"Tone-Cool/Mercury's Susan Tedeschi is 1999's Hottest New Act." –Timothy White, Billboard Magazine
Every so often, a new artist comes along that grabs the attention of critics, fans and industry professionals alike. One whose music is instantly recognizable and causes the uninitiated listener to sit up and say "Who is that?" Add Best New Artist Grammy Nominee Susan Tedeschi's name to that short list. With a voice that is frequently compared with Janis Joplin, Bonnie Raitt and Etta James, and a guitar style influenced by Johnny Guitar Watson, Magic Sam and Freddie King. Susan has taken her influences and sculpted them into a style all her own.
With the release of her national debut cd, Just Won't Burn on Tone-Cool Records (distributed by Island Def Jam), Susan's profile has continued to grow: she's had top-15 radio hits with "It Hurt So Bad," and "Rock Me Right" has toured with Lilith Fair, the Allman Brothers and BB King, performed on David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, CMT, and TNN, graced the covers of Billboard, Album Network, Pollstar and Blues Revue Magazines, and registered one of the top selling albums in the country. Susan's from-the- heart vocals and stinging guitar work combined with her charismatic stage presence and electrifying live performances, have caused listeners and critics nationwide to take notice.
Susan Tedeschi (pronounced Tuh-DES-kee) was born in 1970 and grew up in Norwell, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston. She was drawn to music at an early age as she spent her time listening to her father's collection of Lightnin' Hopkins and Mississippi John Hurt records before making her singing debut at age 5 and serving as an understudy on Broadway. Church, too, proved an early influence as she sang at Baptist and Methodist churches around Boston. She's played in bands since the age of 13 and formed her first all-original group at age 18 in the nearby town of Scituate, Mass, called the Smokin' Section.
After graduating from the Berklee College of Music in 1991, she went to check out the Sunday night blues jam at Johnny D's in Somerville, MA and soon developed a local following and reputation from her weekly sit-ins. Susan immersed herself in the Boston blues scene. She met guitarist Adrienne Hayes at the House of Blues in Cambridge, with whom she formed the Susan Tedeschi Band in 1993. In 1995, she borrowed $10,000 to record and manufacture an independent record to satisfy demand from local club-goers.
Susan's victory at the 1994 "Boston Battle of the Blues Bands" led to a performance at the "National Blues Talent Competition" at the Daisy Theater in Memphis. Soon afterwards, she was named "Best R&B Act" in 1995 by Boston magazine and nominated as "Outstanding Blues Act" at the Boston Music Awards both in 1995 and '96.
In 1998, Susan released Just Won't Burn, which presents evidence of her development as not only a singer and guitarist but as a songwriter as well. Songs range from "You Need to Be With Me," which culls it's third verse from an Emily Dickinson poem, to the title track, "Just Won't Burn," which she wrote after the death of a loved one. "Found Someone New," written on the piano, evokes her John Lennon influence, while "Looking for Answers," written in open D tuning, reflects her gospel influence, and "It Hurt So Bad," according to Susan, "was something Etta James or Otis Redding might have done." Finally, a powerful cover of John Prine's "Angel From Montgomery," was recorded live and, she adds, "is the closest thing we do to country."
Since the 1998 release of her Tone-Cool debut, Susan's career has taken off. She's toured with Lilith Fair (singing duets with Sheryl Crow and having Sarah McLachlan and members of the Dixie Chicks back her up), the Allman Brothers Band, John Mellencamp and Bob Dylan, who personally asked her to join him after being blown away after catching one of her sets. In 1999, she won 4 Boston Music Awards (the most of anyone), 2 WC Handy Awards and Gavin's "Triple-A Record of the Year". She played at 1999's Farm Aid alongside John Mellencamp, Neil Young, Dave Matthews and Willie Nelson, and played at VH-1's largest event to date - "The Concert of the Century for VH-1's Save the Music," which featured appearances by Eric Clapton, Aretha Franklin, Garth Brooks, Lenny Kravitz and others.
The greatest accolade paid to Susan's talent was her nomination as Best New Artist at the 2000 Grammy Awards alongside Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Kid Rock and Macy Gray. She's since followed that up by winning 3 more Boston Music Awards in April and recording with Willie Nelson and Hubert Sumlin.
Susan has earned the respect and affection of her peers and heroes through her talent, dedication and hard work and has already been hailed as one of the best new artists today. She is now working on her follow-up to Just Won't Burn and her profile is only going to continue grow.
Source: http://www.susantedeschi.com/
