Suzy Bogguss facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Suzy Bogguss
Bogguss in 2006
Born	Susan Kay Bogguss (1956-12-30) December 30, 1956 (age 68) Aledo, Illinois, U.S.
Alma mater	Illinois State University (BSc)
Occupation	Musician singer songwriter
Spouse(s)	Doug Crider ​ (m. 1986)​
Children	1
Musical career
Genres	Country folk
Instruments	Vocals guitar keyboards
Years active	1977–present
Labels	Capitol/EMI Liberty/EMI Platinum Compadre Loyal Dutchess Proper

Suzy Bogguss performing in 2006.

Suzy Bogguss (born December 30, 1956) is an American country music singer and songwriter. She started her music career in the 1980s. In the 1990s, she became very popular. Six of her songs reached the Top 10 on the music charts. Three of her albums sold enough copies to be "certified gold," and one album went "platinum." This means it sold over a million copies! She also won awards like Top New Female Vocalist from the Academy of Country Music.

Early Life and Music Journey

Suzy Bogguss was born Susan Kay Bogguss on December 30, 1956. She grew up in Aledo, Illinois, USA. Her dad was an Army officer and later worked as a machinist. Her mom was a secretary. Suzy's grandmothers played piano in theaters, so music was in her family.

When she was just 5 years old, Suzy started singing in her church choir. Her parents encouraged her to learn music. She took lessons for piano and drums. As a teenager, she also learned to play the guitar.

Suzy visited famous cowboy stars Roy Rogers and Dale Evans when she was young. They went to the same church as her grandparents. In high school, Suzy was in many musicals and was even crowned homecoming queen. After high school, she went to Illinois State University. She graduated in 1980 with a degree in metalsmithing. She even used these skills to design her own jewelry later on.

Suzy didn't realize at first that she could make a living from music. She thought, "I was so green." But she loved singing and playing guitar in local coffeehouses during college. After graduating, she traveled around the country as a folk singer. She was inspired by artists like Emmylou Harris and James Taylor. During this time, she made her first album, called Suzy. It was sold at her shows and is now very rare.

In 1985, Suzy moved to Nashville, Tennessee, which is a big music city. She got a job at a restaurant. Soon after, she auditioned for Dolly Parton at Silver Dollar City. This theme park later became Dollywood. The next year, Suzy became the first female singer to be featured at the park. She performed many shows there.

Performing at Dollywood helped her realize how much country music fans loved their artists. She made a demo recording, which is like a sample of her music. She sold copies of it at Dollywood. One song on her demo was "Hopeless Romantic," written by Doug Crider. Suzy and Doug met and got married in November 1986. Her demo caught the attention of Capitol Records, and they offered her a record deal!

Success with Capitol Records

In 1987, Suzy Bogguss released her first songs with Capitol Records. Her first album, Somewhere Between, came out in 1989. Critics liked the album because it mixed old and new country styles. One song, "Cross My Broken Heart," became a top-20 hit. That same year, Suzy won the Top New Female Vocalist award.

Her next album, Moment of Truth, had a more polished sound. She also sang a duet with Lee Greenwood called "Hopelessly Yours." This song reached No. 12 on the country charts and was nominated for a Grammy Award.

In 1991, Suzy released her third album, Aces. This album was a huge success and sold over a million copies! It had four hit songs: "Someday Soon", "Outbound Plane", "Aces", and "Letting Go". Three of these songs made it into the country Top Ten. In 1992, Suzy won the Horizon Award from the Country Music Association.

Her 1992 album, Voices in the Wind, also sold very well. It included a popular cover of "Drive South" by John Hiatt. This song became her highest-charting hit. In 1993, she released Something Up My Sleeve, which had two more Top Five hits: "Just Like the Weather" and "Hey Cinderella". Suzy helped write "Hey Cinderella," and it became one of her most famous songs. In May 1993, Suzy appeared on a TV special called The Women of Country.

Suzy later produced her sixth album, Simpatico, which featured duets with her friend and guitarist Chet Atkins. Her Greatest Hits album also came out in 1994 and sold very well. She also sang "Teach Your Children" for a special album that helped raise money for AIDS research.

After Simpatico, Suzy took a break from music to start a family. Her son, Benton Charles Crider, was born in March 1995. She also toured less for three years. In May 1995, Suzy performed at the White House with other country singers. This event was later shown on TV. In July 1996, she released her seventh album, Give Me Some Wheels. The music world was changing, and her traditional style didn't connect as much with younger listeners.

After her 1998 album, Nobody Love, Nobody Gets Hurt, also didn't do as well, Suzy left Capitol Records. She said she appreciated her time with the label and was excited to explore new opportunities.

Independent Music Career

After leaving Capitol, Suzy Bogguss signed with a new record label called Platinum Records. In just three months, she released her ninth album, Suzy Bogguss. However, this album also didn't have much commercial success.

In 2001, Suzy decided to start her own record label called Loyal Dutchess. Her first album on this label was Live at Caffé Milano. This album was only sold on her official website. In November 2001, she released a Christmas album called Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.

In 2003, Suzy signed a deal with Compadre Records. Her first album with them was Swing, which featured Western swing music. This album was well-liked by critics. Her next album, Sweet Danger, came out in 2007 and was also popular on the jazz charts. In 2011, Suzy released American Folk Songbook. This album had her versions of famous American folk songs like "Red River Valley". She and her husband even made a book with the lyrics and history of each song.

In 2014, Suzy released Lucky, an album of songs written by Merle Haggard. To help promote the album, she used a special online fundraising campaign called Kickstarter. Fans helped her raise over $75,000!

In 2016, Suzy celebrated the 25th anniversary of her hit album Aces. She released a new version of the album called Aces Redux. This new album had a more acoustic and simpler sound. It featured other musicians and friends like Beth Nielsen Chapman.

Suzy's 17th album, Prayin' for Sunshine, was released on November 3, 2023. This album is special because Suzy wrote all the songs herself! Music critics praised the album for its storytelling and authentic sound. One song, "It All Falls Down to the River," was called "a lyrical gut-punch" by American Songwriter. It talks about important moments in American history. No Depression magazine said the album shows Suzy's clever songwriting and her love for her community.

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Suzy Bogguss para niños