Susanna Hoffs
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| Susanna Hoffs | |
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 Susanna Hoffs, 2008.
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Susanna Lee Hoffs |
| Born | January 17, 1959 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California |
| Genre(s) | Rock Pop |
| Instrument(s) | Voice Guitar |
| Years active | 1981-present |
| Associated acts | The Bangles Ming Tea |
| Website | http://www.thebangles.com |
Susanna Lee Hoffs (born January 17, 1959) is an American vocalist, guitarist and actress best known as a member of the all-female pop band The Bangles.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life
Hoffs was born on the Westside of Los Angeles, California to a Jewish family.[1] Her mother, Tamar Simon Hoffs, played Beatles music for Hoffs when she was a child, and she began playing the guitar in her teens. Hoffs attended Palisades High School in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles. In 1980, she graduated from University of California, Berkeley with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art. She eventually joined Vicki Peterson and Debbi Peterson in what would later become the pop music group The Bangles.
[edit] Career with The Bangles
The Bangles' first recorded release was a self-titled EP in 1982 on the Faulty Products Label. The Bangles released their first full album, called All Over the Place, in 1984 on Columbia Records, and they had a moderate hit with the single "Hero Takes A Fall", but their commercial breakthrough came with the album Different Light in 1986, which produced the hit singles "Manic Monday" and "Walk Like an Egyptian".
In 1986, Susanna Hoffs co-wrote the song "I Need a Disguise" for the album "Belinda" for Belinda Carlisle, formerly of the all-girl group The Go-Go's.
With Hoffs increasing fame, she also appeared on the covers of numerous magazines, and the Rickenbacker guitar company issued a Susanna Hoffs model of the 350 (which she customized herself). Hoffs still plays during live shows; although the Bangles did not have a lead singer; each member sang lead on various songs.
In 1987, Hoffs starred in the film The Allnighter, which was directed by her mother, Tamar Simon Hoffs, and also featured Joan Cusack and Pam Grier.
The Bangles released their third album, Everything, in 1989, with their biggest-selling single, "Eternal Flame", which was co-written and sung by Hoffs. The Bangles disbanded a year later in 1990.
In the late 1990s, Hoffs contacted the other members of The Bangles with the hope of reuniting. They recorded the single "Get the Girl" for the second Austin Powers movie in 1999. Subsequently, they announced their decision to reunite full-time in 2000. Their fourth album, Doll Revolution, was released in 2003.
[edit] Solo career
Hoffs released a solo album, When You're a Boy, in 1991, which wasn't the commercial success that many people had imagined, although it did spawn a U.S. Top 40 hit with "My Side of the Bed", and also landed decently in Europe. Hoffs recorded another album during 1993/1994, prior to leaving Columbia Records, but it went unreleased. In 1996, Hoffs released her second solo album, Susanna Hoffs. Although it received some praise in the media and yielded a minor U.S. hit with the single "All I Want", it was not a big commercial success.
Hoffs is the subject of Freddy Blohm's "The Corner of Her Eye". N. N. Maddox released a song entitled "Susanna Hoffs" and she is mentioned in "I Want to Kiss the Bangles" by The Saw Doctors.
Hoffs appeared in the first Austin Powers movie as a member of the fictitious 1960s rock group Ming Tea, fronted by the title character. In real life, Ming Tea consisted of actor Mike Myers, Hoffs, Canadian musician/producer Christopher Ward, and singer Matthew Sweet. This group made a number of television performances (with Myers in character as Powers) and had a minor hit with the song "BBC". Hoffs returned with the group in the second and third Austin Powers films. Hoffs also did a cover of "The Look of Love for the soundtrack of the first Austin Powers movie.
Hoffs recorded a cover of the Oingo Boingo song "We Close Our Eyes" for the Buffy The Vampire Slayer soundtrack.
Hoffs also contributed a song to the film Red Roses and Petrol (written and directed by Tamar Simon Hoffs) titled "The Water is Wide." The song can be heard in the closing credits and is available on the film's soundtrack.
In February 2009, Hoffs appeared on stage at the Key Club in Los Angeles, singing with thenewno2, the "post-Bristol" psychedelic blues band lead by Dhani Harrison. This show can be seen on stickam.com.
[edit] Sid n Susie
In 2006, Hoffs teamed up with fellow Ming Tea rocker Matthew Sweet, and under the name "Sid n Susie", they recorded fifteen cover versions of classic rock songs for an album entitled Under the Covers, Vol. 1. The album was released in April 2006. On July 18, they appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien to promote the album and tour. The duo has another album, Under the Covers, Vol. 2, scheduled for release in spring 2009 that is set to include songs by Yes, Blue Oyster Cult, Warren Zevon and more.
[edit] Personal life
In 1993, she married Jay Roach, the director of the Austin Powers movies and Meet the Parents and producer of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. She and her husband have two sons, Jackson Wiley (born February 9, 1995) and Sam (born November 10, 1998). [2]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
| Date | Title | Chart | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo releases | |||
| 1991 | When You're a Boy | 83 | |
| 1996 | Susanna Hoffs | - | |
| With The Bangles | |||
| 1982 | Bangles | - | |
| 1984 | All Over the Place | 80 | |
| 1986 | Different Light | 2 | |
| 1988 | Everything | 15 | |
| 1990 | Greatest Hits | 97 | |
| 2003 | Doll Revolution | - | |
| Collaborations | |||
| 2006 | Under the Covers, Vol. 1 | 192 | with Matthew Sweet |
[edit] Singles
| Date | Title | Chart | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. | UK | |||
| Solo releases | ||||
| 1991 | "My Side of the Bed" | 30 | 44 | |
| "Unconditional Love" | - | 65 | ||
| "Only Love" | - | - | ||
| 1996 | "All I Want" | 77 | 32 | |
| With The Bangles Only charting singles are listed |
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| 1985 | "Hero Takes A Fall" | - | 96 | |
| "Going Down To Liverpool" | - | 79 | ||
| 1986 | "Manic Monday" | 2 | 2 | |
| "If She Knew What She Wants" | 29 | 31 | ||
| "Going Down To Liverpool" | - | 56 | UK only re-release | |
| "Walk Like an Egyptian" | 1 | 3 | ||
| 1987 | "Walking Down Your Street" | 11 | 16 | |
| "Following" | - | 55 | ||
| "Hazy Shade Of Winter" | 2 | 11 | From the Less Than Zero Motion Picture Soundtrack | |
| 1988 | "In Your Room" | 5 | 35 | |
| "Eternal Flame" | 1 | 1 | ||
| 1989 | "Be With You" | 30 | 23 | |
| "I'll Set You Free" | - | 74 | UK only release | |
| 1990 | "Walk Like an Egyptian (Remix)" | - | 73 | |
| 2003 | "Something That You Said" | - | 38 | |
| "I Will Take Care Of You" | - | 84 | ||
| With Ming Tea | ||||
| 1997 | "BBC" | - | - | From Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery Soundtrack |
| 2002 | "Daddy Wasn't There" | - | - | From Austin Powers in Goldmember Soundtrack |
| All chart data refers to the Billboard Hot 100 unless noted otherwise | ||||
[edit] DVDs and films
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 1978 | Stony Island |
| 1982 | The Haircut |
| 1987 | The Allnighter |
| 1990 | The Bangles — Greatest Hits: Videos (VHS) |
| 1997 | Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery |
| 2002 | Austin Powers in Goldmember |
| 2003 | Doll Revolution Bonus DVD |
| 2003 | Red Roses and Petrol - soundtrack only |
| 2005 | The Bangles — Greatest Hits: Videos (DVD) |
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- The Bangles official website
- Susanna Hoffs at the Internet Movie Database
- Susanna Hoffs British site
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