Suzi Q

Suzi Quatro followed her dreams and became not only an amazing bassist and singer, but also a trailblazer for women in rock. Growing up near Detroit, and always into it's music scene, past and present, I thought I knew Suzi's story pretty well. I was astounded with how much I didn't know. This documentary is exceptionally well done and tells Suzi's story without a dull moment. Why Suzie Quatro never hit it as huge in the US as she did in the UK and Europe is beyond me. Musician. Singer. Actress. Poet. That's Suzie Quatro.

If you don't know her story, you should. Definitely worth watching.

Long-overdue documentary on rock pioneer Suzi Quatro, an integral part of the glam rock scene of the 1970s, bass player and all-around badass raised in the Detroit suburb of Grosse Point. Quatro had only marginal success in her native US but scored a succession of hit records throughout the rest of the world (it's only briefly touched upon, but America simply wasn't progressive enough to embrace a female rocker of this volume in the early-'70s). Singled out from her musician sisters in the band Cradle by British producer Mickie Most, Suzi had to leave her hometown for England to achieve her first taste of success, though the seeds of familial discontent were planted firmly behind her (she's still trying to win her sisters' love and approval). Motherhood changed audiences' perception of Suzi in the 1980s (and brought her marriage to guitarist Len Tuckey to a close), though she nevertheless stayed busy appearing on stage in "Annie Get Your Gun" and the musical "Tallulah Who?" based on the life of actress Tallulah Bankhead. This is a very well-researched document on a rock-and-roll icon who never quite got her due Stateside, despite one Top 5 single ("Stumblin' In") and a handful of guest appearances on TV's "Happy Days" (even this film is foreign-born, produced in Australia where Suzi is considered a legend). With terrific commentary from a wide assortment of musicians, admirers, friends and family, it's an entertaining journey. *** from ****

Documentary about Suzi Quatro, rock icon of my childhood. One may think of her as you like, but her contribution to the emancipation of women in the rock'n'roll circus is not to be underestimated and this fact is appropriately celebrated here, among others by members of the Runaways, Blondie, Talking Heads, L7, Go-Go's, Sweet, Slade as well as Alice Cooper, Wendy James, KT Tunstall, etc. (Oh my goodness, there are plenty of real scare crows among them - male as well as female). The film is interesting because of the detailed stories from the early days of her rock'n'roll career ... and when it went downhill. I had no idea that she played very successfully in musicals and also partly co-wrote on them, hosted TV and radio shows for the BBC, wrote poems and children's books ... meanwhile, with all this hustle and bustle going on she always remained quite down-to-earth and makes an extremely sympathetic impression. Respect!

An excellent, detailed, enjoyable biographical documentary as a long overdue tribute to the great, leather-clad, Elvis-inspired rock performer who helped kick open the doors for women in rock. Surprising more layered than the usual rock doc fare.

I attended the Melbourne premiere of this flick, which director Liam Firmager and Suzi Q herself attended and did a 1 hour q&a. The film was incredible, it traversed her entire career right up until now. It depicted her struggle gaining fame in the USA, her drama with her family and her projects after music. The film included interviews from Debbie Harry and Alice Cooper and had some really funny moments and gave us a deep insight into the life and music of Suzi Q. Hats off to Liam Firmager for getting the rights to all the archival footage shown in the film (over 400 pieces) of interviews and pictures and video. Most in high definition. This film is truly a joyful insight into Suzi and a great rock documentary in general. Check it out!