And now here they are, Nick and Sue on Chatterbox. When the stars talk, they talk to Nick and Sue. to the Chatterbox Redux podcast with Nick and Sue. On this edition, our special guest is Susie Quattro. Shatterbox giving you all you need to know about music Now in chatterbox UK, we're just lucky enough to welcome back Suzy Quattro
Suzy. Hi welcome. How are you Suzy? I am in promotion hell at the moment Yeah, as much as I I like to communicate and talk about whatever I'm working on Okay I believe it was Germany yesterday and you flew back to appear in this yet quite and you got a full day today I know after I say I've got a full day today than tomorrow. I'm doing something else in the evening. They got the Jeremy Jeremy Vine show the next morning. Cracker Don. It's just it's just been on gigs and my feet
don't touch the ground. June, July, August. I'm flying and gigging, flying and gigging fly is crazy. And in October, I go back to Australia for my forty first tour. Wow in Austria in Australia. I hold the record. I hold the record That's brilliant Okay, we could always mention what you're doing next towards the end but Okay, we have we're basically here to talk about say a new book that you brought out We've been chatting well going
back. Yes. There we are grave undertakings a novel grave undertakings Well tell us about that it's better coming from you it's a collection of epitaphs but there's a lot more to it all yours. There is it started off as a child i was one of those and it's funny because since i've been doing these interviews so many people have gone oh me too i found graveyards fascinating.
I like i like wandering through them and reading the tombstones and you know my imagination runs right you know the ones that are crumbling and the falling over and the ones that don't look tended to the ones that do look tended to and you make up stories in your head i wonder if they had kids and other so. Lifelong thing of mine wandering through graveyards so when i was in my twenties i was in england and i came up with this. Great title grave undertakings what
a great title and i went. This can be. My hobby i can start asking all my famous people i know what they would like on their tombstone. So that's what i did and i did that for thirty five years so a lot of these. Graveyard inscriptions a lot than i hear anymore but they have to be given to me but a lot of them are here so as i'm assembling the book. It's my second novel and my second published book. I'm sorry, my second novel and
my seventh published book. And I was typing it out, typing up the quotes and all that and putting the information next to the names, what year they were born and if they were dead, what year they died. And then I thought, no, oh my God, no, this is a story. This is a now. Waiting to be written. So then my brain started to work and I'm very Very psychologically minded. I actually could have gone into that as a profession I'm
good at it. I can I can I can work you out. I can help you it I've always been that way since the child. I want answers to everything So I thought okay, let's get six psychology students meeting up for a tutorial with an Austrian professor then I named them. Right. And once you named them, like a song, once a song has a name, you've got the song. So once I, once I named the characters, I had the characters. So then I made them all
six completely different types, you know? So out of 20 classes, With the austrian professor you go you go through their lives you go they discover stuff about themselves there's entanglements romantic involvements with some of them and you get their back stories you get their damage you get their baggage you get the triggers you get everything so right through their lives you go in these twenty classes and then i don't want to give it away but then at the end the payoff
is you think it to because that's what it is you live your life. You live your life. And then after that, all was, we're all so important, aren't we? And then after that, you're six foot under with a few words on a gravestone. So the whole thing fascinated me. So the, this story gives you the reason why the ending is all the gravestones, because that is how we end, you know? And I was able to paint on this big wide canvas. I gave myself all my psychological ideas.
And I actually had to be one of the students because In the twenty classes you know you're talking serious stuff here that the professors teaching them. Psychology so if there was something i worked out what i wanted my twenty classes to cover and then i had to find out what those things were called that i was talking about cuz i'm not a professional psychiatrist at all so i had to go to school myself i had to google
learn. Digest it and bring it out as a teacher bring it out as one of the students so you get real. Insight in this book and everybody that has read it I said the same thing but two different ways to me they go You really made me think or they go you've really made me question So he either way is fine Either way is fine. If you're questioning or you're just thinking whatever it's touched you. So this book is touching people Amazing I never I never expected The response
I'm getting for this book. What are we say? I guess it's an unusual idea isn't it? It is different I mean, I'm sure there's something a bit with gravestones in but there's not anything that's taken it to the angle that you have And, of course, we must also remember that you appearing on Top of the Pops was your first hit, which was number one here as well, 1973. So that was a lot of people you were bumping into on Top of the Pops from 1973 onwards, probably as you were getting
known here as well. But the examples that have been sent, I'm not going to say the names, but it gives people a... These are all still with
us. Alice Cooper, Sir Cliff Richard... nice little religious touch from him but it's what he you can imagine that's what it will have on his side and i trust you know what with cliff um there were a few there were some people that if they'd been maybe a little bit sick or something above us a few of them said to me i'd rather not tempt fate and i said absolutely fine but a few people uh leo sayer was one and cliff richard was one there were more but i can't remember cliff said
can i have a few days okay he wanted time and when you read his quote he really did think about that and it's very it's very cliff isn't it yes definitely it's what people would expect yeah yeah and um go on i was going to say and it's probably now what he's probably updated his will that's probably what will go on it when no that's what what he said quite probably yeah i like mine you like yours um are you going to go or
Yours is obviously in the book. Are you going to give us the little snippet of what yours says or people got to buy the book to find out? No, I'll tell them mine, but then they have to buy the book to find out what the story is. Because I'm a Gemini, so I get two sides. And if you know any German eyes or if you're our Gemini, you know that two sides is the absolute minimum. So one side says, now I get it. And the other side says, too many dreams, too little time.
Well, it's funny to say that. Now, I've had mine, as soon as you look at me, so I've got to share it with you. It's something I've never even said on the live shows. But my one, out of interest, is it's what he would have wanted. Oh, interesting. Because everyone says that at Awake and everything else. And of course, it's not what anyone ever wanted. I've just heard it so many times. It's
what he would have wanted. That's it. Interesting interesting yeah i've had some some people who i thought were gonna be funny with serious and vice versa. You know you never know you know some some people would so deep important people who i have a laugh with over dinner and they went they went down the distance. I'm trying to think i like brian bennett the drummer from the shadows he said he said if you want to make
god laugh tell him your plans. But I'm not going to give everything away, but I'll tell you the funniest one. You can't beat this one. David Hamilton. Here lies David Hamilton, stiff at last. My husband said to me yesterday, just before I came home from Germany, he said, only you could write a book. Based on tombstones only you could do that. I said, yeah, but it's a story said but only you would think of that. Is that okay?
Fine fine. This is Nick and Sue with Cheddar box giving you all you need to know about musical entertainment We've got to go and buy it, darling. It sounds very interesting. Don't you worry. We are. We'll even get the odd quote out. Just the odd one, because we want people... This is on our live shows, by the way, Susie. In fact, you've been on R &I, Radio Northie International. You did come on it in our early days of doing
shows together. I remember one Sunday you came on and you were so generous with your time because you talked about the past, which you don't really like to do, but... It was so jealous of your time. We'll never forget it. So we have a few snippets. So yes, a few little tasters for our listeners. That would be wonderful. Susie, with this book, now we've said you've been collecting it and we've already established that you had your first number one here in 1973. There's quite
a lot of years of collecting epitaphs. So there must, in my opinion, be quite a lot left over
that you may be... Have perhaps you know where i'm going with this i don't leave alone i always want to know what's next is there enough left over or will there be a second volume well i might collect again but but they're everybody who's again everybody who's read their book wants a sequel because they want to know what happens to these students after the story and say they because you get involved in the characters so there might there might be a reunion yeah I might
be asking a few more people i know a lot of people so yeah. Oh you know i gotta mention i'm doing a big big tour in april. It was just announced last week tickets on sale they're going amazing ten big shows in april in the uk in the uk yeah i'm getting i'm getting everywhere i'm going to. Glasgow gateshead manchester watford oxford south end london palladium bath birmingham and
born with. and all all good shows all big shows so that's that's great uh well the best well the best one nearest to i think london palladium would be the best because that's right in the center as well because sue doesn't like the tube but we can get to the london palladium without the tube um not a problem however uh is there any side of because we our nearest big city would be brighton any chance of anything being added on to that maybe Anything and the chance of 10
dates so far is a lot like to be a few more. Could there be a bright and ending up there in the end? I don't know. I'm not doing it. So I do. I do what I'm told. Well, actually, that's a complete lie. My nose is growing as I speak. I don't do what I don't do what I'm told. I do
take direction. And as Mickey Mouse said, always remember that he said nobody tells susie what to do you may suggest strongly i've heard that well listen the formula works doesn't it you're still here we go i'd like to mention music in a moment as well because yeah and i've got two things to me you got two things you want to ask susie okay nothing to mention and one question right okay okay um because i recall the last time we spoke and it was during the lockdown
and you were having your album yes you know and i think what we did we spoke about the album and then the single one of the singles came off i think it was the first one and we spoke about that right i remember it's in my first week or two of ever using zoom and we lost half our time because it was all new to me and i was an idiot i thought you and i told you before we speak next time i will master zoom and i have now so it's all now you have Good. We got broken in
very good, didn't we? We did. Oh, God, we did. So, talking about that, you were working with your son. He was co -writing and playing with you. How's that developed over the last half decade? I mean, we're five years... Well, yeah,
we've had... One two three four projects out together they've all charted no control was the first time the devil in me was the second album then he produced uncovered my six track EP and he also and played and wrote with me and everything and then the face to face album that i did with katie he produced that and i'm now working on my next solo album which is producing. Writing with me and playing guitar. Definitely something natural in the gene pool. A bit like the Wilde
family with Marty and Kim and that. It's a natural gene pool there, isn't it? Because your son sounds so spot on. It's not something you could sit him down one day and teach him. He's obviously got it. He's got it completely. He came to me in 2019 and he'd been advanced since 14. And he just came to me out of the blue and he said, Mum, I need to write some songs with you now. And I went, OK. He was that meant he was ready. So we sat down we did three demos We wrote I
said, I like that. I like that So we wrote the songs went in making demos and then as we're making the demos I remember turning to him and the engineer and I said We're making an album and they said and they said we are So it went from there and he's he's turned to me back He gave he's given rebirth to me because he's turned me back on to me I won't is your son He's 40. Good age. Um, Suzy, is there any plans for you to do a second autobiography? Oh, yes. Everybody
asks me that. I could. I actually could do one. So, yes, Suzy Quattro Unzipped 2007 was the, uh, we'd like to say the first volume. But, you know, we're audio presenters. We interview people like yourself. Of course we want the, the, the, the duty bits for, for, you know. I've been asked many times to do Unzipped 2. I have to think about that. I got so many projects going, you know. There's certainly a lot to add. I mean, I've done twice as much since that's been done.
But I have to have the feeling for it. If I want to do it, I will. The first one was very, very good. I'm about to publish my eighth book in the summertime, which is my third poetry book. And this is my second novel and my seventh book. And I'm working on the album. I mean, oh my God. I just don't stop. I have to either create, entertain or communicate and then I'm happy. I love that. And the poetry we got through my words, through
my thoughts, through my eyes? Yeah, Through My Words was a lyric book, Through My Thoughts was during Covid and I really used all those things. My two poetry books are Through My Eyes and Through My Heart. And the third one, which is going to complete the triology of poetry, not that I'm going to stop, but the three, but the three go together through my ass, through my heart. The third one's called through my pain. So it's so it's life. Life. Yeah. Yeah. Beautiful. Fingers
crossed. As you say, you're so active. Since we've been speaking to you, I appreciate it's only been a small part of your career, but you haven't stopped in that time. If anything, I'd say it's sped up and escalated, to be honest with you. It has. It's gone crazy. I'm 75. I think they may have put the wrong date on the birth certificate. I like that. Well, the front bit looks absolutely perfect and the years have been very kind for you. Now, I've aged a lot
more in those since 1973. I've aged a lot more than you have, although I was younger in age. But one thing's for sure, it's the aging process. And I remember you saying, you're not going to be the first person to halt the aging process. It happens. Is this true? Of course. So you just accept it. And I actually don't care. I announced my age from the stage. I always have done. I'm proud to be seventy five. I'm happy with the way I'm aging. I'm happy with my energy. I'm
happy. I'm happy with me. That's the whole key. That's such a find out in the book. The book, the book shows you how to get back to you. You're looking like you're not going anywhere anytime soon. No, not me. Yeah. As I say, the front looks.
Brilliant and perfect, but it goes back to something you've said to me a couple of times in the past Uh, and you basically said it was about you continuing touring and you know, and you basically said something along the lines I will continue Turing until the time comes that I turn my back on the audience and I shake my ass and they don't go mad Something along those lines. Yeah, I have
I have I'll tell you them. It's a good way to end Okay, so I said that when I was 35 because to me it was a glib Question to ask a 35 year old the guy said when are you gonna retire and I thought what an idiot what an idiot So I said when I go on stage and I turn my back on the audience and I shake my ass in their silence Then I slightly I slightly altered it when I got into my 60s and I said I'll retire when I go on stage turn my back on the audience and
my ass shakes by itself which was even better. But now I've got my third and it's my serious one. It's my serious one. Only one time it has to happen. I go on stage and I don't deliver to my standard. Now I will know it in my heart and maybe they won't get it but I will and I will say goodbye. Thank you. It's been wonderful. Nowhere near that yet. I'm getting the best reviews of my life. So, but those are my three stages.
This is Nick and Sue with Chatterbox giving you all you need to know about musical entertainment. Chatterbox, Chatterbox, Chatterbox. Before we let Susie go, we do want to do social media before we let you go. I thought you had something else for Susie. Yeah, go ahead. Susie, my proper name is Suzanne. Everybody calls me soon, but most people always call me Susie. And every time I get called Susie, I always remember Susie Cotter. Always. There you go. I was called everything.
I was called Susan. I'm Susan. I was called Sue at school. I was called Susie K in the neighborhood. I was called Suze. I was in fact so many different spellings of my name and it drives me nuts that I had part of my merchandise is a T -shirt with seven different ways of spelling Suzy all wrong and then my name properly all crossed out and then my name. Fantastic, fantastic. And of course, one thing that people may not realize, you do have the most amazing surname. Quatro is your
birth name. What more would you want? When I got first here too, if everybody asked me that, what's your real name? That's my real name. When I first got to England and Mickey and I were discussing my career, I hadn't made it yet. I said, Mickey, what should my stage name be? And he went, are you kidding me? He said Susie Quattro is one of the best names I've ever heard. It does sound like a stage name, doesn't it? Yes,
it's amazing. I mean, obviously before we spoke, the first time I looked it up because Certain things an interviewer or presenter needs to know about who they're interviewing of course But of course we have to leave some of it wide open for I said be no questions to ask Sure, I was I just be doing a link in between records. So yeah, sure sure It's the first time we've asked you that but it is yeah, I know it's it's your real name is Perfect. Absolutely perfect. Like
basically everything you do. But I know you're a person. You are perfect in your standards. You've got very high standards. But I think if the time ever came that you couldn't improve, whether it be technology or whatever it may be, I think you would stop. I would. I would know. And I would be very honest with myself. And I would say I've done my best. I've hit my peak. And I'm done. And thank you. Sure. Thank you.
yeah sure it's been great chatting to you about amazing interview thank you yeah it's been great chatting to you about your literary side at last and uh susie quattro and grave undertakings a novel has already been published and it's been published by new haven publishing correct thank you and susie you mentioned your tour april next year yes anything else let's do your website and social media so people can go and take a look and do what they want ordering tickets and
so on yeah Okay, the official site man, I'm on Facebook official and Facebook private www .susiequattro .com I'm on Instagram Susie quattro real Like I said official Facebook. I'm on everything. Hmm Okay, Susie. Well, it's been absolutely wonderful. It's been a delight to chat to you again and chat about you too and there's got to be another time and I can just see things escalating in your career so it definitely won't be five years
when we chat next time. I think last time you were doing something I think sadly I lost both my parents one year after the other so we took a break and that was a time to gather thoughts then Yeah, you need to be 100 % there to do a second series. Yeah, you've got your dad's gravestone to do yet, don't you? We have. We have. Yes, thank you. We have, so put something great on there for him. OK. Thank you, Susie. It's been great, and I know the listeners are going to
love it. And continued success, and we'll chat again sometime. Take care. Thank you. Thank you both. Thank you both very much. Take care. Bye -bye. This edition of the Chatterbox Redux podcast was presented by Nick and Sue and our special guest was Susie Quatro All inquiries please to nickelbum at myyahoo .com Our postal address
is P .O. Box 26 The Old Observer Building Telford Road St Leonard's -on -Sea East Sussex England TN389LZ We thank you for your company and look forward to welcoming you again next time Where now special guest is Tony Christie. This is Nick and Sue with Chatterbox giving you all you need to know about musical entertainment. Oh yeah! Chatterbox, the best interviews with Nick and Sue. Chatterbox, the best news