Susanna Hoffs

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Susanna Hoffs
Background information
Birth name Susanna Lee Hoffs
Born January 17, 1959 (age 48)
Los Angeles, California, USA
Origin Los Angeles, California
Genre(s) Rock
Pop
Instrument(s) Voice
Rhythm guitar
Years active 1981-present
Associated
acts
The Bangles
Website http://www.thebangles.com

Susanna Lee Hoffs (born January 17, 1959 in Los Angeles, California, USA) is a vocalist and rhythm guitarist best known for being a member of the all-female pop band The Bangles.

Contents

Hoffs was born on the Westside of Los Angeles, California to a Jewish family. Her mother played records of The Beatles for Hoffs when she was a child and she began playing the guitar in her teens. She eventually joined with Vicki Peterson and Debbi Peterson, who needed a singer for their band, which would later become The Bangles.

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.

The Bangles released their first album All Over The Place in 1984, and their commercial breakthrough album came with Different Light in 1986, which produced the hit singles "Manic Monday" and "Walk Like an Egyptian."

During this time, Hoffs starred in the movie The Allnighter in 1987. It was directed by her mother, Tamar Simon Hoffs, and also featured Joan Cusack and Pam Grier.

With her increasing fame, she also appeared on the covers of numerous magazines, and the Rickenbacker guitar company issued a Susanna Hoffs model, which she still plays during live shows.

Although the Bangles did not have a set lead singer -- with the each member alternating on lead vocals -- Hoffs was perceived by many casual fans to be the main vocalist and, thus, received the most media attention, which led to tensions within the band.

The Bangles released their third album, Everything, in 1988, with their biggest selling single, "Eternal Flame," which was co-written and sung by Hoffs.

The Bangles disbanded in 1989.

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.

When You're a Boy, Susanna's debut solo album
When You're a Boy, Susanna's debut solo album

Hoffs released a solo album, When You're a Boy, in 1991, which was not a commercial success (although it did spawn a US Top 40 hit with "My Side of the Bed").

In 1996, Hoffs released her second solo album, Susanna Hoffs. Although it received some praise in the media (and yielded a minor US hit with the single "All I Want"), it also was not a commercial success.

Hoffs also recorded another album during 1993/1994, prior to leaving Columbia Records, but it went unreleased.

Hoffs is known for recording song demos prolifically, with many occasionally surfacing on the internet. The best known of these is, perhaps, "Pride," which can be legally downloaded at Bill Bonk's website (See link below).

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.

In 2006, Hoffs teamed up with fellow Ming Tea rocker, Matthew Sweet, under the name Sid 'n' Susie to record 15 covers versions of classic rock songs on an album called Under the Covers, Vol. 1. The album was released in April 2006 and on July 18 they appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien to promote the album and tour.

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. They have two sons, Jackson (born February 9, 1995) and Sam (born November 10, 1998).

  • Height: 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m)
  • Studied to become a ballet dancer when she was a teenager
  • She has two brothers John and Jesse.
  • Revealed in an interview that she was approached by several adult magazines in the 1980s but turned down the offers.[citation needed]
  • Had the smallest hair of all of The Bangles.
  • Has her own Signature Guitar Model made by Rickenbacker called the 350SH (Based on the 350 Model but made to her specifications.) Only 250 were issued for public sale.

Date Title Chart Comments
Solo releases
1991 When You're a Boy 83  
1996 Susanna Hoffs -  
With The Bangles
1982 The Bangles (EP) -  
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

Date Title Chart Comments
Solo releases
1990 "Only Love" -  
1990 "Unconditional Love" 65 (UK) Did not chart in the US
1990 "My Side Of The Bed" 30  
1996 "All I Want" 77  
With The Bangles
Only charting singles are listed
1986 "If She Knew What She Wants" 29  
1986 "Manic Monday" 2  
1986 "Going Down To Liverpool" 56 (UK) UK only re-release
1986 "Walk Like An Egyptian" 1  
1987 "Walking Down Your Street" 11  
1987 "Hazy Shade Of Winter" 2 From the Less Than Zero Motion Picture Soundtrack
1988 "In Your Room" 5  
1988 "Eternal Flame" 1  
1989 "Be With You" 30  
All chart data refers to the Billboard Hot 100 unless noted otherwise

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
2005 The Bangles — Greatest Hits: Videos (DVD)

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