Australasian Queen Of Country Music

Very nice clean vinyl with a smart cover.

Songs of diamond sophistication, ballads with the warmth and depth of a truly great merlot. Towering show tunes, irresistible pop, modern blue’s or an artfully-chosen country selection. Suzanne Prentice enthralls in almost any style in the adult contemporary soundscape, but far from drowning in the diversity she personalizes each one with a voice unlike any other. A voice that is famously mellow, yet capable of rare power. They say it could bring grace to a barn, warmth to a cathedral.
Consider the company she keeps. Suzanne has performed among a pantheon of the worlds stars from the brilliance of Roy Orbison, to the airy escapism of The Beach Boys, the fragile beauty of Emmylou Harris, the classical genius of Stephen Grappelli, the down-home amiability of Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers and even the manic mischief of Britain’s Michael Barrymore, Morecombe and Wise and the ultimate professionalism of Julio Iglesias.
Suzanne draws standing ovations from a widely divergent audience, be they at Nashville’s ‘Grand Ole Opry, London’s Wembley Stadium or a 23,000 strong crowd that gathered to hear Julio Inglesius, only to find themselves swept away by her performance to make her the star of the show.
Suzanne’s repertoire is far broader today taking her from haunting ballads to pop, country to belting out a rock classic. Suzanne creates a unique rapport seldom seen with any audience.
She is truly a class act, the consummate professional. Ideal for: corporate function, private party, wedding, concert, festival

The Suzanne Prentice Story
Suzanne began her career at the age of 12. She first appeared on television in a talent show called ‘New Faces’ on which she sang her much loved song ‘Funny Face’. Although the song was never placed, the performance won her many fans and overnight made her a household name in New Zealand. A few months later her debut album went gold within two weeks. She then went on to perform in the television show ‘The Entertainers’ and won top honors with ‘Love is Like a Butterfly’, from there travelling to perform for the first time in Britain.
Suzanne’s open, ingenuous smile belies her depth of experience. Her star was already ascendant throughout Australasia when in 1975 she became a professional performer at the age of 17. Her recording career since then has proven a series of gold, platinum and multi-platinum successes. Her album, One Day at a Time, went triple platinum and was Australasia’s top selling country album of 1980, joining Sweet Country Music, The Wedding Song and Dust On Mothers Bible as some of her most striking trans-Tasman successes. In 1997 Suzanne’s handprints and name were placed in concrete at the ‘’Hands of Fame’’ in Tamworth, Australia, as a tribute and lasting memorial to the personalities who have shaped Australian music. Suzanne repeated her ‘Hands of Fame’ tribute at the ‘‘New Zealand Hands of Fame’’.
She was voted the 1986 New Zealand Entertainer of the Year, and has been the recipient of three Australian Gold Guitar Awards. Suzanne has more awards and platinum albums than any other New Zealand entertainer. Any album she releases is virtually guaranteed to reach gold or platinum sales status.
During a lengthy stay in the United States, Suzanne worked with one of America’s most respected singer-songwriters, Gary Morris who starred in the Broadway, London and German productions of Les Miserables. Morris had expressed a desire to produce an album for her. The recording was made in one of Nashville’s most prestigious studios with some of America’s most experienced and well known musicians.
Suzanne tours internationally and has worked extensively in television, theatre and cabaret for 40 years. She was asked to sing for Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh at the Royal Variety Performance in Auckland, and played to a packed Wembley Stadium alongside Crystal Gayle, Tammy Wynette, George Jones and Kris Kristoffersen to name a few. She spent many years touring Canada and has appeared on the well loved and respected George Hamilton IV television series. She enjoyed numerous appearances in the United States on the cable television series That’s Country, as well as appearing on her own television specials in New Zealand and Australia. Suzanne has also used her own celebrity status in deeply personal ways. She created and headlined over 700 Kid’s for Kid’s shows leading over 800,000 children, helping youngsters into the spotlight while at the same time raising the awareness of underprivileged children around the world.
Suzanne was filming documentary footage in India in 1995 when she heard that she had received an OBE (Order of the British Empire) in the Queen’s Birthday Honor’s for her services to music.
Suzanne performed alongside Julio Inglesius, The Beach Boys and Michael Barrymore. Her work with Barrymore culminated in London’s West End Show ‘Barrymore Live’
Suzanne’s numerous albums have seen her honored in a variety of ways. Her Gold, Platinum and Multi Platinum Disc’s are testament to her popularity and success. Other awards and honors include being repeatedly named as New Zealand’s Best Female Vocalist and RIANZ NZ Music Industry Awards. The awards have kept coming. Suzanne was honored by Rotary International as a recipient of the ‘Paul Harris Fellow Award’ in 2002. In 2008 she was delighted and humbled to receive the NZCMA Country Music Legend Award. 2009 Suzanne was honored to receive the New Zealand Variety Artist’s Club award for NZ Top Female Vocalist.
Closer to home, Suzanne was an elected member of the Invercargill Licensing Trust for two terms, both times being the top polling candidate. She was voted into the position of Deputy President by her fellow board members for her second term, thus making history by being the first female deputy president in the trust’s history. 2013 Suzanne returned to the ILT to again represent and work for the people of Invercargill, her hometown.
In 2012 Suzanne released her first studio album in 17 years, which went to number one on the New Zealand Music charts within days.
2013 saw her latest album ‘The Very Best of Suzanne Prentice - 1973-2013’ released, celebrating 40 years of a truly international career. Within weeks, once again for Suzanne, this album went into the NZ music charts and attained gold status.