Nashville Gives Boost To Bogguss
For most country musicians with a dream, all roads lead to Nashville.
Such was the case for platinum artist Suzy Bogguss, who plays the Spokane Interstate Fair on Wednesday.
In 1980, Bogguss graduated from Illinois State University with a degree in metalsmithing. It was then she embarked on her musical career, which took her to Colorado, Montana and Wyoming.
She played solo, performing a cross-pollination of country music and acoustic folk.
It took a move in 1985 to Nashville to get Bogguss’ career rolling.
When she first arrived, she got a job singing at a rib joint, Tony Roma’s, three nights a week. Bogguss also went to work with a publishing company where she sang demos and got paid $10 a song.
The singer was discovered by Capitol records while she was singing at Dollywood, Dolly Parton’s theme park located in the Tennessee Smoky Mountains.
Bogguss emerged in 1987 with her debut album “Somewhere in Between.”
Two years later she followed up the successful breakthrough with “Moment of Truth.”
That same year, the Academy of Country Music named Bogguss as top new female vocalist.
Since then, Bogguss has recorded five more albums, generated 11 hit singles and received numerous award nominations, including a Grammy nomination for the song “Hopelessly Yours” in 1991.
Lately, Bogguss, who also has a line of jewelry and leather clothing, has been trying some new twists.
This year, she teamed with the legendary musician Chet Atkins for an album of duets called “Simpatico.”
Atkins has always loved Bogguss’ music. In the liner notes of “Somewhere Between,” he wrote: “Her voice sparkles like crystal water. … She’s only one of the best.”
She and Atkins also sang “All My Loving” on the album “Come Together: America Salutes the Beatles.”
As shown by the songstress’ recent appearances on three compilation albums- the aforementioned one, “Tribute to the Music of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys” and “Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles,” Bogguss is fond of numerous genres of music.
She joined Ray Benson for a swinging duet on Asleep at the Wheel’s “Tribute to the Music of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys.” And, Bogguss sang an inspired rendition of “Take It to the Limit” on “Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles.”