Artist description If you liked the story of David and Goliath, you'll love the story of SUZY K. She's the young suburban mother of two who signed with a small independent record label and bucked the odds with her hit single, "Now I Know." The beautiful ballad, sung in tandem with Donny Osmond (with a guest spot by Dave Koz) became the #1 Most Added A/C single on all key industry radio charts in its first week of release edging out competing giants like The Backstreet Boys. How? There's just something about Suzy, whose gentle voice and gentle ways have inspired music fans of all stripes. Now, with her Vellum Entertainment album, "As I Am," Suzy K. shows just how dynamic a singer she really is, as she rides the crest of her new-found celebrity. As it turns out, working with the now-ultra-cool Donny Osmond on "Now I Know" was a pure joy for Suzy. Written by Stephen Bishop ("On and On"), and featuring a sensational solo by sax master Dave Koz, the song is described by Suzy as "a great summer love song?I think our harmonies blended really well. Donny is a very busy guy, but he never rushed. He was there for me, there for the song, always gracious, always fun." That same joy-filled spirit seemed to hover over the making of the entire album. Produced by industry veteran Skip Drinkwater (Herbie Hancock, Hall & Oats, Taj Mahal, Lee Ritenour), "As I Am" is an eloquent testament to love and faith, sung by Suzy with a healthy blend of tenderness and sparkle. "Skip's passion for the music was very inspiring for me, " she notes. "He gave me the confidence to let go and enjoy the process. I'm an extroverted person normally, but when it comes to singing. I can be shy." That's hard to figure given the strength of her work on "As I Am." Songs like the upbeat "Half As Wild," with its sultry Carribean flavor, highlight Suzy's self-described "fun and frivolous" side, while "Dive Deep" melds classical, pop and Celtic elements in a driving meditation on finding the right path. Suzy's remake of "Broken Wings" (a #1 hit for Mr. Mister in 1985) incorporates World Beat elements and a sensational new arrangement by Mr. Mister's Richard Page, all anchored by Suzy's formidable vocal performance. In Suzy's hands, unabashed love songs like "The Love You Woke In Me," "Back To Love," and "Love Has Found This Heart" are richly layered with meaning (the latter track is a duet with NFL all-pro and surprisingly gifted singer, Esera). The edgy, pleading "Intimacy" shows Suzy can swim in Alternative waters, while "Harmony" elegantly links the harmony in music with the potential unity of life (Dave Koz also lends his magic on this tune). The album's title track, "As I Am," is particularly important for Suzy. "The lyrics say it all," notes the singer. "I'm a mom with two young kids, I've been singing all my life, and I'm ready to share my music with the world." The album closes with "In Another Life," a bittersweet love song that wonders what might have been. There are no such forlorn dreams in the life of Suzy K., a modest yet relentless artist who has never failed to achieve the goals she's set for herself. A native of upstate New York, Suzy moved with her family to Southern California at age eleven, but by then she already knew she wanted to be a singer. Her mother was a trained opera singer, instilling in her daughter a love of the classics and Broadway. But it was the sweeping pop sound of legends like Barbra Streisand that first moved young Suzy. "It took me awhile to get loose in my singing because of my own formal training," recalls Suzy, "but I got there." Suzy also loved acting and found regular work appearing in ABC after-school television specials and the like. But it took a bold gamble to move her towards her true calling as a singer. Suzy gave a two-song demo tape to her brother, a Beverly Hills dentist, who then played it for a high-powered entertainment attorney held captive during a dental exam. In short order, the duly impressed attorney introduced Suzy to record executive Tom Callahan, and Suzy began work on her 1996 debut album "Coast of Paradise" for the Coyote Records label. The album met with some success at NAC radio, and Suzy had the opportunity to showcase her talent via a string of concert dates across the country. From there, family life intervened somewhat. Suzy and husband Jeff have two young sons, Nicolai and Bryson. Suzy and Tom Callahan then re-connected as Tom was starting Vellum Entertainment. "I'm tenacious when I want something," she says. "I never let go. But I also need people around me who believe in me. My husband has been completely encouraging, and so has the rest of my team." The instant success of "Now I Know" caught Suzy a little by surprise ("My fellow moms at the pre-school can't believe this is happening," says the Orange County-based singer. "I drop the kids off at school then fly off for a radio interview"). Yet now she knows she is closer than ever to her most cherished goal. "I want to touch people's hearts," says Suzy. "I want people to be transformed by my music. If they're angry, if there's something blocking their humanity, I'd love to play a part in unblocking it. That's what I'm aiming for." As the music on "As I Am" makes clear, Suzy K.'s aim is true.

Music Style Adult Contemporary, Female Pop, World

Musical Influences Barbara Streisand, Celine Dion, Sarah McLachlan...

Similar Artists Barbara Streisand, Celine Dion, Sarah McLachlan...

Albums As I Am

Press Reviews traxx MUSIC July, 2000vol. VI Issue XX SUZY K."As I Am"vellum entertainment Rating: * * * * * Five Stars Chalk one up for the soccer moms. Suzy K., a Southern California-based, young mother of two, went head to head with the pampered prima donnas of pop, and got herself a dandy hit single. "Now I Know," Suzy's sweeping duet with Donny Osmond, is the talk of AC radio, not only because it's a fne summer ballad, but also because Suzy K. managed to break into mainstream radio as an independent artist?no easy task in these days of million-dollar promotion budgets. As her new Vellum Entertainment album "As I Am" shows, the single is no fluke. Suzy K. can sing. Possessing a voice of understated power, Suzy K. sings of love in all its permutations. Whether on upbeat tracks like "The Love You Woke In Me," "Back To Love," or "Love Has Found This Heart" (that last track a duet with NFL star, Esera), or her out-of-this-world-beat rendition of "Broken Wing," Mr Mister's ardent #1 hit from the mid-80's, this very special K wrings every legitimate drop of emotion from a song. Other captivating tracks include the sharp-witted "Intimacy," co-written by Pat Benatar partner Neil Geraldo, and "Harmony," a sweet tune featuring reliable sax master Dave Koz (he also plays on "Now I Know"). Ably produced by Skip Drinkwater, "As I Am" boasts an expansive, almost muscular sound that somehow suits Suzy K's gentle vocals. Absent the backing of a mega-major label, Suzy K.'s long-term survival as an artist might seem in doubt, but it's still nice to believe that great songs and genuine talent will win out in the end. That's Suzy's cue. ~ Eric Faber

Location Los Angeles, California - USA

Copyright notice. All material on MP3.com is protected by copyright law and by international treaties. You may download this material and make reasonable number of copies of this material only for your own personal use. You may not otherwise reproduce, distribute, publicly perform, publicly display, or create derivative works of this material, unless authorized by the appropriate copyright owner(s).