Suzanne Nadine Peck was born on July 11th 1959 in Santa Monica, California. Her parents (Pat Vega who was a computer systems analyst and Richard Peck) soon divorced after her birth. Suzanne moved with her mother and stephfather (Edgardo Vega Yunqué who was a writer/teacher) to New York. She didn't know she had a stepfather until she was 9 years old. Her stepfather although encouraging and capable of great kindness, was also quick-tempered. He abused her from time to time. In her teens, Vega was listening to Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen when friends were into Bowie. She met her real father Richard in her late 20's again and they stayed in touch. His own parents, who he’d never met as he was adopted, had been touring musicians.
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| Youth picture of Suzanne |
She attended the High School of Performing Arts where she studied modern dance and graduated in 1977. In the 80's she started her musical folk pop career first in small venues in Greenwich Village before she signed her recording contract with A&M. In 1985 her self titled debut album was released. "Marlene on the Wall", "Small Blue Thing" and "Knight Moves" were released as a single from that album. "Marlene On The Wall" reached #21 in the UK and #27 in the Netherlands. The album reached #11 both in the UK and the Netherlands. During this period Vega also wrote lyrics for two songs "Lightning" and "Freezing" on Songs from Liquid Days (1986) by composer Philip Glass. She also released a single "Left Of Center" co-written by by Steve Addabbo for the movie "Pretty In Pink" featuring Joe Jackson on piano.
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| Luka - single cover |
Her next studio album, "Solitude Standing" (1987) was equally succesful with another hit single "Luka". "Luka" was about an abused child seen through the eyes of the child. Many years later Suzanne revealed that this song is actually about her self being abused by her stephfather. The a cappella "Tom's Diner" from Solitude Standing became a hit in 1990 when remixed by DNA. It was officially a bootlegged single but she approved DNA to release it through her record company. It resulted it her biggest hit ever. "Solitude Standing" reached #2 in the UK, #14 in the Netherlands and #11 in the US.
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| Tom's Diner - single cover |
in 1989 Vega became the first female artist to headline the Glastonbury Festival. She performed at Glastonbury with a bulletproof vest because of receiving death threats from an obsessed fan ahead of the festival. The third studio album "Days of Open Hand" (1990) continued the style of the first 2 albums but with less success. The album reached #7 in the UK, #29 in the Netherlands and #50 in the US.
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| Suzanne in 1990 |
In 1992 she released her 4th studio album which is her best album still leaning towards folk but also electronic sounds and very experimental. The album was produced Mitchell Froom who she would marry to later in 1995 but they divorced in 1998. Froom is well known being the producer for Crowded House. The single "Blood Makes Noise".
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| Original album cover |
Suzanne Vega (1985)
Cracking / Freeze Tag / Marlene on the Wall / Small Blue Thing / Straight Lines / Undertow / Some Journey / The Queen and the Soldier / Knight Moves / Neighborhood Girls
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| Original album cover |
Tom's Diner / Luka / Ironbound-Fancy Poultry / In the Eye / Night Vision / Solitude Standing / Calypso / Language / Gypsy / Wooden Horse (Caspar Hauser's Song) / Tom's Diner (Reprise)
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| Original album cover |
Tired of Sleeping / Men in a War / Rusted Pipe / Book of Dreams / Institution Green / Those Whole Girls (Run in Grace) / Room off the Street / Big Space / Predictions / Fifty-Fifty Chance / Pilgrimage
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| Original album cover |
Rock in This Pocket (Song of David) / Blood Makes Noise / In Liverpool / 99.9F° / Blood Sings / Fat Man and Dancing Girl / (If You Were) In My Movie / As a Child / Bad Wisdom / When Heroes Go Down / As Girls Go / Song of Sand / Private Goes Public
AUDIO/VIDEO
Luka
Book Of Dreams
Blood Makes Noise
Rock In His Pocket (Song Of David)