Rock icon Suzi Quatro has reflected on more than six decades in music, revealing she stayed clear of the wild lifestyle often linked to her era, and did it all without stripping off.
Suzi Quatro, the trailblazing bassist and singer known for 70s anthems such as Devil Gate Drive and 48 Crash, is preparing for a major UK tour in 2025 and she’s made it clear her rock and roll legacy was built on professionalism.
“I’ve partied, had the odd room wreck, but I was never a sex, drugs and rock and roll girl,” Quatro told The Sunday Express Magazine. “I was brought up in a musical family. My dad told me at 15, ‘Suzi, you’ve found what you want to do in life. This is a profession. If there are 10 people or 10,000 in the audience, everyone’s paid to see you, and you owe them.’ That’s been embedded in me.”
A lifetime of rock without the chaos
Now 75, Quatro is celebrating 62 years in the business with a full-scale UK tour promising a two-hour rock show packed with hits, personal stories, and a seven-minute bass solo.
“I’m the rehearsal queen,” she said. “I rehearse as if it’s live, running around. And if I’m not on the road, I’m in the gym. That’s how I keep the energy up.”
Quatro’s stamina and discipline have kept her on the road for decades. But despite the longevity, her rise wasn’t easy and she never compromised her image to get ahead.
“I didn’t strip off. I didn’t need to”
At a time when the music industry was dominated by men, Quatro became one of the first female rock musicians to achieve global success without sexualising herself.
“I’ll take to my grave that I was the first female rock musician to have worldwide success,” she said. “There are many more female musicians today, but they tend to be too influenced by male opinion. I wore a jumpsuit, but I showed no flesh. You don’t have to strip off to be sexy.”
