Leather and the Suedes was a fictional band on the hit television show Happy Days that introduced America to Suzi Quatro. The Detroit singer had gained fame in the U.K., Australia, and Germany but had yet to break through with any substantial success on her home soil. The power of television provided Quatro her only Top 5 American hit with “Stumblin’ In,” a duet with Chris Norman of Smokie. Quatro sold more than 50 million records worldwide and appeared on stage, screen, and radio as she influenced future generations. Let’s take a look at five fascinating facts about Suzi Quatro.
Videos by American Songwriter
1. She Started with Her Sisters in The Pleasure Seekers
Like so many future rockers, seeing Elvis Presley perform on The Ed Sullivan Show sent six-year-old Susan Kay Quatro on the path only solidified by seeing The Beatles on the same show seven years later. She asked her father for a bass guitar and joined forces with her sister Patti, along with another pair of sisters from the same neighborhood. The all-girl band was signed by Hideout Records under the name The Pleasure Seekers. With the help of her brother Michael as a promoter, the band worked steadily around the Detroit area. Several lineup changes led to the addition of sisters Arlene and Nancy Quatro. They signed to Mercury Records, but a hit eluded them.
2. Quatro Jammed with Jeff Beck and Cozy Powell at Motown Studios
In 1969, The Pleasure Seekers felt as if the rest of the world was moving on. They changed their name to Cradle and moved to a heavier sound. They continued playing shows, breaking out of Detroit as they toured all over the U.S. In 1971, they did a tour of Vietnam. Michael Quatro encouraged English producer Mickie Most to see Cradle perform. Most was in Detroit, producing a project for guitarist Jeff Beck. He was impressed by the band but was more impressed specifically with the bass player. He invited her to Motown Studios later that night. Suzi ended up jamming on “Cissy Strut” by The Meters with Beck and revered drummer Cozy Powell. Most offered Quatro a record deal with his RAK label.
3. Her Debut Single Went to No. 1 in Portugal
Quatro moved to London, England, and began working with Most. He connected her with Mersey Beat founder Bill Harry, a PR agent who had worked for Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, and The Beach Boys. “Rolling Stone” was her first single. It failed to chart anywhere but Portugal, where it went all the way to No. 1.
Most wasn’t sure what to do with the young singer from there. He connected her with Mike Chapman and Nicki Chinn. The team wrote songs specifically for Quatro. “Can the Can” was a huge hit, reaching the top of the charts in the U.K., Australia, Switzerland, and Germany. It barely moved the needle in America, though. The follow-up, “48 Crash,” was a big hit as well.
[RELATED: Suzi Quatro Documentary Reveals Rocker’s Rise, Those ‘Happy Days’ and Her Next Chapters]
4. She Appeared as Leather Tuscadero on Happy Days
Quatro opened tours for Slade and appeared on British television. She toured Australia and Japan. Success in America was always elusive. In 1975, she appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. It seemed things were ready to shake loose in her homeland, but her records still didn’t catch on stateside. Her American record label dropped her. Then, Garry Marshall saw a photo of Quatro in his daughter’s bedroom. Happy Days had just “jumped the shark,” but it was still pulling in big numbers when Leather Tuscadero became a recurring character on the show. Quatro appeared in seven episodes during Seasons 5 and 6. This was the kind of exposure she needed. A duet with Smokie frontman Chris Norman, “Stumblin’ In,” hit No. 4 in America, giving the rocker a taste of success in her home country.
She reflected on it in the 2019 documentary Suzi Q: “I was selling millions of records, you know? And anybody with success is gonna get some of the doubters and try to put you in a box or whatever. I had plenty of people who said, ‘Wow.’ And I’ve had other people who said, ‘Oh, manufactured.’ If you know me at all, one thing I could never be is manufactured.”
[AS OF THIS WRITING: Suzi Quatro’s Touring Internationally! – Get Tix Right Here]
5. Quatro Is Absolutely Fabulous
As her career continued, Quatro was facing an uphill battle. Rock ‘n’ roll was a boy’s game. There were exceptions through the years. Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Goldie & The Gingerbreads, The Lovebirds, The Daughters of Eve, Ace of Cups, Christine Perfect, Fanny, and Birtha had all had success to varying degrees. Quatro broke down the door for artists like Joan Jett and The Go-Go’s.
Quatro said, “I didn’t ever think of myself, I didn’t then, and I don’t now, as a girl musician. I think it’s because I don’t do gender. So, I wasn’t up there like a women’s libber and, ‘Hey, I’m a girl, and look what I can do.’ That wasn’t my act. It was just, ‘Here I am.'”
She went on to appear in the musical Annie Get Your Gun, and then wrote her own musical, Tallulah Who? She hosted her own talk show, appeared in television dramas, guested on Absolutely Fabulous, hosted a radio show, and had two children.
Debbie Harry of Blondie said, “This woman has so much energy, so much personality, so much talent, it’s mind-boggling. She could have done anything.”
The music lives on. Whether it’s “The Wild One” from 1974, or “The Girl from Detroit City” from 2014, when you drop the needle on a Suzi Quatro record, you know what you’re going to get. You’re gonna get attitude, hooky pop, and some in-your-face rock ‘n’ roll. Quatro has continued to do it her way.
All my life I’ve wanted to be somebody, and here I am
I know what I’ve got, and there ain’t nobody gonna take it away from me
So, let me tell you what I am!
Photo by Kaye/Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
