's two singles failed to rise beyond the lower reaches of the Billboard charts. A duet she recorded with Lee Greenwood, "Hopelessly Yours," went to No.12 on the country singles chart and received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Country Vocal Collaboration.[citation needed]
In 1991 Bogguss released her third studio album, the platinum-selling Aces. The LP yielded four hit singles - "Someday Soon", "Outbound Plane", "Aces", and "Letting Go", the latter three reaching the country Top Ten. At the 1992 Country Music Association Awards Bogguss won the Horizon Award.[14] In September of that year, Bogguss began designing women's leather apparel; the apparel was sold in stores on the West Coast.[12]
Her 1992 follow-up, Voices in the Wind, earned Bogguss her second straight gold record. The album's first single, a cover of the 1988 song "Drive South" by John Hiatt, missed the No.1 spot but gave Bogguss the highest-charting hit of her career to date. Her streak continued the following year with another gold record, Something Up My Sleeve, giving her two additional Top Five hits in "Just Like the Weather" and "Hey Cinderella". The latter, which she cowrote with Matraca Berg and Gary Harrison, has gone on to become one of Bogguss's signature songs. In May 1993, Bogguss appeared on the CBS television special The Women of Country.[15]
Eventually, Bogguss became the sole producer of her sixth studio album, Simpatico. The album consisted of duets with long-time friend and guitarist Chet Atkins. The album was released in 1994, and though it was generally well reviewed, its only single, "One More for the Road," did not chart. That same year, Bogguss's Greatest Hits album was released and went gold. Later, Bogguss collaborated with Alison Krauss, Kathy Mattea, and Crosby, Stills, and Nash to contribute "Teach Your Children" to the AIDS benefit compilation album Red Hot + Country produced by the Red Hot Organization.
Upon completing Simpatico, Bogguss temporarily set her music aside to start a family. Bogguss and Crider's first child, Benton Charles Crider, was born on March 17, 1995.[16] She also scaled down her touring dates as a result for three years.[8] In May of that year, Bogguss performed at the White House with Kathy Mattea and Alison Krauss. This event later aired on PBS stations in September as Women of Country Music.[17] In July 1996, she released her seventh studio album, entitled Give Me Some Wheels. During her break, the climate of country music had changed considerably, with more pop-oriented female singers such as Martina McBride, Faith Hill, and Shania Twain dominating the charts. Bogguss's traditional, straightforward style failed to connect with younger listeners, and the record yielded low sales. In March 1997, Bogguss performed at the Every Woman's Challenge charity concert, which was held at the Palm Springs Convention Center in California.[9]
After her next album, 1998's Nobody Love, Nobody Gets Hurt, also proved unsuccessful, Bogguss was dropped from Capitol. On February 18, 1999, Bogguss issued the following statement:
I had a great tenure with Capitol, during which I weathered a lot of changes in both personnel and philosophy. From Jim Foglesong to Pat Quigley and everyone in between, I appreciate having been a part of the Capitol family. We celebrated a lot of successes together, including Grammy nominations, hit records, and platinum albums. I have a number of projects on my plate right now. This gives me the freedom to pursue those opportunities.
Indie label recording career
Following her departure from Capitol, Bogguss signed with Nashville-based fledgling label Platinum Records, headed by former Capitol executive George Collier.[18] Within three months, she had released her self-titled ninth studio album, Suzy Bogguss. Once again, the album was commercially unsuccessful, with her only single "Goodnight" making an appearance on the country charts.
In 2001, Bogguss founded her own record label, Loyal Dutchess. The label's first album, Live at Caffé Milano, documents three separate 1999 performances at the Caffé Milano in Nashville. This release is only available for purchase at Bogguss's official website. In November 2001, she released the holiday album, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, a compilation of new and previously available material included through a special licensing agreement with Capitol.[19] In addition to being available at her website, the album was also offered through Amazon.com, select retailers, and at her live performances.
In March 2003, Bogguss and Loyal Dutchess Records signed a deal with Compadre Records. Her first release on this label was the Western swing album, Swing, that she had been recording with producer Ray Benson, the bandleader of Western swing group Asleep at the Wheel. Although the album saw only lukewarm sales (it reached No.6 on the jazz album charts, but failed to appear on the Billboard 200), it was well received by critics. Bogguss' next album, Sweet Danger, was released in 2007.[20] The album peaked at No.4 on the jazz charts. In July 2011, Bogguss released her twelfth studio album, American Folk Songbook. The album consisted of renditions of several American folk songs, such as "Red River Valley".[21] In addition to the CD, Bogguss and husband Doug Crider also produced a companion hard cover song book that included lyrics, sheet music, and a short history of each song. A paperback version of the songbook became available in 2015.
In February 2014 Bogguss released Lucky a collection of songs written by Merle Haggard.[22] To partially fund the promotion of the album she created a very successful Kickstarter crowd funding campaign which raised over $75,000 with the participation of nearly 1000 contributors.[23] The album was promoted through the Americana format and was well received.
During the summer of 2016, Bogguss conducted a celebration via her Suzy Bogguss Music Facebook page, of the 25th anniversary of the release of her Platinum selling Aces Album in 1991. Aces also was her break out album which brought her serious attention on Country Radio and secured her future on Capitol Nashville for several more albums. On August 18, 2016, the actual 25th anniversary of the release of the original Aces album, she released a new re-imagined and rerecorded version of the album entitled Aces Redux. A release party and concert was held that night at the "3rd and Lindsley" venue in Nashville. Aces Redux was recorded with the help of a number of the musicians that have toured with Bogguss over the years and included background vocals by friends Beth Nielsen Chapman and Kim Carnes along with several others. The album takes a more acoustic and simpler production tack than the original which also reflects her more recent touring approach as a trio with Charlie Chadwick on standup Bass and Craig Smith on lead guitar.
Bogguss's 17th studio album, Prayin' for Sunshine, was released on November 3, 2023. It marks the first time she is credited as a writer of all songs on one of her albums. MusicRow said the album "captures the unvarnished essence of southern storytelling and the authentic roots of Americana music."[24] In a review for the lead single, "It All Falls Down to the River", American Songwriter called the song "a lyrical gut-punch, shining a light on hard truths about life in the United States. From the site of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination to the levees of New Orleans that broke during Hurricane Katrina, Bogguss and The McCrary Sisters paint a powerful picture of our nation’s complex past and present."[25] In an album review, No Depression said the album "showcases Bogguss’ lyrical and musical ingenuity, her nod-and-a-wink humor, and her deep love for her community of friends and fans. And the album reminds us again just how radiant and transportive Bogguss’ vocals are."[26]
Julie Roberts is an American country music singer. Signed to Mercury Nashville in 2003, Roberts made her debut with the single "Break Down Here" in February 2004, a Top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts and the first track from her self-titled debut album. A second album for Mercury, Men & Mascara, followed in 2006. This album produced two non-charting singles in its title track and a cover of Saving Jane's "Girl Next Door".
Somewhere Between is the debut studio album by the American country music singer-songwriter Suzy Bogguss, released on March 21, 1989, through Capitol Records. Preceded by the singles "I Want to Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart" and "Somewhere Between", the album reached number 41 on the Billboard Top Country Albums during its 37-week chart stay. The album's third single "Cross My Broken Heart" peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs. Following the album's success, Bogguss was named the Academy of Country Music's Top New Female Vocalist.
Moment of Truth is the second studio album by the American country music artist Suzy Bogguss, released on August 2, 1990, by Liberty Records. The album was preceded by the singles "Under the Gun" and "All Things Made New Again", both of which charted in at No. 72 on the Hot Country Songs chart in the United States. Bogguss produced the album with Jimmy Bowen.
Aces is the third studio album by the American country music singer-songwriter Suzy Bogguss, released on August 27, 1991, through Liberty Records. The album spawned three Top 10 hits on the country charts – "Outbound Plane," "Aces" and "Letting Go" – and stayed at No. 1 in album sales and in the top ten on the country charts for five weeks.
Voices in the Wind is the fourth studio album by American country music singer Suzy Bogguss. It was released on October 6, 1992 via Liberty Records. It earned her a second straight gold record and her highest-charting single ever, the No. 2 cover of John Hiatt's "Drive South."
Simpatico is an album by Suzy Bogguss and Chet Atkins, released in 1994.
Gail Davies is an American singer-songwriter and the first female record producer in country music. She is the daughter of country singer Tex Dickerson and the sister of songwriter Ron Davies.
The discography of American country music singer–songwriter, Pam Tillis, contains 14 studio albums, six compilation albums, one video album, 45 singles, 25 music videos and has appeared on 11 albums. Tillis's career was launched on the Warner Bros. label, where she released several unsuccessful singles and her debut studio album: Above and Beyond the Doll of Cutey (1983). Through Arista Nashville, her second studio album was released in January 1991 titled Put Yourself in My Place. The disc was her first commercial success, reaching number ten on America's Billboard Top Country Albums chart, number 69 on the Billboard 200 and number 12 on Canada's RPM country chart. The disc also certified gold in both countries and spawned five charting singles. Of these releases, "Don't Tell Me What to Do", "One of Those Things" and "Maybe It Was Memphis" reached the top ten of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. In September 1992, her third studio album was released called Homeward Looking Angel. The disc certified both gold and platinum in North America, while also spawning the Billboard and RPM top ten singles "Shake the Sugar Tree" and "Let That Pony Run".
Suzy Bogguss is an American country music singer-songwriter. Her discography consists of 16 studio albums, two compilation albums, one live album, and two demo albums. Bogguss has released 38 singles, with six of those reaching the Top Ten of the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart between 1992 and 1994. An additional six singles reached the Top 40 of the same chart between 1989 and 1998.
The discography of American country music artist, Kathy Mattea, contains 17 studio albums, four compilation albums, five video albums, one extended play (EP), 51 singles, 27 music videos and has made 19 additional album appearances. Under PolyGram and Mercury Records, Mattea's first two albums were releases: her eponymous debut album (1984) and From My Heart (1985). In 1986, Walk the Way the Wind Blows reached number 13 on America's Billboard Top Country Albums chart and spawned four top ten Billboard Hot Country Songs singles: "Love at the Five and Dime", the title track, "You're the Power" and "Train of Memories". It was followed by Untasted Honey (1987), which was Mattea's first album to certify gold in the United States. Of its four singles, "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses" and "Goin' Gone" both topped the Billboard country chart. In 1989, PolyGram/Mercury released Willow in the Wind, which also certified gold and reached number six on the Billboard country albums chart. Its first single, "Come from the Heart", topped both the American and Canadian country charts. Its remaining three singles were also top ten North American country chart songs: "Burnin' Old Memories", "Where've You Been" and "She Came from Fort Worth".
"Drive South" is a song written by John Hiatt, and recorded by him on his 1988 album Slow Turning. The song was later recorded by Kelly Willis on her 1990 debut album, Well Travelled Love. Neither versions were released as singles.
"Someday Soon" is a song composed by Canadian singer-songwriter Ian Tyson who recorded the song with Sylvia Fricker as the duo Ian & Sylvia in 1963. Cited by Richie Unterberger of Allmusic as "clearly point[ing] toward [its writer's] future C&W/cowboy direction", "Someday Soon" would be brought to prominence via a 1968 recording by Judy Collins, and subsequently recorded by a number of artists primarily in the country and western field. In 2010 "Someday Soon" was honored by the Western Writers of America as one of the "Top 100 Western Songs" of all time.
"Just Like the Weather" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Suzy Bogguss. It was released in July 1993 as the first single from her album Something Up My Sleeve. The song reached number 5 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in November 1993. It was written by Bogguss and Doug Crider.
"Letting Go" is a song written by Doug Crider and Matt Rollings, and recorded by American country music artist Suzy Bogguss. It was released in July 1992 as the fourth single from her album Aces. The song reached number 6 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in October 1992. It also reached number 83 on the UK pop charts, on February 13, 1993.
"Aces" is a song written by Cheryl Wheeler, and recorded by American country music artist Suzy Bogguss. It was released in March 1992 as the third single and title track from her album Aces. The song reached number 9 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in July 1992. Wheeler herself previously recorded the song on her 1990 album Circles and Arrows.
"Somebody to Love" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Suzy Bogguss. It was released in April 1998 as the first single from the album Nobody Love, Nobody Gets Hurt. The song spent 19 weeks on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, peaking at number 33 during the week of July 4, 1998. It was written by Bogguss, Matraca Berg and Doug Crider.
Verlon Thompson is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and troubadour from Binger, Oklahoma. He has long partnered with Guy Clark as a producer, guitarist, and song co-writer.
Nobody Love, Nobody Gets Hurt is the eighth studio album by American country music singer Suzy Bogguss. It was released in 1998 as her final album for Capitol Records.
Ted Hewitt is an American country music producer, songwriter, singer, and musician who has written and performed songs for numerous acts including Rodney Atkins, Tracy Byrd, Glen Campbell, Reba McEntire, and others. He co-produced Atkins' 2006 album, If You're Going Through Hell, which was certified platinum by the RIAA. Other popular tracks written or produced by Hewitt include "Love Lessons" by Tracy Byrd and "Wine into Water" by T. Graham Brown (#44).
Jillian Jacqueline Arciero Brown is an American country music singer. She made her first chart entry in 2001 as a collaborator with Billy Dean and Suzy Bogguss, and recorded two EPs for Big Loud.
References
↑ "BIO". Suzybogguss.com. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
↑ "Obits 11-29-96". Quad-Cities Online. Moline Dispatch Publishing Company. November 29, 1996. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
↑ Yadon, Kay (February 9, 1998). "Suzy goes from Aledo to stardom". Quad-Cities Online. Moline Dispatch Publishing Company. Archived from the original on June 30, 2013. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
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