Suzy Bogguss

Before I talk a little bit about another of my favorite singers, let me add an explanation of the kind of singer I find interesting. I claimed earlier that I look for those who are obscure and maybe haven't found the light of day yet. I guess I'm just not much for listening to what the main stream music industry promotes. But in addition to liking singers that haven't surfaced yet, I like to follow singers who may have had a time in the lime light but have fallen off the radar. I think Nashville is particularly hard on female singers, turning over a new crop on a regular basis. Those who've managed to survive for decades are few and far between and deserve a tip of the hat. People like Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton spring to mind. One of my favorites who had a nice radio career but is no longer played on contemporary country stations is Suzy Bogguss  She has one of the purest, sweetest voices you've ever heard and has continued to chug away at a wonderful career with little fanfare. I guess the nice thing about having a day in the sun is that it's possible to develop a fan base that will continue to sustain a career long after the radio has forgotten you. Such is the case with Suzy. I've seen her and met her on several occasions and she always plays to an appreciative crowd and has a long line waiting to meet and greet after the show, which she does on a regular basis. The album pictured above is simply called "Suzy Bogguss" and came out in 1999. It's a lovely album that fell on hard times when the label folded right after release. Apparently a goodly number of cds were printed as it's still available and is a real bargain. I found new ones listed at $1.29 on Amazon. The songs are all originals as far as I know, but they're all great and a number of them were written by Suzy and/or her husband Doug Crider. The musicians are all top flight Nashville folks too, with Alison Krauss making an appearance on a couple of the tracks. Favorites for me are: "Taking That Red Eye Home", duet with T. Graham Brown, "Love Is Blind", "Love Every Time", "Hold Me to It", "20 Million Things" and everything that follows. I've practically listed every track! That's how much I love it.  Another Suzy cd that's turning into a rarity, with new ones listed at over $40.00 at Amazon, is 1994s "Simpatico" with Chet Akins. Suzy and Chet were best friends and made this album late in his career. It's a pretty special album. The friendship seeps through and again all tracks are great, but 2 of my favorites are: "When She Smiled at Him" and "You Bring Out the Best in Me". If you can find a used one at a reasonable price, snap it up! Of course there are many, many Suzy albums out there and not a bad one in the lot. Check out her Christmas stuff and her album called "Swing" that lives up to its title.. She's got a new one in the works built around American Folk music that sounds pretty interesting. I may just have to report on it later!