Susanna_Hoffs

Susanna Hoffs

Susanna Lee Hoffs (born January 17, 1959) is an American vocalist, guitarist and actress best known as a member of the all-female pop band The Bangles.

Biography

Early life

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, 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.

Career with The Bangles

The Bangles released their first album All Over the Place in 1984 and saw a moderate hit with the single "Hero Takes A Fall", but their commercial breakthrough came with the album Different Light in 1986, which produced the hit singles "Manic Monday" and "Walk Like an Egyptian". Hoffs starred in the film The Allnighter in 1987. It was directed by her mother, Tamar Simon Hoffs, and also featured Joan Cusack and Pam Grier.

In 1986 Susanna Hoffs co-wrote the song "I Need a Disguise" for the first Belinda Carlisle Album "Belinda".

With her increasing fame, she also appeared on the covers of numerous magazines, and the Rickenbacker guitar company issued a Susanna Hoffs model of the 350 (which she customized herself), which she still plays during live shows. Although the Bangles did not have a set lead singer — each member sang lead on various songs - 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 a year later 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.

Solo career

Hoffs released a solo album, When You're a Boy, in 1991, which was not a commercial success, although it did spawn a U.S. 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 U.S. 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 the subject of Freddy Blohm's "The Corner of Her Eye".

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.

Hoffs also recorded a cover of the Oingo Boingo song "We Close Our Eyes for the Buffy The Vampire Slayer soundtrack.

Sid 'n' Susie

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

Personal life

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

Discography

Albums

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

Singles

Date	Title	Chart	Comments
Solo releases
1991	"My Side Of The Bed"	30 (US) / 44 (UK)
1991	"Unconditional Love"	65 (UK)	Did not chart in the U.S.
1991	"Only Love"	-
1996	"All I Want"	32 (UK) / 77 (US)
With The Bangles Only charting singles are listed
1985	"Hero Takes A Fall"	96 (UK)
1985	"Going Down To Liverpool"	79 (UK)
1986	"Manic Monday"	2 (US) / 2 (UK)
1986	"If She Knew What She Wants"	29 (US) / 31 (UK)
1986	"Going Down To Liverpool"	56 (UK)	UK only re-release
1986	"Walk Like An Egyptian"	1 (US) / 3 (UK)
1987	"Walking Down Your Street"	11 (US) / 16 (UK)
1987	"Following"	55 (UK)
1987	"Hazy Shade Of Winter"	2 (US) / 11 (UK)	From the Less Than Zero Motion Picture Soundtrack
1988	"In Your Room"	5 (US) / 35 (UK)
1988	"Eternal Flame"	1 (US) / 1 (UK)
1989	"Be With You"	30 (US) / 23 (UK)
1989	"I'll Set You Free"	74 (UK)
1990	"Walk Like An Egyptian (Remix)"	73 (UK)
2003	"Something That You Said"	38 (UK)
2003	"I Will Take Care Of You"	84 (UK)
With Ming Tea
1997	"BBC"	N/A	From Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery Soundtrack
2002	"Daddy Wasn't There"	N/A	From Austin Powers in Goldmember Soundtrack
All chart data refers to the Billboard Hot 100 unless noted otherwise

DVDs and films

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
2003	Red Roses and Petrol - soundtrack only
2005	The Bangles — Greatest Hits: Videos (DVD)