Suzy Bogguss’ concerts make you feel as if you’re having a one-on-one chat with a dear friend who just happens to have incredible insights into Roots, Country and Folk Music.
That’s especially true now that Suzy is touring behind her latest release American Folk Songbook, which was several years in the making thanks to Suzy’s diligent research into the songs, their creators and the history behind them.
“It’s been a process,” said Suzy who discovered an old songbook from her elementary school days that inspired her to try to reintroduce some of the songs many of which may be forgotten. “The more I got into it, the more I thought ‘Wow. I want to do this for a living. I finally came to a point where I concluded I’m making a record, I’m not a historian….It’s a fun record.”
Not to mention bone-chillingly beautiful. Once you hear Suzy – who’s routinely hailed as having one of the finest voices in contemporary music – sing such classic folk songs as “Shady Grove” and “Red River Valley,” you’ll truly understand the beauty of Folk and why so many have fallen in love with the format. Her on-stage banter that ranges from her personal history – including kudos to Garrison Keillor with whom she toured and her husband Doug Crider who encouraged her folk exploration – to the stories behind the songs makes the concert experiences all the sweeter.
Indeed, many of the songs on this release connect back to Suzy’s own childhood and are playable both by amateurs and more accomplished singers and musicians. By touring through traditional venues and playing at art centers and schools, the Grammy Award winner hopes the songs will inspire kids as they did her.
“You know, I grew up in a small town (Alledo, Ill.) and we had music teachers and art teachers and the whole deal,” said Suzy who was a singer at Dollywood in the beginning of her career. “We were just a really happy little community and it so inspired me to go on and do whatever I wanted to do because I had that opportunity.”
Yet the Grammy Award winning Suzy doesn’t expect to generate the kind of interest that catapulted her to fame and multiple honors including CMA and ACM awards. And that’s just fine with her. As she continues her tours, which will likely soon include holiday favorites and fan favorites such as her own rendition of a silly “Mr. Grinch” song, she radiates contentment.
“There are many things that seem utterly ridiculous at this point,” she said of the music industry. “but we’ve had an amazing life we have had. Creatively, I have been able to do whatever I wanted to do. For us, doing shows is wonderful. We always think we are too old and then [the fans] are still there and it’s actually really fun to see people who have been following us for years. I feel very blessed.”
You can find out more about Suzy, her music and her tour dates on her website.
Here’s Suzy talking about her “very favorite song” from childhood, “Sheandoah,” and playing it in concert:
