Suzy Bogguss facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Suzy Bogguss
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Bogguss in 2006
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| Born |
Susan Kay Bogguss
December 30, 1956 Aledo, Illinois, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Illinois State University (BSc) |
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| Spouse(s) |
Doug Crider
(m. 1986) |
| Children | 1 |
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| Years active | 1977–present |
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Susan Kay Bogguss (born December 30, 1956), known as Suzy Bogguss, is an American country music singer and songwriter. She started her career in the 1980s. In the 1990s, she became a big star.
During that decade, six of her songs were Top 10 hits. She had three albums that sold so many copies they were certified "gold," and one album went "platinum." She also won major awards from the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association.
Contents
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Suzy Bogguss was born in Aledo, Illinois. She was the youngest of four children. Her father, Charles, was an Army officer and later a machinist. Her mother, Barbara, worked as a secretary. Music was a big part of her family. Her grandmothers both played the piano for movie theaters.
At age five, Suzy started singing in her church choir. Her parents encouraged her, and she took piano and drum lessons. As a teenager, she taught herself to play the guitar. She even starred in musicals at her high school.
After high school, she went to Illinois State University. She graduated in 1980 with a degree in metalsmithing, which is the art of making things from metal. She later used this skill to design her own jewelry.
Starting a Music Career
Even though she studied metalsmithing, Suzy loved music. During college, she played guitar and sang at local coffeehouses. After graduating, she traveled the country as a folk singer. She was inspired by artists like Emmylou Harris and James Taylor.
During her travels, she made her first album, called Suzy. It was sold only at her shows. In 1985, she decided to move to Nashville, Tennessee, the center of country music, to follow her dream.
In Nashville, she got a job performing at a theme park that would later become Dollywood, owned by Dolly Parton. This was a great experience for her. It helped her understand what country music fans loved.
While working there, she recorded a demo tape. A demo is a simple recording used to show a record label what a musician sounds like. Her demo got the attention of Capitol Records, and they offered her a recording contract.
Success with Capitol Records
In 1989, Bogguss released her first major album, Somewhere Between. One of its songs, "Cross My Broken Heart," became a top-20 hit. That same year, she won the Top New Female Vocalist award from the Academy of Country Music.
Her career really took off in 1991 with the album Aces. It sold over a million copies and went platinum. The album had four big hits: "Someday Soon", "Outbound Plane", "Aces", and "Letting Go". In 1992, she won the Horizon Award from the Country Music Association, which is given to the best new artist.
She continued her success with more hit albums like Voices in the Wind (1992) and Something Up My Sleeve (1993). These albums included popular songs like "Drive South" and "Hey Cinderella".
In 1994, she worked with the legendary guitarist Chet Atkins on an album of duets called Simpatico. That same year, her Greatest Hits album was released and was very popular.
After several years of success, Bogguss decided to take a break to start a family. When she returned to music, the style of country music had changed. Her next albums did not sell as well, and in 1999, she left Capitol Records.
Career on Her Own Terms
After leaving her major label, Bogguss didn't stop making music. She signed with a smaller label and then started her own record label called Loyal Dutchess in 2001. This gave her the freedom to make the kind of music she wanted.
She released several albums on her own, including a live album and a Christmas album. In 2003, she released Swing, an album of Western swing music. It was a hit on the jazz charts.
In 2011, she released American Folk Songbook. This album featured her versions of classic American folk songs like "Red River Valley". She even created a book to go with it, sharing the history and music for each song.
More recently, she released Lucky (2014), an album of songs written by the famous country singer Merle Haggard. In 2023, she released Prayin' for Sunshine, her first album where she wrote every song. Critics praised it for its storytelling and classic American sound.
Major Awards
Suzy Bogguss has won many awards for her music. Here are some of the most important ones:
- 1989: Academy of Country Music Awards - Top New Female Vocalist
- 1992: Country Music Association Awards - Horizon Award (for best new artist)
- 1994: Country Music Association Awards - Album of the Year (for her part in Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles)
- 2005: Grammy Awards - Best Traditional Folk Album (for her part in Beautiful Dreamer: The Songs of Stephen Foster)
- 2024: Illinois Rock & Roll Museum's Hall of Fame - Founder's Choice Award
Discography
See also
In Spanish: Suzy Bogguss para niños
