June 3rd, a pioneer of rock music Suzi Quatro will celebrate his 76th birthday.
Long before female rock frontwomen became commonplace, this pioneering woman broke stereotypes as a singer, bassist, songwriter, and bandleader. Her 1970s hits included "Can the Can," "48 Crash," "Devil Gate Drive," and "The Wild One," and her role as Leather Tuscadero on the TV series «Happy Days» opened her to a completely new audience. Today, she continues to perform actively, more than six decades after her first appearance on stage.
Quatro has never hidden her influence on rock music. In an interview with the newspaper Detroit Metro Times In 2012, she reflected on her place in history, saying, "I was the first person to be taken seriously as a female rock musician and singer. That hadn't been done before. I played by the boys' rules.".
She continued: "Everyone who came later had it a little easier, and that's a good thing. I'm proud of that. If I have a legacy, this is it. I don't take it lightly.".
Susan Kay Quatro Born in Detroit in 1950, she grew up in a musical family and joined her sisters' band, the Pleasure Seekers, as a teenager. After moving to England in the early 1970s, she achieved success as a solo artist and became one of the defining figures of the glam rock era, though she later insisted that she considered herself simply a rock 'n' roll performer.
One of Quatro's most famous features was her signature leather jumpsuit. In an interview for the BBC documentary "« Queens of British Pop» She recalled the moment when this image was created even before the release of the song "Can the Can".
«"When it came to preparing the look for the first photo shoot and the stage costumes… Mickey said, 'Okay, now we need to put it all together. What do you want to wear?' And I said, 'Leather.'".
When the producer Mickey Most stated that leather clothing had already been used in this image, Quattro famously replied: "And not by a woman.".
This confidence remains a hallmark of her career. In March 2026, while promoting her album Freedom , Quattro said in on BBC Breakfast, that she still gives 60 to 70 concerts a year and has no plans to retire.
When asked if she ever thinks about slowing down, she simply replied, "No.".
She added: "It's in my blood. When you do this your whole life, I don't know what I would do if I didn't have the opportunity to rise to the top. For me, that's happiness.".
Even after selling more than 50 million records worldwide and influencing generations of artists, Quatro says she still gets a little nervous before every performance.
«"Every time I come, I hope I'm going to have a good time," she said. "And then the magic happens.".
More than 50 years after the song "Can the Can" made her an international star, the woman who Classic Rock magazine dubbed the "Queen of Noise," she still does what she loves: getting on stage and playing rock 'n' roll.
On the topic: The rock anthem once considered Hollywood's most expensive song is climbing the charts again.
This article was originally published by Parade on June 3, 2026, in the News section. Add Parade to your list of recommended sources by clicking here.