Susanna Hoffs Biography

Susanna Lee Hoffs (born 17 January 1959) is an American vocalist, guitarist and actress. She is best known as a member of The Bangles.

Early life

Hoffs was born on the Westside of Los Angeles, California, to a Jewish family. She is the daughter of Tamar Ruth (Simon) and Joshua Allen Hoffs, a psychoanalyst. Her mother played Beatles music for Hoffs when she was a child, and she began playing the guitar in her teens. Hoffs attended Palisades High School in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, graduating in 1976. While in college she worked as a production assistant and made her acting debut in the 1978 film Stony Island. In 1980, she graduated from University of California, Berkeley with a Bachelor degree in Art. When she entered Berkeley she was a fan of classic rock bands that played in large stadiums. While a student at Berkeley, she attended the final Sex Pistols show at Winterland and a Patti Smith concert. Exposure to punk rock changed her career goal from dancer to musician in a band. She eventually joined Vicki Peterson and Debbi Peterson in what would later become the pop music group The Bangles.

Career with The Bangles

The Bangles' first recorded release was a self-titled EP in 1982 on the Faulty Products Label. The Bangles released their first full album All Over the Place in 1984 on Columbia Records. They had 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".

In 1986, Hoffs co-wrote the song "I Need a Disguise" for the album Belinda for Belinda Carlisle, formerly of the all-girl group The Go-Go's.

With increasing fame, Hoffs 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.

In 1987, Hoffs starred in the film The Allnighter, which was directed by her mother Tamar Simon Hoffs, and also featured Joan Cusack and Pam Grier. The film was critically panned, and failed at the box office.

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 in 1990.

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 spawned a U.S Top 40 hit with "My Side of the Bed." In the UK the single landed at #44, for only 4 weeks on chart, and the album also landed decently in Europe. Hoffs recorded another album during 1993/1994, prior to leaving Columbia Records, but it went unreleased. In 1996, Hoffs released her second solo album, Susanna Hoffs. Although it received much praise in the media and yielded a minor US hit and a UK hit at #33 for 2 weeks with a cover of the Lightning Seeds single "All I Want", it still was not a big commercial success.

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 did a cover of "The Look of Love" for the soundtrack of the first Austin Powers movie and a cover of the song "Alfie" for the soundtrack of the third film.

Hoffs recorded a cover of the Oingo Boingo song "We Close Our Eyes" for the Buffy The Vampire Slayer soundtrack. She is also responsible for the song "Now and Then", from the 1995 film of the same name.

Hoffs also contributed a song to the film Red Roses and Petrol (written and directed by Tamar Simon Hoffs) titled "The Water is Wide." The song can be heard in the closing credits and is available on the film's soundtrack.

In February 2009, Hoffs appeared on stage at the Key Club in Los Angeles, singing with thenewno2, the "post-Bristol" psychedelic blues band led by Dhani Harrison.

In December 2011, Hoffs provided an original song for use in promoting Visit South Walton, the tourism promotion agency for Walton County, Florida (formerly identified as the Beaches of South Walton). The song, "This Is The Place", will be used in advertising and marketing the popular coastal area that comprises fifteen beach communities.

Hoffs self-released her third solo album of new material (the first since her 1996's self-titled album) called Someday via Vanguard Records on July 17, 2012. The set was produced by Mitchell Froom and is influenced by the music of the 1960s. American Songwriter gave Someday a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars and described it as "easily and undeniably Hoffs' most definitive musical statement to date."

Hoffs is mentioned in "I'd Love to Kiss the Bangles" by The Saw Doctors. Robbie Fulks wrote about her in "That Bangle Girl," which appears on his album The Very Best of Robbie Fulks.

Sid n Susie

In 2006, Hoffs teamed up with fellow Ming Tea rocker Matthew Sweet; under the name "Sid n Susie," they recorded fifteen cover versions of classic rock songs from the 1960s and 1970s 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. The duo released another album Under the Covers, Vol. 2 on July 21, 2009, which included covers of songs by Fleetwood Mac, Carly Simon, Rod Stewart and others.

Personal life

In 1993, Hoffs 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 has two sons. Roach converted to Judaism when marrying Hoffs.

She is a vegetarian.

Discography

Albums

Date	Title	US Chart	Comments
Solo
1991	When You're a Boy	83
1996	Susanna Hoffs	-
2012	Someday	-
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	-
2011	Sweetheart of the Sun	148
Collaborations
2006	Under the Covers, Vol. 1	192	with Matthew Sweet
2009	Under the Covers, Vol. 2	106	with Matthew Sweet
2012	Under the Covers, Vol. 3		with Matthew Sweet

Singles

Date	Title	Chart		Comments
		US	UK
Solo releases
1991	"My Side of the Bed"	30	44
	"Unconditional Love"	-	65
	"Only Love"	-	-
1996	"All I Want"	77	32
With The Bangles Only charting singles are listed
1985	"Hero Takes A Fall"	-	96
	"Going Down To Liverpool"	-	79
1986	"Manic Monday"	2	2
	"If She Knew What She Wants"	29	31
	"Going Down To Liverpool"	-	56	UK only re-release
	"Walk Like an Egyptian"	1	3
1987	"Walking Down Your Street"	11	16
	"Following"	-	55
	"Hazy Shade Of Winter"	2	11	From the Less Than Zero Motion Picture Soundtrack
1988	"In Your Room"	5	35
1989	"Eternal Flame"	1	1
	"Be With You"	30	23
	"I'll Set You Free"	-	74	UK only release
1990	"Walk Like an Egyptian (Remix)"	-	73
2003	"Something That You Said"	-	38
	"I Will Take Care Of You"	-	84
With Ming Tea
1997	"BBC"	-	-	From Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery Soundtrack
2002	"Daddy Wasn't There"	-	-	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
1999	Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
2002	Austin Powers in Goldmember
2003	Doll Revolution Bonus DVD
2003	Red Roses and Petrol " soundtrack only
2005	The Bangles "? Greatest Hits: Videos (DVD)