00:00:06
Suzanne Lynch, welcome to my podcast.
00:00:08
>> Thank you, Don.
00:00:09
>> It's wonderful to have you here. God,
00:00:10
you're looking great. You're 74 years
00:00:12
old now.
00:00:13
>> I am. Yes. It's um hard to admit it, but
00:00:16
every year I turned 29, so I'm not
00:00:19
worried.
00:00:19
>> Why is Why is it hard to admit it?
00:00:22
>> Uh it used to be. I for years I didn't
00:00:24
admit how old I was actually. I'd say
00:00:26
I'm, you know, 39 and holding
00:00:29
>> and um put it or 39 in GST. But then I
00:00:34
got to 70 and I thought, you know what,
00:00:35
I'm doing okay. And now at 74, I'm out
00:00:39
there leaping around on stage still
00:00:42
having an absolute ball, I have to say.
00:00:44
Um I've been singing with Shane and
00:00:46
Shazam. Do you remember Shane from Come
00:00:48
On?
00:00:49
>> The singer Shane, you're too young.
00:00:51
You're far too young.
00:00:53
>> A lot of the viewers will know Shane
00:00:54
from Come on. and he's 79 and he's still
00:00:57
leaping around. So I figure well and the
00:01:00
Lady Killers of course I still sing with
00:01:01
them and uh they're all much younger
00:01:04
than me. So
00:01:05
>> yeah, Lady Killers, that's a band you've
00:01:07
got with Jackie Clark and Tina Cross.
00:01:09
>> That's it.
00:01:09
>> Yeah. A 16 year music career. It's it's
00:01:13
crazy. Like it's a it's a you know it's
00:01:15
an it's an industry that's notorious for
00:01:17
cheering people up and spitting them
00:01:18
out. And uh you've had remarkable
00:01:20
longevity.
00:01:21
>> I know. And I think all I've ever done
00:01:24
is answer the telephone. If you've read
00:01:27
my book, you you'll know. I just answer
00:01:28
the phone and someone says, "Can you do
00:01:30
this?" And I go, "Yes, okay." And then I
00:01:33
figure out how to do it. But that's just
00:01:35
continued on. And I think with the Lady
00:01:37
Killers, we're all so different than
00:01:39
each other personalities and voice-wise
00:01:42
that we just have hit it off so well and
00:01:45
we sound amazing together. When we put
00:01:46
our sound together, it becomes one whole
00:01:48
fantastic sound. And so we still go on
00:01:52
stage after 20 years we've been in the
00:01:53
Lady I've been in the Lady Killers. And
00:01:56
we still go on stage and look at each
00:01:58
other and laugh at how good we sound
00:01:59
sometimes.
00:02:00
>> Yeah.
00:02:01
>> A lot of rehearsal, a lot of coffee and
00:02:04
rehearsal. That's what does it.
00:02:06
>> And you got this brand new book out
00:02:08
called uh Yesterday When I Was Young,
00:02:09
which is sort of like a collection of
00:02:10
your life's work. Um
00:02:12
>> yeah. How do you feel when you look back
00:02:13
on all of it?
00:02:15
>> Amazed. Yeah. It was a really
00:02:17
interesting process actually because I I
00:02:20
started writing it for my grandchildren
00:02:22
because um my daughter's mother-in-law
00:02:26
said to me um she said you know little
00:02:28
Lily who's 10 she's my grand one of my
00:02:31
grandchildren keeps saying you know what
00:02:33
why has nanny got all those sparkly
00:02:35
dresses in her wardrobe and um why do
00:02:38
people look at her and everyone seems to
00:02:40
know her and she said well you don't
00:02:43
know what your nanny does do you and she
00:02:45
said no And so she said to me, "You
00:02:48
should write it down. You should write
00:02:50
down your history." And then I started
00:02:51
talking to my children, Andrew and Amy,
00:02:53
and and um neither of them really knew
00:02:56
either. So when CO hit, I thought,
00:02:59
"Right, sit down, just start writing cuz
00:03:02
I had the time and the space to do it
00:03:04
actually." And I guess it's weird
00:03:07
because it puts you back at that time
00:03:09
frame. Like I felt like I was 15 again.
00:03:13
>> I felt like I was a child again. you
00:03:16
sort of feel like you were when you were
00:03:18
that age and then I just kept on going.
00:03:22
>> Yeah. You mentioned your son um or you
00:03:23
called him Andrew. Uh I've known him as
00:03:25
Andy for maybe Andy
00:03:27
>> 25 years. Uh he's in the band Zed. Um
00:03:30
he's also been a big part of the band
00:03:32
the Felers. Yes.
00:03:33
>> Um and years ago, no one will remember
00:03:35
this, but I remember this. He was he was
00:03:37
the the the the hot young thing on the
00:03:39
Just Juicead. He was
00:03:42
I remember him getting so upset because
00:03:43
that all the kids would be in the
00:03:45
audience when he was first in Zed going
00:03:46
just juice just juice and got he got
00:03:50
quite upset about that
00:03:52
>> because he's a serious musician and he
00:03:54
didn't want to be the just juice
00:03:55
>> boy. Yeah. And then he said oh and
00:03:56
they're throwing their dirty clothes at
00:03:58
us and we know and we said oh come on
00:04:01
you know
00:04:02
>> with with you as his mom like he never
00:04:05
had a chance did he? It was always going
00:04:06
to be a music career.
00:04:07
>> It was. Yeah.
00:04:08
>> Yeah. Well, you another another string
00:04:10
in your bow. You're um you're a coach.
00:04:12
Can you like I'm a I'm tonedeaf. I'm a
00:04:15
terrible sing. Can you teach anyone to
00:04:16
sing? Can anyone be taught or not?
00:04:18
Really? Some people just
00:04:20
>> It's helpful if you have a natural
00:04:21
talent. Um there's one person I have
00:04:25
taught to sing who could not sing in
00:04:26
tune. And I found that fascinating as an
00:04:29
exercise really. He was a well-known
00:04:31
drummer's son. And I thought we should
00:04:33
be able to sing. And he's obviously got
00:04:35
rhythm. You know, he's out playing drums
00:04:36
and in a band. and he wanted to be able
00:04:39
to sing vocal harmony. And um I got him
00:04:42
to sing a note and he he was at least a
00:04:45
fifth of the way from it. He couldn't
00:04:46
hear where it should be.
00:04:48
>> So I got him to slide his voice up and
00:04:50
down until he thought he heard it the
00:04:52
same. And it took about three months and
00:04:56
then he could sing in tune. And the
00:04:58
thing I said to him was, um, "Do you
00:05:00
remember being sung to by your mom when
00:05:02
you were young? Did you ever know
00:05:04
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star?" And he
00:05:06
sang it perfectly. And I thought, okay,
00:05:08
so that part of his brain's just sort of
00:05:11
gone to sleep. The music side
00:05:13
>> needs to be rewoken. But a lot of people
00:05:16
>> just can't hear and will never be able
00:05:18
to sing in tune.
00:05:19
>> Yeah, that's me.
00:05:19
>> Can you sing la?
00:05:22
>> Yeah, there you go.
00:05:24
>> You're writing me off already.
00:05:25
>> No, no. La
00:05:32
nearly.
00:05:34
>> Oh, you're being very generous. Um,
00:05:36
yeah. I'm so excited to get into the the
00:05:37
the whole um yeah Suzanne Lynch story
00:05:41
and in sort of chronological order. Um
00:05:43
but just before we do that um
00:05:45
>> New Zealand Music Hall of Fame uh you
00:05:47
you got admitted in is that what you say
00:05:49
you got admitted?
00:05:51
>> Yes, I think so.
00:05:52
>> In in 2020 um same year as um Peter Per
00:05:56
which was unfortunately one year after
00:05:57
he died.
00:05:58
>> That's right. Yeah. Yeah. And that was a
00:06:00
real thrill actually. Really grateful to
00:06:02
them for for remembering us. The chicks
00:06:04
only lasted five years really. But um um
00:06:08
people tell me we made a big impact in
00:06:10
New Zealand, but I'm not
00:06:12
>> We weren't aware of that really
00:06:13
>> at the time.
00:06:14
>> No.
00:06:15
>> What do you mean you weren't aware of it
00:06:16
at the time?
00:06:17
>> Well, I was only 14 or 15
00:06:20
>> and I was just having fun, you know. We
00:06:22
didn't realize the power of television,
00:06:24
I guess, that gets you out there, you
00:06:26
know, in your audience.
00:06:28
>> Yes. So, let's talk about the chicks.
00:06:30
So, um yeah, New Zealand Music Hall of
00:06:31
Fame in 2020. Um, the chicks were
00:06:34
yourself and your sister Judy.
00:06:36
>> Mhm.
00:06:36
>> Um, yeah. Like two of the most famous
00:06:39
people in New Zealand in the 1960s.
00:06:41
Would that be fair to say?
00:06:44
>> Probably would.
00:06:44
>> Yeah. So, you were I guess so.
00:06:46
>> So, you were 14, 15 at the time. Yep.
00:06:48
>> And your sister's two years older.
00:06:49
>> Yeah. She was 16 and a half.
00:06:51
>> Yeah. So, how how did it all come about?
00:06:53
What what did Peter Poser, who I
00:06:55
mentioned just before, have to do with
00:06:56
this?
00:06:57
Well, we lived in um Tiatu South at the
00:07:00
at the time and we could hear some it
00:07:02
was a holiday, school holidays playing
00:07:04
with some friends and we heard a guitar
00:07:06
being played down the road a little bit.
00:07:08
So, we crept through the bushes and had
00:07:10
a look and Judy who was older than me
00:07:13
said, "Oh my gosh, that's Peter Poser."
00:07:15
I was only about 13 then, I think. And
00:07:18
um we crept up there. He saw us and he
00:07:21
said, "Come up and I'll give you an
00:07:22
autograph." And he said
00:07:24
>> So, he was a real big deal at the time.
00:07:25
He was a real big deal at the time.
00:07:27
Yeah. He had a album out that was very
00:07:30
popular. White Rabbit was his hit song
00:07:33
and uh he was playing just playing
00:07:35
acoustic guitar on these people's deck.
00:07:38
So we walked up on the deck and our
00:07:40
friends said to him, "These girls sing
00:07:42
because we've always sung around the
00:07:44
piano and you know at home. Um I was
00:07:47
singing to records and things by then."
00:07:50
And he said, "Oh, if you sing the song,
00:07:52
I'll give you an autograph." So we did
00:07:54
and we had a particularly bad choice for
00:07:56
the first song. It was I don't want to
00:07:58
spoil the party because it was by the
00:08:00
Beatles
00:08:02
>> and of course wasn't a particularly good
00:08:03
one when we were I don't want to spoil
00:08:05
the party when you know and it was like
00:08:08
they were obviously having a party and
00:08:09
then we did Tobacco Road complete with
00:08:11
actions
00:08:12
>> and um his manager was sitting there Ron
00:08:15
Dalton
00:08:16
>> who said um I'm looking for a new act
00:08:19
because I'm about to launch Dina Lee in
00:08:21
Australia
00:08:23
so um I'd like to find a song for you
00:08:26
girls 's, you know, give you a call. Can
00:08:28
you give me your phone number? And he
00:08:30
wrote it down on the back of his
00:08:31
cigarette packet basically
00:08:34
and rang a couple of weeks later
00:08:37
with the hucklebuck.
00:08:39
>> You do the hucklebuck. That's the song.
00:08:41
Um, this all sounds like very crazy like
00:08:44
I'm thinking from the lens of 2025. You
00:08:48
>> from a parents perspective. Yeah. It
00:08:49
sounds dodgy.
00:08:50
>> It sounds really dodgy. Oh, no.
00:08:52
>> Did it seem dodgy at the time or No,
00:08:54
>> no, not at all. And what did what did uh
00:08:57
so you guys became like real famous
00:08:59
really quickly. What did what did fame
00:09:01
in New Zealand look like then? Like were
00:09:03
you were you household names? Yeah. You
00:09:05
you had like fans or groupies that sort
00:09:07
of
00:09:07
>> once we were on Come on. Absolutely.
00:09:09
Yeah. Became household names.
00:09:10
>> Yes. What? Come On's a TV show.
00:09:12
>> Yes. Come on's a TV show and I mean it
00:09:14
was black and white telly. So if they
00:09:16
had the telly on there we were going,
00:09:18
you know, we were there doing our thing.
00:09:21
Um so they couldn't really avoid us in a
00:09:24
way. And Mr. Lee Grant was another big
00:09:26
deal in those days and Sandy Edmonds.
00:09:29
Um, so
00:09:30
>> yeah, because there's only one TV
00:09:32
channel, eh?
00:09:32
>> There's only one TV channel. You either
00:09:34
had it on or off. And as a lady said to
00:09:37
me in the supermarket one day, you know,
00:09:39
I feel like I've lost half half my
00:09:40
lounge furniture when you girls aren't
00:09:42
on the tally anymore.
00:09:44
>> So, we were obviously,
00:09:46
you know, probably on there all the time
00:09:48
as far as they were concerned.
00:09:50
>> So, I couldn't catch a bus. We couldn't
00:09:52
really go flatting. We had no time to go
00:09:54
flatting. We were out working all the
00:09:57
time.
00:09:57
>> You couldn't catch a bus because you
00:09:59
were too famous.
00:10:00
>> Yeah. Basically, you'd get people
00:10:03
screaming and coming up and asking you
00:10:06
for an autograph. Oh, it was crazy
00:10:07
times. Yeah.
00:10:08
>> Good. Crazy or
00:10:10
>> Well, daunting.
00:10:12
>> Daunting to me.
00:10:13
>> You're a kid.
00:10:13
>> I was just a kid. Yeah. And you know,
00:10:16
we'd be in the backstage of a theater
00:10:19
and they'd be coming in through the fans
00:10:21
would be climbing in through the windows
00:10:23
and and um banging on the doors and you
00:10:26
know, you'd get back to your motel and
00:10:27
they're all ah so yeah, it was heady
00:10:31
times.
00:10:32
>> It's it's well documented like a lot of
00:10:34
a lot of child stars end up really
00:10:36
messed up, really screwed up. But you
00:10:39
you you you seem you're good. I'm really
00:10:43
good because I was always younger than
00:10:46
everybody else. The others were all 17,
00:10:48
18 and I was 15 and so I was like the
00:10:53
observer I I'd say you know I was one of
00:10:56
those observer type people and bit shy
00:10:58
so I'd just sit back and look and and
00:11:01
then I thought I never want to be like
00:11:03
that you know looking at them. So, uh,
00:11:06
didn't didn't really have any really bad
00:11:09
stories to say because I was never
00:11:11
involved in them,
00:11:12
>> you know. We had chaperones everywhere
00:11:14
we went, my mother or my father until I
00:11:18
was 16 or 17 probably.
00:11:20
>> Yeah. Were they Yeah. Were they How did
00:11:22
they feel about it at the time? Were
00:11:23
they worried about it? Were they
00:11:24
concerned?
00:11:24
>> No, they seem quite excited about it.
00:11:27
>> I mean, I I don't think I would want my
00:11:30
14 or 15year-old to be out on the road
00:11:32
with a bunch of long-haired band boys.
00:11:34
quite frankly these days but um I never
00:11:37
saw any drugs as such.
00:11:40
>> I was going to ask you about that. Yeah,
00:11:41
because 19 I mean drugs drugs are rife
00:11:43
now, but back then I suppose the worst
00:11:46
it would have been would a bit of would
00:11:47
be a bit of cannabis.
00:11:49
>> Wasn't even that.
00:11:50
>> Yeah,
00:11:50
>> I don't think they even discovered that
00:11:52
till 69 or 70 or something.
00:11:54
>> Lot lots of alcohol.
00:11:56
>> Probably too many bourbon and cokes was
00:11:58
all they had. Yeah.
00:11:59
>> Yeah. And lots of dries.
00:12:02
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um, and you were still
00:12:05
at school at the time, Henderson High.
00:12:06
>> I was.
00:12:07
>> Yeah. What was That's a See, it's a It's
00:12:10
bizarre, isn't it? So, you're this
00:12:12
household name. You're on TV, you can't
00:12:13
catch the bus, but you're still going to
00:12:15
going to school. Was What were your
00:12:16
schoolmates like? Were they envious?
00:12:19
>> I I found I went from having, me being
00:12:22
the observer, right, up until that
00:12:24
point, I found that I went from having
00:12:27
three best friends to 103 best friends.
00:12:30
And um I soon figured out that
00:12:34
there were only three best friends. The
00:12:37
others were all, you know, oh, can you
00:12:38
sing something? And they used to bail
00:12:40
Judy and I up um if you know in a corner
00:12:43
somewhere and say, "Sing a song. Come
00:12:45
on, sing a song." And of course, I had
00:12:47
the embarrassment of going to school
00:12:48
after we'd had our hair all piled up on
00:12:51
top of our heads. Um walking in looking
00:12:54
like somebody else. And um they were the
00:12:57
days of Panama hats, gloves. You had to
00:12:59
kneel down and check the length of your
00:13:01
skirt, you know, all that sort of thing.
00:13:03
So, I was frowned upon by the teachers
00:13:05
as a lowly pop singer.
00:13:09
>> What do they want you to be? Like a like
00:13:11
a secretary or?
00:13:12
>> Yeah, secretary, which I hated. You'd
00:13:15
have had to chain me to the desk to be a
00:13:17
secretary. I was quite good at it, but
00:13:19
didn't want to know.
00:13:20
>> Was the money good? Was it quite
00:13:21
lucrative or did you
00:13:23
>> uh I made enough to buy myself a Morris
00:13:25
Miner? That's about it, really.
00:13:26
>> Right. Morris is like a Yeah. popular
00:13:29
car at the time. Like a brand new one or
00:13:31
>> No, no, a secondhand one.
00:13:32
>> How much did you pay for a car?
00:13:34
>> I think it was these days about It was
00:13:36
about $500 or something. Yeah.
00:13:38
>> Right.
00:13:38
>> Pretty cool.
00:13:40
>> Sort of a light green.
00:13:42
>> Fantastic.
00:13:42
>> Yeah, it was I was pretty proud of it.
00:13:44
>> Did Did you guys you and your sister
00:13:46
Judy, did you realize at the time like
00:13:48
the impact you were having on New
00:13:49
Zealand pop culture?
00:13:52
>> No. Judy may have. She's older than me.
00:13:55
She She may have. I I was just the kid
00:13:59
doing what I was told really is the way
00:14:00
I look at it because
00:14:03
>> when I look back I all I remember is I
00:14:05
was just so excited about everything. We
00:14:07
had such a great time on doing Come on
00:14:10
and doing our shows because there was a
00:14:11
lot of camaraderie between all the
00:14:14
musicians then. Um everybody was young
00:14:17
music was fresh and new and you couldn't
00:14:20
wait for the next Beatles album to come
00:14:22
out and then I discovered the fifth
00:14:23
dimension with all their harmonies. this
00:14:25
is amazing. So, it was a bit like that.
00:14:28
It was a very exciting time is all I
00:14:30
remember.
00:14:31
>> Um, we never I never went out anywhere
00:14:33
cuz when we went to a show, we were
00:14:36
chaperoned there, rehearsed, did our
00:14:39
show, got taken home.
00:14:42
>> So, you know, we didn't um meet a lot of
00:14:45
people except for the people in the
00:14:46
business.
00:14:47
>> Seems like you had a good support
00:14:48
network around you. Um, I did. and and
00:14:50
the um like I've seen a whole lot of
00:14:52
clips on YouTube and I've seen the
00:14:53
photos in your book and like by today's
00:14:57
by today's standards like the outfits
00:14:58
you were wearing and the the the dresses
00:15:00
they they seem fairly um
00:15:01
>> what was I thinking?
00:15:03
>> Oh no no they they seem fairly I don't
00:15:05
know they're not overly racy but like on
00:15:08
reflection you know were you sort of
00:15:10
sexualized or not really?
00:15:12
>> No not really. and um
00:15:15
>> too young. I think we were just cute,
00:15:16
you know.
00:15:17
>> Everyone everyone treated us like kids
00:15:19
sisters really,
00:15:20
>> I'd have to say.
00:15:21
>> That's so good to hear. Um what were the
00:15:23
biggest challenges of being young women
00:15:24
in the New Zealand music industry in the
00:15:26
60s?
00:15:27
>> Um
00:15:28
I guess I had a strange
00:15:31
teenage years
00:15:32
>> because I was working all the time.
00:15:36
Every weekend we were out gigging and
00:15:38
then we were learning all our things for
00:15:40
Come On or whatever we were doing and
00:15:42
then we'd be on a tour and you'd find
00:15:45
that one you might have one day off and
00:15:49
I'd sit at home and Judy would have
00:15:50
friends and she'd go out and I'd be
00:15:53
sitting there thinking I've got no one I
00:15:55
know well enough to call that's not
00:15:58
going to be out at a gig doing something
00:16:00
to say hey you want to hang out you know
00:16:03
want to want to come and do something.
00:16:05
Um, so
00:16:08
it was, yeah, it was just all work, no
00:16:11
play really for me.
00:16:13
>> But you loved it.
00:16:14
>> I loved it.
00:16:15
>> Wouldn't have had it any other way.
00:16:16
>> And And you dropped out of school.
00:16:18
>> Yes.
00:16:19
>> Yeah. Well, what was the What was the
00:16:21
straw that broke the camel's back? Was
00:16:22
it like just you're too famous or you
00:16:24
realized that you didn't need it because
00:16:25
you were going to make more money doing
00:16:27
this than
00:16:28
>> It was the straw that broke the camel's
00:16:29
back. There was a teacher there with a
00:16:32
class that I didn't really like and
00:16:35
she'd say any questions. I'd put my hand
00:16:37
up and she'd ignore me completely
00:16:39
because she looked down at me like I was
00:16:41
this terrible person. And I was still
00:16:44
me, you know, I was the teacher's pet
00:16:46
before that.
00:16:48
>> And I couldn't understand that why she
00:16:50
treat me so differently. And I got
00:16:53
really annoyed with the school really
00:16:55
because there were all these kids
00:16:57
pointing and carrying on at my hairdo
00:16:59
and this that and the other. So um even
00:17:02
though I'm quite shy I got up the
00:17:04
courage to march into the headm's office
00:17:06
and said I'm leaving and he just went
00:17:10
but you know you're second in the class
00:17:12
and I said I'm leaving and that was it.
00:17:16
I got really busy after that and went to
00:17:20
um my singing teacher. So, I learned
00:17:22
singing instead.
00:17:24
>> Um, on reflection, do you think that it
00:17:27
was envy from the teacher?
00:17:29
>> What do you reckon?
00:17:30
>> I don't know what it was. I think it was
00:17:31
the times. Just the just the times, you
00:17:34
know, it was pop singers. I mean, my
00:17:36
father used to say, "Oh, those Beatles
00:17:38
with their long hair, you know,
00:17:40
>> you look back now." Yeah.
00:17:41
>> Nothing long about it.
00:17:42
>> They wore suits.
00:17:43
>> They wore suits. They looked amazing.
00:17:45
And of course, the Stones were like,
00:17:47
"Oh, I passed him."
00:17:50
>> Yeah. That's very It was a different
00:17:51
time, eh?
00:17:52
>> It was just a different time. So, just
00:17:55
remember the Panama hats, the gloves,
00:17:56
the you know, you walk into school,
00:17:58
there's deathly silence and you don't
00:17:59
speak in class, you sit down and you
00:18:01
know,
00:18:02
>> totally different than
00:18:03
>> these days. You walk into a classroom.
00:18:05
And I still can't believe it. All the
00:18:07
kids are chatting away and
00:18:09
>> you know, I sort of want to go, hey,
00:18:11
when someone comes in the class, you
00:18:12
will sit down and be quiet,
00:18:14
>> but they don't these days.
00:18:15
>> Yeah.
00:18:16
>> Is it?
00:18:16
>> So, it's brought up differently.
00:18:18
>> Yeah. What do you reckon? Is is um
00:18:19
society better now or better then?
00:18:22
>> Ooh,
00:18:24
in some ways I think it was simpler then
00:18:26
and better then cuz it was simpler. I
00:18:29
worry about my grandchildren with iPads
00:18:32
and AI and everything else that they're
00:18:34
doing. Um
00:18:37
you know I still still want my grandkids
00:18:40
to learn their times table and they are.
00:18:42
So I'm a bit old school with that.
00:18:45
>> Is that old school? Is it? It is old
00:18:46
school because most of them get a iPad
00:18:50
out and go oh d right. So yeah. No I
00:18:54
don't know.
00:18:56
I think yeah times were simpler
00:18:58
>> back then just simpler.
00:18:59
>> What about um what about any any creeps
00:19:01
in the industry? Like did you did you
00:19:03
encounter any like like undesirable
00:19:06
people or anything dodgy or
00:19:09
inappropriate that you look back now?
00:19:10
>> The odd the odd one.
00:19:11
>> Yeah. But it seems like you had a good
00:19:13
support network like um
00:19:15
>> Well, that's it. We had Yeah, we had our
00:19:16
chaperones and we hit each other as
00:19:18
well.
00:19:19
>> So, yeah, we were pretty much chaperoned
00:19:22
especially while we were very young.
00:19:24
>> Yeah. Oh, there's one story in your
00:19:25
book. Um you talk about um a
00:19:27
photographer from it's a newspaper that
00:19:29
doesn't exist anymore, but it's called
00:19:30
The Truth.
00:19:31
>> Uh it was like a New Zealand tabloid and
00:19:33
um he tried to he took photos of you in
00:19:36
your bikini and tried to get you to take
00:19:38
your top off. So,
00:19:39
>> how old were you at the time?
00:19:40
>> Just turned 15.
00:19:42
And I said, "That's alarming.
00:19:44
>> It's very alarming."
00:19:46
>> And we actually sat there for a second
00:19:48
before I said no.
00:19:50
>> And Judy was, you know, like thinking,
00:19:52
"Oh, well, it's just for our personal
00:19:54
use." And we then we looked at each
00:19:55
other and both went no because um that
00:19:58
was not going to happen. And I just
00:20:00
stalked off. Typical me. Stoked off, got
00:20:03
my little Morris Miner and said to Judy,
00:20:05
"Are you coming?" And we went home. So
00:20:07
So
00:20:08
>> So you were quite um quite assertive,
00:20:10
>> do you think? Or quite one of those
00:20:12
people that's
00:20:14
quite placid really and but there is a
00:20:16
line that you don't cross you know
00:20:19
>> I suppose there there is a line that
00:20:22
that becomes in the sand and um and I'm
00:20:26
I'm a great believer I'm a an honest
00:20:29
person so if somebody's being dishonest
00:20:31
or somebody's
00:20:32
>> trying on something like that
00:20:35
>> it's a bit like when I marched into the
00:20:37
headm's office for me and I go that's
00:20:39
not right you know you can't you
00:20:41
shouldn't do that line in the sand.
00:20:43
Otherwise, I'm as placid as a puppy dog,
00:20:45
honestly. But
00:20:47
>> did you guys tell your parents or anyone
00:20:48
about the the guy from the truth?
00:20:50
>> No. No. And he wasn't going to put the
00:20:54
photo of us in our bikinis in the truth.
00:20:56
He said they were just for our personal
00:20:57
use.
00:20:58
>> For whose personal use?
00:20:59
>> For duties and mine.
00:21:00
>> Right. Right. Right.
00:21:01
>> So, he was just being a good guy.
00:21:03
>> Yeah. He was just being, you know, you
00:21:04
look so great you girls. Oh, just, you
00:21:06
know, you're both so lovely. And of
00:21:09
course, and even the bikinis, we had to
00:21:11
change into those because he'd asked us
00:21:13
to bring them. And um we put them on
00:21:16
thinking, I don't like this very much.
00:21:19
And Judy said, "Oh, I thought I would
00:21:20
just bikinis, you know, cuz she was she
00:21:22
looked great. I looked ridiculous, quite
00:21:24
frankly." And um
00:21:26
>> what do you mean?
00:21:27
>> Well, I was like a yard of pump water,
00:21:29
you know, straight up and down at 15. Um
00:21:33
but uh he said they'll never see the
00:21:35
light of day. And of course, the very
00:21:37
next Saturday, there they were on the
00:21:39
front page of the Jolly Truth, you know.
00:21:41
So, I'm so glad I didn't take my top off
00:21:44
because I would never have lived that
00:21:46
down to this day.
00:21:47
>> Wow. So, so you're 15 years old and
00:21:49
you're on the the front cover of the
00:21:50
truth newspaper. In your bikini without
00:21:52
permission. Without permission. Yeah.
00:21:54
So, my parents were fairly horrified
00:21:56
about that.
00:21:58
>> But they didn't even think about stuff
00:22:00
like that in those days very much.
00:22:02
>> Yeah. Yes. We I mentioned before about
00:22:03
like the outfits you wore on TV and you
00:22:05
know you said they're cute more than
00:22:07
sexual but that's um that's definitely
00:22:08
like sexualizing a young girl, isn't it?
00:22:10
>> Yeah. Yeah.
00:22:12
>> Um
00:22:12
>> but we were so naive we didn't even
00:22:13
realize you know it was just the line in
00:22:16
the sand came in when he said take your
00:22:18
tops off and I thought nope not doing
00:22:20
that. Thank goodness.
00:22:23
>> And and you your it was like a family
00:22:24
business. Your your parents would um
00:22:27
like um type out a fan letter.
00:22:29
>> Yes. I mean, I didn't have too much to
00:22:32
do with the fan mail and stuff. It was
00:22:34
my mom and Judy cuz Judy always wanted
00:22:37
to be like Haley Mills, you know,
00:22:38
dancing and singing and all that. And uh
00:22:41
so she and um used to tell mom where
00:22:43
we'd been and all those sorts of things.
00:22:44
And mom would type it all up on her old
00:22:47
typewriter. And um she did the fan
00:22:51
started the fan club and they used to
00:22:53
answer all the mail. So, there were a
00:22:55
lot of fans in our fan club, but I'd say
00:22:58
a few things, but I was never part of
00:23:00
the putting out of the fan club thing.
00:23:04
>> Yeah. How many fans, how many letters
00:23:06
were being sent out? How many how much
00:23:07
mail were you getting?
00:23:08
>> Uh, well, Judy gave me some to look at
00:23:12
and the stack was about this high.
00:23:13
>> Unreal.
00:23:15
>> Yeah, they were constantly coming in.
00:23:17
>> Yeah, it's fascinating. just a different
00:23:19
time cuz I suppose now the equivalent
00:23:21
now is just sending sending someone you
00:23:22
like a DM on Instagram or whatever.
00:23:24
That's right. That's right.
00:23:25
>> Back then it was writing a physical
00:23:26
letter.
00:23:26
>> Writing a physical letter
00:23:27
>> or I suppose getting your your number
00:23:29
out of the white pages. Did people ring
00:23:31
you at home and
00:23:32
>> Yes.
00:23:33
>> And mom would always say, "Oh, the girls
00:23:35
are sleeping. You'll have to ring back
00:23:36
later."
00:23:38
>> Yeah.
00:23:39
>> And then why did you why did the chicks
00:23:40
break up after 5 years? Did your sister
00:23:42
just have an after?
00:23:43
>> Yeah. I think we'd both sort of been
00:23:45
Well, yeah. It was more Judy. I think
00:23:47
we'd just been there, done that really.
00:23:49
And you could never win an award really.
00:23:51
We were because they didn't give duos an
00:23:54
award. It was you were either a group,
00:23:57
which was a band, or you were a solo
00:23:59
artist. So Judy got a bit annoyed about
00:24:03
that. And Ray Columbus, I mean, she was
00:24:05
older then. She was I was 20, she was
00:24:08
nearly 23.
00:24:09
>> So, um, she wanted to travel and do
00:24:13
things, which is fair enough. So we
00:24:15
thought and come on had finished you
00:24:18
know all that era had sort of passed and
00:24:20
it was 1970 so we were moving into a
00:24:22
different sort of era really.
00:24:24
>> So um she went to Hong Kong to do a job
00:24:29
over there which Ray Columbus got her
00:24:31
for a while and then she ended up moving
00:24:33
to Australia and getting in a band
00:24:34
called the rubber band in Australia and
00:24:37
they did a lot of gigs. She was just
00:24:40
grown up really. M
00:24:41
>> it was as simple as that. And and I was
00:24:44
still only 20 or 19 or something 19 in
00:24:48
1970.
00:24:49
So cuz my birthday's at the end of the
00:24:52
year. So I went and uh got the offer of
00:24:55
doing happen in so
00:24:57
>> Oh, what's that? Another TV show.
00:24:58
>> Another TV show. Yeah.
00:24:59
>> Same sort of thing has come on.
00:25:01
>> Um more theatrical really.
00:25:03
>> Right. So what what's happening in like
00:25:05
a weekly like a variety show?
00:25:07
>> It was a weekly variety show. Yeah. And
00:25:09
you you were a core cast, so you were on
00:25:10
every week.
00:25:11
>> On every week
00:25:12
>> with people like Craig Scott, don't know
00:25:14
if you've heard of him. Ray Wolf.
00:25:16
>> Um
00:25:18
I think there was was Shane there. He
00:25:20
was a guest. I think you're just with
00:25:22
different guests and things.
00:25:24
>> And is this when you became just
00:25:25
Suzanne?
00:25:26
>> Yes.
00:25:27
>> Yeah. So before Beyonce
00:25:30
before Madonna, uh you were the you were
00:25:33
the OG. You and Shar were the original
00:25:35
OG.
00:25:35
>> We were the originals. Yeah.
00:25:37
>> And Shane. Shane was an original as well
00:25:39
>> because he was just called Shane. So Ray
00:25:41
Columbus came up with that. He said,
00:25:42
"Oh,
00:25:43
>> because Suzanne Donaldson is a long name
00:25:45
to say."
00:25:47
>> Uh so he just shortened it to Suzanne.
00:25:50
>> And um and that was wildly successful,
00:25:53
right?
00:25:54
>> Yes. Was great
00:25:55
>> as a solo artist. Yeah. In 1970, you
00:25:57
were named New Zealand's Entertainer of
00:25:58
the Year.
00:25:59
>> I was, which was a shock. Yeah.
00:26:01
>> Yeah. I I wonder I don't know if you've
00:26:02
had this chat with your sister, but
00:26:04
Yeah. How did she feel about that? Was
00:26:06
she obviously she's proud of you, but um
00:26:08
I mean did she was she a little bit
00:26:09
jealous?
00:26:11
>> Um she's never shown that really.
00:26:15
>> Probably. I don't know to be honest. Um
00:26:18
she was she's always been very
00:26:19
supportive. So
00:26:21
>> um not really I don't think. I think she
00:26:23
was having a great time overseas
00:26:25
>> doing her own thing.
00:26:25
>> Doing her own thing. Yeah.
00:26:27
>> Yeah. Was was that a big deal at the
00:26:28
time like when you were named New
00:26:29
Zealand Entertainer of the Year in 1970?
00:26:31
Is that like big news?
00:26:32
>> It's big news. Yes. Yeah.
00:26:35
>> Yeah. Yeah, it was great. What it was
00:26:36
like being put in the Hall of Fame, I
00:26:38
suppose, in 2020. So,
00:26:40
>> yeah. Wow. What a career. And you' done
00:26:43
all this and you were still in just in
00:26:44
your early 20s at this point.
00:26:46
>> Yeah.
00:26:46
>> 20.
00:26:47
>> I was just turned 20 at the end of that
00:26:49
year.
00:26:50
>> Mhm.
00:26:50
>> Yeah. And then um the very first ever
00:26:53
festival in New Zealand, a festival
00:26:55
called Redwood 70.
00:26:57
>> Yeah.
00:26:57
>> You you were you were involved with
00:26:58
that. Who was the head on that? It was
00:27:00
one of the BGs, right? I think it was um
00:27:04
Robin Robin Gibb.
00:27:05
>> Robin Gibb. Yeah. Yeah.
00:27:06
>> But there was um yeah, there was all
00:27:08
sorts of talk like uh right up to the
00:27:09
last minute of them trying to get like
00:27:11
John Lennon and
00:27:12
>> Yeah. Just all sorts of people. But
00:27:13
>> some major headline acts where they
00:27:15
>> started the festivals. I think it was
00:27:16
out in Henderson out that way. Mhm.
00:27:19
>> What did a festival look like back then?
00:27:22
>> I mean,
00:27:22
>> pretty much like they do today. Just
00:27:24
just a big st I think then it was on the
00:27:26
back of a truck. stage was the back of a
00:27:28
big truck and just lots of people on the
00:27:31
lawn, you know, out on the lawn.
00:27:33
>> Like how many people were there?
00:27:36
>> Uh,
00:27:38
not sure. Didn't count them. Probably
00:27:40
thousand, maybe more. Yeah. Which was a
00:27:43
lot for those days.
00:27:44
>> And is this where you met um King
00:27:46
Charles? He was Prince Charles.
00:27:47
>> No, no, that was that was another
00:27:49
concert that
00:27:50
>> was the same year.
00:27:51
>> Yes, same year. Uh, and I was still in
00:27:53
the chicks at that point. It was our
00:27:55
last live performance as the chicks and
00:27:59
um Prince Charles and Princess Anne came
00:28:02
to the show. It was put on for them
00:28:04
especially Max Cry was in charge and uh
00:28:08
of course it was a beautiful day until
00:28:09
the show started and then it started to
00:28:11
rain. So Judy and I were sliding around
00:28:14
the stage in our high heels trying to
00:28:16
stay upright
00:28:18
and uh singing all our songs and doing
00:28:19
our actions which was extremely tricky.
00:28:22
And I kept looking up at the little
00:28:25
cover they'd made for Anne and Charles
00:28:27
and they were grinning away like they
00:28:29
thought it was hilarious, you know. Of
00:28:31
course, we must have looked ridiculous.
00:28:33
Um, and they came down and or Prince
00:28:35
Charles came down and met us at the end
00:28:37
of the show which was lovely.
00:28:39
>> Yeah. How Yeah. What are your memories
00:28:40
of that?
00:28:42
>> We were quite in awe of him really. It's
00:28:44
really Yeah. We were if you if you look
00:28:46
at the photo in the book, we're both
00:28:47
looking down and looking very humble.
00:28:50
This is Prince Charles from London and
00:28:52
um apparently Princess Anne said it was
00:28:54
the best part of a whole trip. So
00:28:56
probably because we looked so ridiculous
00:28:57
on stage,
00:29:00
all of us. So there was Ray Columbus and
00:29:02
Larry Morris, all the usual people, you
00:29:04
know, on stage.
00:29:06
>> Yeah. Now, a big part of um your career
00:29:09
in the the 1970s was um with Cat
00:29:12
Stevens, who at the I mean, Cat Stevens
00:29:16
back then, would it be fair to say he's
00:29:17
probably like Justin Bieber now or Ed
00:29:19
Sheeran now? Like he was he was he was
00:29:21
the man, right?
00:29:21
>> He was
00:29:22
>> like the biggest the probably the
00:29:23
biggest male
00:29:24
>> Yeah.
00:29:25
>> pop singer in the world.
00:29:26
>> Yeah, he was. I suppose. Yeah.
00:29:28
>> Yeah. How How was that? Incredible.
00:29:30
>> It was incredible. Um I didn't want to
00:29:33
go at first.
00:29:34
>> Why not? I was on a um tour with Neil
00:29:37
Sedaka and I was having a great time. Um
00:29:40
and I had to leave that tour to go and
00:29:42
start rehearsals with Cat Stevens
00:29:44
because my husband, new husband, who I'd
00:29:47
only been married for a year was um
00:29:49
playing bass for him.
00:29:51
>> So it was a nine-monthlong tour. So, you
00:29:53
know, he offered me the chance, he
00:29:55
offered our whole vocal group the chance
00:29:56
to go. But only I went with um another
00:30:01
friend of mine, Anna Peacock, who was
00:30:03
another key Kiwi girl.
00:30:05
She used to do all the uh write all the
00:30:07
charts out for happen in
00:30:10
>> here.
00:30:12
So once I got into the rehearsals and
00:30:15
met him and became part of the band, it
00:30:19
was an amazing experience. Yeah. I'm so
00:30:21
glad I went.
00:30:22
>> Yeah. Yeah. And and you were with him
00:30:24
for years.
00:30:25
>> Yes. Yeah. Till the end of 76. Really?
00:30:29
>> Do do you have a favorite memory of Cat
00:30:30
Stevens as a person, not as the
00:30:32
superstar?
00:30:33
>> Lots. Yeah,
00:30:35
>> I have lots of those. I think um there's
00:30:38
one I talk about in the book where he
00:30:40
came and sang to me when I was sick. Um
00:30:43
other ones where I don't know, we'd just
00:30:46
go for a drive and talk, you know, just
00:30:48
chat. He was um I have the greatest love
00:30:52
and respect for Cat Stevens, I have to
00:30:54
say, or Yousef Islam as he is now.
00:30:56
>> And we still keep in touch occasionally.
00:30:58
>> Yeah. Well, he wrote the forward to your
00:31:00
book.
00:31:00
>> He did, which was really sweet of him. I
00:31:02
cried when I read it.
00:31:04
>> Yeah, it's really poetic.
00:31:05
>> I had no idea he felt that way.
00:31:07
>> Can I tell you?
00:31:08
>> What do you mean?
00:31:08
>> I didn't. I honestly didn't.
00:31:11
>> You've got part of that forward here.
00:31:12
Uh, Suzanne was a bird of song from the
00:31:15
distant land of Kiwis and flew like a
00:31:17
breath of fresh air, whistling through
00:31:19
our lives. It's very poetic.
00:31:20
>> It's very poetic. Very lovely of him to
00:31:22
write that.
00:31:24
>> Um, yes. So, the biggest pop singer in
00:31:26
the world at that time. Um, yeah. What's
00:31:28
the BTS on those tours? like what what's
00:31:31
it like behind the scenes? Was it
00:31:33
private jets or anything or you first
00:31:35
class flights or
00:31:36
>> No, he went first class. Um we were in
00:31:39
cattle class. Um cuz there were about 30
00:31:42
of us traveling. Um so you know you you
00:31:46
become in a rhythm of you know you get a
00:31:49
thing under your door be downstairs by
00:31:51
8:30 bags collected at 8 um on the bus
00:31:55
to the airport off to the next town. So
00:31:58
it it just became a rhythm that we got
00:32:00
into. But behind this behind the scenes,
00:32:04
especially in the first tour,
00:32:06
uh he was fairly separate from us, I
00:32:10
think.
00:32:11
>> Uh we were but we always had breakfast
00:32:14
together and we always had dinners
00:32:16
together,
00:32:17
but he'd be in his room writing
00:32:19
something, you know, so he wasn't we
00:32:22
weren't so social with him as we were in
00:32:23
the second tour. M
00:32:25
>> uh but I I never saw anything that they
00:32:28
were never drunk or anything like that.
00:32:30
It was the lots of people have said it's
00:32:32
the straightest tour they've ever been
00:32:33
on. So
00:32:34
>> So for me who'd come up being the
00:32:36
observer and being so naive and
00:32:38
innocent, I fitted in really well.
00:32:42
>> What did you learn about artistry from
00:32:44
being around him?
00:32:46
Oh, I learned a a um I think I learned a
00:32:49
lot of my artistry from Ray Columbus and
00:32:51
Kevin Moore and Come on and Hen and
00:32:55
being with him. You had to be right. You
00:32:59
know, he'd record it every night.
00:33:01
>> So, you knew you were being recorded and
00:33:04
you were just on your metal. When the
00:33:05
show started, everybody straightened up
00:33:08
and you can see it if you watch the
00:33:10
videos on YouTube of Cat Stevens 1976
00:33:14
live in the States
00:33:16
>> and I'm the little one in the white
00:33:18
outfit in the middle. That's um when I
00:33:20
had two American girls from New York
00:33:22
singing with me for the second tour and
00:33:26
you can see how the band are totally
00:33:28
concentrating because his music is
00:33:30
fairly intricate. All our vocal backing
00:33:33
parts were quite intricate. Um, but it
00:33:36
was a wonderful challenge is all I can
00:33:37
say. I absolutely loved getting up there
00:33:40
and getting it right
00:33:43
>> because everyone's doing it for him, you
00:33:45
know.
00:33:45
>> Yeah. He he sort of alludes to this in
00:33:47
the uh the forward for the book. He, you
00:33:49
know, he says he had this um this vision
00:33:52
>> uh and and you helped um bring it to
00:33:54
life. Was he a tough task task master?
00:33:56
>> Oh yeah. But I love that you know it had
00:33:59
to be right. And and he's right. It has
00:34:01
to be right. when I sing with the Lady
00:34:02
Killers, it has to be right, you know.
00:34:04
So that's why I'm so happy there too
00:34:07
>> because I love that fact that people
00:34:10
actually dot the eyes and cross the
00:34:12
tees.
00:34:13
>> And he was very much like that. He had a
00:34:15
say in everything about what we wore
00:34:17
about the stage set up, you know,
00:34:20
getting the guys to wear hats and caps
00:34:22
and stuff. I mean, it was just the thing
00:34:24
of the thing of the day, you know, and
00:34:27
and um I mean, gosh, we had 18,000
00:34:30
people in the audience, so but that
00:34:33
didn't phase me at all.
00:34:36
>> Interestingly, I was just in the moment
00:34:40
what with what we were doing.
00:34:41
>> Yeah. Well, you performed um so many so
00:34:43
many of those songs for so many years.
00:34:45
Do you have like a a top three or an
00:34:47
all-time favorite K Steven song? Moon
00:34:49
Shadows one because I got to sing that
00:34:51
right at the opening of the show with
00:34:53
him and Alan Davies his guitarist and we
00:34:56
just did it in three-part harmony which
00:34:58
was lovely. And then um another one
00:35:00
Peace Train because I got to really sing
00:35:02
out.
00:35:03
>> Yeah,
00:35:04
>> Peace Train. Um
00:35:07
there there's so many of them really.
00:35:08
King of Trees is another one that's just
00:35:10
a beautiful song. Um I've always had a a
00:35:13
f you know a tree that I sit under just
00:35:15
like he did. So that really resonates
00:35:18
with me too. But all his music is so
00:35:21
special.
00:35:22
>> Yeah. Was this was this well known in
00:35:24
New Zealand at the time
00:35:26
>> that this this Yeah. This Yeah. S you
00:35:30
know Suzanne
00:35:30
>> obviously not
00:35:31
>> Suzanne from the checks had gone on to
00:35:33
do this or was it not really sort of
00:35:34
>> No.
00:35:36
>> Yeah. How was that? Was that
00:35:38
frustrating? That feels almost like a
00:35:39
bit bit sort of tall poppy perhaps.
00:35:41
>> Yeah. No, I just Well, I didn't really
00:35:43
talk about it much. So when we came
00:35:45
home, which was about 1980 cuz my son
00:35:49
Andy was born in um Wimbledon,
00:35:53
um and times changed, you know, Yousef
00:35:56
was now um a Muslim, not doing music at
00:36:00
that point. We were still doing session
00:36:02
work, but it was harder taking a baby
00:36:04
along to session work.
00:36:06
>> And um Bruce got offered to buy into
00:36:09
Mandal Studios here, and he did
00:36:11
extremely well back here, actually. He
00:36:13
he produced um a lot of people. He did
00:36:15
Dave Dobins um Slice of Heaven
00:36:18
>> um Peeking Man, Room That Echoes, Shaol
00:36:22
Langs, you know, he did a lot of
00:36:23
>> Glad Glad I'm not a Kennedy. He did a
00:36:25
lot of great stuff. Wow.
00:36:26
>> So it was great for him to come back and
00:36:29
I was raising children at the time. So
00:36:32
>> times changed. Punk music came in in
00:36:34
London and kind of ruined the session
00:36:36
scene
00:36:37
>> and all the session players started
00:36:38
doing things like theater and different
00:36:41
things. So, I guess it was time to come
00:36:43
back. But I have to say I came home
00:36:45
kicking and screaming. I didn't really
00:36:46
want to go home.
00:36:49
>> I was having a great time over there.
00:36:51
>> Yeah. What do you Because that was um
00:36:52
that was a big deal at the time, I'd
00:36:54
imagine. Like you Cat Stevens, one of
00:36:56
the world's biggest singers um you
00:36:57
converting to to Muslim and changing his
00:36:59
name. Yeah. Like as someone that was um
00:37:02
like you close to him and close to you
00:37:04
close to that. Um yeah. What are your
00:37:06
recollections of that at the time? Was
00:37:07
that shocking? It was it was hard for
00:37:10
me. Yeah, it was hard. I had I had to
00:37:14
think that my friend had was no more. He
00:37:17
was this kind of different person for a
00:37:19
while, but it's come around full circle
00:37:22
and now we're back friends again. So,
00:37:24
>> yeah, he just became very Muslim at
00:37:26
first.
00:37:27
>> He was actually a Buddhist when I met
00:37:28
him. Um, so we had great vegetarian food
00:37:32
backstage, you know, we had a chef
00:37:34
travel with us on tour.
00:37:36
Um, yeah. I missed the Steve I knew, I
00:37:39
suppose. But
00:37:40
>> Steve, you called him Steve.
00:37:41
>> That's Well, that was his name.
00:37:43
>> Oh, is it?
00:37:44
>> I'm sorry. I didn't know what I
00:37:45
>> Sorry. Yeah, Steven.
00:37:46
>> You ruined the illusion.
00:37:47
>> Steven Demetrio Georgio is his name.
00:37:50
Yeah. Yousef.
00:37:52
I thought it was Cat.
00:37:54
>> Well, it was Cat. Yeah. But it's his
00:37:56
actual name was We all called him Steve.
00:37:58
>> Yeah. And oh, and he so he came over and
00:38:00
um performed at a memorial concert in
00:38:03
Christ Church after the um the mosque
00:38:04
shooting. You did you guys reconnect
00:38:06
then?
00:38:08
>> Uh not when he did the mosque. No, he
00:38:12
Bruce played double bass for him there.
00:38:14
Yeah. But I did do his show in Christ
00:38:17
Church that um in 2017 I think it was he
00:38:21
came out here and did a Oakland in
00:38:24
Christ Church
00:38:25
>> and um I did fly down to Christ Church
00:38:27
and do his show down there. Just sang
00:38:30
one song.
00:38:31
>> Yeah. What song was that?
00:38:32
>> Oh Very Young which is
00:38:33
>> Oh yeah, you're on that song. You're on
00:38:35
the recording. If you listen to the
00:38:36
recording Oh, that's a great song.
00:38:37
That's one of my favorites.
00:38:38
>> Yeah, it's lovely. Yeah,
00:38:39
>> I love that one. That one and probably
00:38:40
Father and Son. You you you're not on
00:38:42
Father and Son?
00:38:43
>> No. Oh, well, I was on stage, but not
00:38:45
not not recording.
00:38:46
>> Yeah.
00:38:46
>> Or um God, these are great stories, by
00:38:49
the way, Suzanne. Are they good
00:38:50
memories?
00:38:51
>> Oh, yeah. I mean, gosh, that's why
00:38:53
>> what a rich life.
00:38:54
>> That's why I thought I have to tell my
00:38:55
grandchildren. And and and then someone
00:38:57
said, "Well, you should be sharing it
00:38:59
because it's a bit of history, you
00:39:01
know."
00:39:02
>> Yeah, it is. It is. And I feel like
00:39:04
history history does get forgotten.
00:39:06
>> Well, New Zealanders can do anything is
00:39:07
what I discovered.
00:39:08
>> Yeah, absolutely. You know, we we leave
00:39:10
here thinking we're um live in this
00:39:13
little country that's miles away from
00:39:15
anywhere, but actually there's a lot of
00:39:17
very talented people in this country.
00:39:19
>> Oh, yeah. No, it is also worth worth
00:39:21
highlighting. Um yeah, I mean the like
00:39:25
the world's like a glo global community
00:39:27
now. You know, you got FaceTime.
00:39:29
It was different back then.
00:39:30
>> World's a very small place now.
00:39:31
>> Like phone calls back then were
00:39:33
expensive. Were you writing letters home
00:39:34
to your parents or
00:39:35
>> I was I was making tapes. little tapes.
00:39:39
Yeah.
00:39:40
Because um that was the easiest way.
00:39:42
Post a tape if we rang, which was every
00:39:45
now and then we'd ring. It was like £3 a
00:39:47
minute or something to New Zealand.
00:39:49
Ludicous. Ludicrous. Yeah.
00:39:51
>> So I made cassette tapes. We used to
00:39:52
send each other cassettes to my parents
00:39:54
and I'd send one back.
00:39:56
>> Yeah. So yeah,
00:39:59
you guys must have been trouble for your
00:40:00
parents. So you know, you suddenly you
00:40:02
become household names when you're 15.
00:40:04
And then you and you fly overseas and
00:40:07
they don't know what the hell's going
00:40:08
on.
00:40:08
>> No, they were quite confused by all
00:40:10
that.
00:40:12
>> Yeah.
00:40:12
>> Yeah. Yeah. It's a completely different
00:40:14
time. So nice reflecting on this stuff.
00:40:16
It's really cool.
00:40:17
>> Oh, good.
00:40:18
>> Um, let's drop some other names. Um,
00:40:20
because you've worked with a whole lot
00:40:21
of people. Chris Deur, the lady in red
00:40:22
guy.
00:40:23
>> Yeah. Yeah. I've done um a few songs on
00:40:26
his album because I did a lot of work.
00:40:28
Paul Samuel Smith was Kat Stevens
00:40:30
producer and um he became sort of part
00:40:34
of the family of you know the people I
00:40:36
mixed with there and he got me on to all
00:40:38
of those. Um there was another one Chris
00:40:42
Berg and um the other guy that did say
00:40:45
it ain't so Joe. Who's that?
00:40:47
>> Oh no.
00:40:48
>> No. Oh I've got it there. I'll have a
00:40:50
look. I can't remember. Isn't that
00:40:52
terrible? I can't remember his name. I
00:40:55
can remember all the songs but I can't
00:40:56
remember his name.
00:40:57
Um, yeah. So, what was Chris Bear like?
00:41:01
>> Great. He was he was just a guy in a
00:41:03
studio and he was really nice. Yeah.
00:41:06
>> I mean, I was just doing once again
00:41:08
doing what they asked.
00:41:10
>> Olivia Newton John, did you did you
00:41:11
record with her in
00:41:13
>> Abby Road? Yeah.
00:41:14
>> The iconic Abby. Unbelievable.
00:41:16
>> What the hell?
00:41:18
>> That's crazy.
00:41:19
>> She was great. Olivia. Yeah, she was
00:41:21
great.
00:41:21
>> Yeah. What did you do with her?
00:41:22
>> Um, if you love me, let me know. Well,
00:41:26
if you don't, then let me go. Yeah, that
00:41:29
was the main song of her album. If you
00:41:32
love me, let me go.
00:41:33
>> What was she like? Was she lovely?
00:41:35
>> Lovely. She was just one of the girls.
00:41:37
>> Thank you. If you said anything bad
00:41:38
about Olivia, I wouldn't I might have to
00:41:40
fight you.
00:41:41
>> I won't hear a bad word about her.
00:41:42
>> She was the original girl next door. She
00:41:44
was so lovely. She came in and she just
00:41:47
Bones were there, the vocal group that
00:41:48
I'm in. And um we just hit it off like a
00:41:51
house on fire. and she was going, "Oh,
00:41:53
from your you're from New Zealand and
00:41:54
I'm from Australia." And it was great.
00:41:57
>> So, what year was this? Was this like
00:41:58
pre grease or
00:42:00
>> It was the end of 74, I think.
00:42:01
>> Right. So, just pre grease.
00:42:03
>> Yeah.
00:42:03
>> So, she was a big star at the time.
00:42:04
>> Yep. She was. Yes. Yeah.
00:42:06
>> And um Abby Road. Were you just like I
00:42:09
mean, you're from New Zealand like in
00:42:11
your teens, you're doing songs.
00:42:12
>> I wish we had cell phones in those days
00:42:14
because we could have got a photo of us
00:42:15
walking over the crossing because we all
00:42:18
walked over the crossing and pretended
00:42:19
to be, you know, the Beatles. Um, but
00:42:22
yeah, it's a I mean, it's just a really
00:42:24
nice recording studio.
00:42:26
>> Yeah, everyone everyone that's iconic.
00:42:29
>> Everyone that's been there has done that
00:42:30
that photo. What the big surprise I got
00:42:32
when I first went to London was just how
00:42:33
busy that road is. It's actually really
00:42:35
hard to get a good photo.
00:42:36
>> It is. Yeah.
00:42:37
>> Um, what else? Oh, David, did you party
00:42:40
at David Bowie's house?
00:42:42
>> Yes, we got invited by um Tony and Mary.
00:42:45
So, we went went along and he he was he
00:42:48
was great. He showed me his new kimono
00:42:50
that he was about to wear on tour.
00:42:53
Um, and there was this little boy
00:42:55
running around who was a real annoyance,
00:42:58
you know, and it was 2:00 in the morning
00:43:00
and he was still running around and I
00:43:02
said, "I want his blood bottled."
00:43:05
Um, it turned out to be Slash's little
00:43:07
brother.
00:43:08
>> Wow.
00:43:08
>> Yeah. Cuz Slash's mom was David Bowy's
00:43:11
dresser and um, sorted all his clothes,
00:43:14
you know, did all his outfits for stage.
00:43:17
>> But he was great, David. I mean, they're
00:43:19
just people like you and I really.
00:43:21
>> Mhm.
00:43:22
>> I always used to tell myself, well, you
00:43:24
know, they they still get up and have
00:43:26
breakfast like I do. They're just
00:43:27
people.
00:43:29
>> It never phased me really. It's just
00:43:32
that's why I've never really talked
00:43:33
about it much. You just feel like you're
00:43:34
name dropping.
00:43:36
>> Well, this card is literally called
00:43:38
names.
00:43:39
>> I know. It's awful.
00:43:41
>> Oh, no. These are I mean, these are some
00:43:43
iconic people we're talking about here.
00:43:44
>> Yeah. Um, so it's but you you you when
00:43:48
you're with someone like David Bo, you
00:43:49
don't it doesn't feel like he's got like
00:43:51
an aura about him or something special
00:43:53
or they just feel normal. Maybe it's in
00:43:55
the environment you're with them.
00:43:56
>> Well, I was just at his home.
00:43:58
>> Yeah,
00:43:58
>> he was. I mean, I'm sure when he's
00:44:00
backstage and on stage, I went to see
00:44:03
see him in New York and he was amazing.
00:44:06
>> Um, it was a big space theme, you know,
00:44:08
he came out on a
00:44:11
one of those big high what are they
00:44:12
called?
00:44:13
things that come out over the stage.
00:44:15
That was the first time anyone had seen
00:44:16
that.
00:44:17
>> And uh he was like a different person up
00:44:20
there or made up, you know, doing his
00:44:23
thing.
00:44:23
>> Yeah. I suppose if you're if you're at
00:44:24
his house and he's dressed up like Ziggy
00:44:26
Stardust, it' be a different
00:44:27
>> Well, that's right. Yeah. He was just
00:44:29
David. Yeah.
00:44:30
>> Yeah. Um Luther Vandross.
00:44:32
>> He was lovely. Yeah. He was he was huge.
00:44:35
Um he's saying
00:44:37
>> huge as in a big star or huge in
00:44:39
stature? and stature at that point
00:44:40
because he he was over doing um the
00:44:42
rehearsals for the Diamond Dog tour for
00:44:44
David
00:44:45
>> Bowie,
00:44:46
>> he was one of the vocal backings
00:44:48
>> and um Tony Vasconte who was recording a
00:44:52
song for me in his studio at home studio
00:44:55
cuz I did a they were our best friends
00:44:57
Tony and Mary um he he um asked him to
00:45:02
come along and sing BVs and he did and
00:45:05
then we just all had dinner around the
00:45:07
kitchen table and Yeah,
00:45:10
>> great singer, huge pipes.
00:45:13
>> And um
00:45:13
>> Yeah, legend
00:45:14
>> and lovely. Saw him quite a bit actually
00:45:15
because he was always visiting Tony.
00:45:18
Yeah.
00:45:19
>> Um
00:45:19
>> and became a soloist after that.
00:45:21
>> Bit closer to home. Uh Billy T. James.
00:45:24
>> Oh yes. Yeah. I love Billy.
00:45:26
>> The late great Billy T. James. Yeah.
00:45:27
What did What did you and Billy T. James
00:45:29
do together?
00:45:29
>> Uh we were just doing a show down in
00:45:31
Napier, I think it was. Mhm.
00:45:34
>> Did a few shows with him when I was
00:45:36
back.
00:45:37
>> That's all.
00:45:38
had a few laughs with Billy. He was
00:45:41
great.
00:45:41
>> Yeah. What? Like
00:45:42
>> you'll have to read the book to find
00:45:43
out.
00:45:44
>> Oh, no. I've read the book. I was I was
00:45:47
hoping you might share the story about
00:45:48
the um the game he used to play.
00:45:50
>> Oh, the game.
00:45:51
>> Yeah.
00:45:52
>> Ah, right. The game was um we were on a
00:45:55
flight coming home in a small plane and
00:45:58
they lit the runway by holding torches.
00:46:01
you know, it was we shouldn't have been
00:46:02
flying really when we took off. Um cuz
00:46:06
it wasn't a lit runway.
00:46:09
And um we got up there and and Billy
00:46:12
just said, "Oh, let's play a game. Let's
00:46:13
put the word,
00:46:14
>> can I say it?"
00:46:15
>> Yeah.
00:46:16
>> [ __ ] At the end of a song, you know,
00:46:20
all you need is [ __ ] kind of thing. That
00:46:22
kind of thing. And I was just sitting
00:46:24
there giggling away cuz the boys were
00:46:25
all coming up with all these things. And
00:46:27
there was a silence for a while. He
00:46:29
looked at me and he said, "Suzanne, you
00:46:30
haven't said one."
00:46:32
And I said, "Billy, I'm saving all my
00:46:34
[ __ ] for you." And he collapsed and he
00:46:37
said, "Suzanne is the winner."
00:46:40
So, it was just a silly game. We used to
00:46:41
play all sorts of games like that, word
00:46:44
games and things. He he was he was just
00:46:46
a great guy.
00:46:48
>> Yes. He was so funny, but also an
00:46:49
incredible singer. E I remember um
00:46:51
growing up I think he did a song for one
00:46:53
of the teleathons one year called When a
00:46:54
Child is Born
00:46:55
>> and sung it phenomenally well.
00:46:57
Incredible voice. He was he was a big
00:46:59
talent.
00:46:59
>> Yeah.
00:47:00
>> Oh, and you um you you would have
00:47:01
reconnected with him again when you did
00:47:03
the um the sailing away song for the
00:47:05
America's Cup.
00:47:06
>> Yes. Yep.
00:47:06
>> Yeah. He was involved in that. Yeah.
00:47:08
What do you what are your rec
00:47:09
recollections of that? A lot of people
00:47:10
um won't even remember the song, but
00:47:12
there was um so there's like um
00:47:14
Band-Aid, Do They Know It's Christmas,
00:47:17
USA Africa, We Are the World. And then
00:47:19
here in New Zealand, we did um there was
00:47:21
like a a collection
00:47:22
>> away.
00:47:23
>> Yeah. A collection of people called All
00:47:24
of Us, which is basically, you know, the
00:47:26
who's who of New Zealand. celebrity
00:47:28
culture at the time doing this song
00:47:30
called Sailing Away. I watched it on
00:47:32
YouTube yesterday. It's it's a terrible
00:47:33
soul game.
00:47:36
>> It Well, it it was great in the day.
00:47:39
>> Oh, it was massive. It was number one
00:47:40
for like a million weeks, right?
00:47:42
>> That's right. It
00:47:43
>> was number one for ages.
00:47:44
>> Amazing.
00:47:45
>> Yeah. So So Billy T. James is in it. Tim
00:47:47
Finn, Dave Dobin, yourself. Who else?
00:47:50
>> Oh gosh. Bunny Walters. Um
00:47:53
>> Oh, Ray Wolf.
00:47:53
>> Ray Wolf. Anybody that was anybody
00:47:56
really.
00:47:56
>> Yeah. Um yeah, Billy T. Who else? Let me
00:48:00
see. There were a lot of
00:48:02
>> satellite spies.
00:48:03
>> Yeah, satellite spies. That little boxer
00:48:04
guy. What was this guy? Precious
00:48:05
Mackenzie.
00:48:06
>> Precious McKenzie. He was there.
00:48:08
>> Little boxer guy.
00:48:12
>> Um and yeah. So that was done on one day
00:48:15
or was it done over a a you know a few
00:48:17
days or?
00:48:19
>> Uh well the filming was done in one day
00:48:20
up at the museum. Um, but we Mari
00:48:23
Grindley was in charge of the music and
00:48:26
um I went into the studio for him and
00:48:29
recorded all the parts so that each
00:48:32
person could learn their line
00:48:35
and um did some harmonies and that sort
00:48:37
of thing.
00:48:38
>> And then he got each person in one by
00:48:41
one to sing.
00:48:43
>> So we actually got all those people in
00:48:44
to sing their one line
00:48:46
>> and um that's how it became all of us.
00:48:48
So yeah. M um and then was it on the
00:48:52
back end of that that you got to go to
00:48:54
San Diego to sing the national anthem
00:48:56
after after New Zealand won the American
00:48:58
>> Don't talk about it.
00:48:59
>> Oh, really? Why?
00:49:02
>> Uh yes, it was. Yeah, it was it was
00:49:04
after that. Yeah, cuz I was friendly
00:49:06
with my children all went to school with
00:49:08
Ross Blackman's um family and Sir Peter
00:49:12
Blakes. So, um, we all became friends up
00:49:15
there from school and he rang one
00:49:18
morning at about 6:00 and said, "Susie,
00:49:20
can you get a band together by 1:00 on a
00:49:24
plane to go to San Diego?" And I said,
00:49:27
"Yes, as I always do, and then try and
00:49:29
figure out what to do about it." And I
00:49:31
did manage that. And we went and of
00:49:34
course they asked me, we sang and we we
00:49:36
did a went straight on stage at about
00:49:38
6:30 and didn't finish till 3:00 in the
00:49:40
morning and hadn't even had a break.
00:49:43
because of the atmosphere there was just
00:49:45
so electric. It was great. We got some
00:49:47
of the guys up to sing and all that sort
00:49:48
of thing. And they asked me to um sing
00:49:51
the national anthem the next day. And so
00:49:54
as usual, I said, "Yeah, sure." And then
00:49:57
thought, "Do I know the do I know it
00:49:59
well enough? Who can play it?" And I
00:50:02
asked the band, and none of them could
00:50:03
play it. Not even Bruce could play it.
00:50:06
And I thought, "Oh, no." So, um, I'll
00:50:09
have to sing at a capella.
00:50:12
And so I looked at Pete Morgan and I
00:50:13
said, "Pete, do you think you could come
00:50:16
up and just sing it next to me and you
00:50:18
know, I'll I'll sing it and and we'll
00:50:20
have a a mildy person and a Kiwi person
00:50:23
be quite cool, quite cool, two Kiwis on
00:50:26
stage." So he he came up, but he got the
00:50:30
message wrong and told the whole band,
00:50:32
"We're all singing with Susie." So the
00:50:35
whole band got up on stage
00:50:39
and everybody sang the national anthem
00:50:42
which was not good.
00:50:48
>> But um Oh, was it was this just for the
00:50:50
team for like team New Zealand?
00:50:52
>> It was when they got their award,
00:50:54
>> right? Right.
00:50:55
>> The cameras were rolling.
00:50:56
>> Oh, okay. Oh, so it was televised.
00:50:58
>> Oh, absolutely.
00:50:59
>> Oh, you it still seems like you're
00:51:00
mortified about it now.
00:51:01
>> I am. I always will be. Oh, is it on
00:51:04
YouTube somewhere? Can we find
00:51:05
>> I have no idea. Don't you dare find it.
00:51:07
No.
00:51:08
>> Um, so who was in the team at the time?
00:51:09
Was this um the Sir Peter Blake era?
00:51:11
>> Yes.
00:51:12
>> Wow.
00:51:13
>> How cool.
00:51:15
>> So, you got to hang out with him.
00:51:16
>> Uh, oh, yeah. I knew Peter quite well.
00:51:18
>> Yeah.
00:51:18
>> And his wife was a beautiful artist.
00:51:20
Yeah.
00:51:20
>> Lady Pipper.
00:51:21
>> Yeah.
00:51:22
>> She did some lovely artwork.
00:51:25
>> Wow. So many cool experiences.
00:51:27
>> Hey, over so many decades,
00:51:29
>> I guess. So, yeah. And then um there's a
00:51:32
lot of stuff. Um I suppose this is just
00:51:34
the life of a New Zealand musician. You
00:51:35
know, you got to put food on the table.
00:51:37
Lots of advertising jingles over the
00:51:39
years.
00:51:39
>> I did lots of advertising. Yeah.
00:51:41
>> Um yeah, one that I one that I remember
00:51:43
um Cats Prefer Chef. That's you.
00:51:47
>> Cats prefer Chef. Meow.
00:51:52
>> That's iconic. What else there? So there
00:51:54
was um there's a Worth jingle that you
00:51:56
did with Annie Crummer. I don't I don't
00:51:58
I don't know this one. No, I I can't
00:52:00
remember it either. I just remember it
00:52:01
was for Woolworth's and there were three
00:52:03
words in it. Something Woolworth's go
00:52:07
now or something. I I don't know. Um but
00:52:10
I know it took us about 30 takes to get
00:52:12
the right one. Yeah.
00:52:14
>> Uh but she I did the first first gig
00:52:18
with Annie in a studio which was really
00:52:20
neat.
00:52:21
>> You know, she was only 16 then I think.
00:52:23
>> Oh, so this is before she was um in four
00:52:26
to date with Dancing.
00:52:28
>> Yes. Yeah.
00:52:30
>> Yeah. Yeah.
00:52:31
>> Incredible.
00:52:31
>> And there there was another um
00:52:33
advertising jingle which I I I couldn't
00:52:35
find online and I've never heard it, but
00:52:36
for Greg's Instant Pudding.
00:52:38
>> Oh gosh.
00:52:39
>> Isn't it? It's it's it's very cute and
00:52:41
nostalgic to think that um you know,
00:52:43
like a Greg's Instant Pudding had its
00:52:45
own TV ad.
00:52:46
>> Yeah.
00:52:46
>> Compared to, you know, where things are
00:52:47
at now. And that this was on TV for 14
00:52:49
years,
00:52:50
>> was it?
00:52:51
>> Yeah.
00:52:51
>> Oh my gosh.
00:52:52
>> According to your book,
00:52:53
>> 14 years. The Gregs Instant Pudding. Oh.
00:52:56
Oh, the Gregs Instant Pudding. I'm
00:52:57
thinking of the coffee one. Okay.
00:53:00
>> Oh, did you do it like a Greg's instant
00:53:01
coffee as well?
00:53:02
>> Yeah, we did. We did. The coffee one was
00:53:04
They came to our house and filmed that
00:53:06
one. Um, the Gregs pudding was um Yes.
00:53:10
>> How did that go?
00:53:11
>> Oh my gosh. Now you're really testing
00:53:13
me. Uh
00:53:15
gosh. Gosh, I used to know it backwards.
00:53:17
I've erased it from my mind.
00:53:19
>> What?
00:53:20
>> Because there was three words in that,
00:53:22
>> right? Um Yeah. What other ones? What
00:53:26
What other reads did you have?
00:53:27
>> Do you know every time I walked out of
00:53:28
the studio, I could never remember what
00:53:29
they were for. It was just
00:53:31
>> just doing it the job.
00:53:31
>> You were so focused when you were in the
00:53:33
studio and then you went there was one
00:53:36
about tomato soup. I recall one about
00:53:39
McDonald's. Um just just lots of them
00:53:43
and lots with um other singers as well.
00:53:46
Jackie Fitzgerald,
00:53:48
uh Erin Clark, people like that.
00:53:50
>> Did they pay well?
00:53:51
>> They did in those days. Yeah, it was
00:53:53
good.
00:53:53
>> Yep.
00:53:56
Yeah, there's not enough jingles on TV
00:53:58
these days, I reckon.
00:53:59
>> No, the jingle business has um
00:54:01
>> Yeah.
00:54:02
>> has dropped its ball, I'm afraid.
00:54:04
>> Um so we're into the 2000s now. Uh
00:54:07
>> it's quite funny, eh? Like hearing you
00:54:09
talk about like going from the 1960s to
00:54:11
the 1970s and then 1970s into 1980s. It
00:54:14
seems like each of those decades was
00:54:16
different and there was like a turning
00:54:18
point at the beginning of the of each
00:54:19
decade.
00:54:20
>> But it doesn't doesn't feel like that
00:54:22
happens anymore, eh? It feels like the,
00:54:24
you know, the decades just sort of roll
00:54:25
into
00:54:25
>> roll into each other. Yeah.
00:54:26
>> Would you agree?
00:54:27
>> I agree.
00:54:28
>> Yeah.
00:54:28
>> So, into the 2000s, um, you were the
00:54:31
vocal coach for three seasons of New
00:54:32
Zealand's Idol and New Zealand Idol and
00:54:34
New Zealand's Got Talent.
00:54:35
>> Yeah. What are your recollections of
00:54:37
that?
00:54:38
>> Uh, well, there were a lot of, um, very
00:54:41
young kids in there with lots of talent
00:54:44
>> and, uh, I spent a lot of time, you
00:54:47
know, mopping up tears, I have to say.
00:54:50
Did did did seeing these kids get um
00:54:53
instant fame sort of you know I don't
00:54:55
know could you empathize or sort of you
00:54:58
relate to them
00:54:59
>> you given your own journey?
00:55:00
>> Yes absolutely.
00:55:02
>> Yeah. No I I I enjoyed teaching them. It
00:55:05
was long hours hard work but um you know
00:55:09
just teach I could because I'd done a
00:55:11
bit of everything. I could teach them
00:55:13
how to be on camera um and I'd also done
00:55:16
lots of television so I knew about that.
00:55:19
Um, I had three years of singing
00:55:21
lessons, so I knew about technique,
00:55:23
vocal technique to try and help their
00:55:25
singing improve and give them ideas of
00:55:27
what song to sing, what not to sing and
00:55:30
um, yeah, and just be on stage
00:55:34
basically. So, I had the experience. I
00:55:36
was passing on experience is what I
00:55:38
thought.
00:55:38
>> Yeah. Yeah. Your IP,
00:55:41
>> why do you think none of these artists
00:55:42
have um, managed longevity?
00:55:46
I think it's just the modern modern
00:55:48
world really. They were on television.
00:55:50
It's all in your face and then guess
00:55:52
what? The next one's up, you know.
00:55:55
Um, some of them have. Michael Murphy is
00:55:57
still doing well in the corporate world.
00:55:59
>> Yeah. Yeah, that's true. Still sing.
00:56:01
That's true.
00:56:02
>> Um,
00:56:02
>> that was a big season. E, I remember
00:56:03
that. That was huge. Michael Murphy and
00:56:06
Ben L.
00:56:06
>> And they got mobbed and screamed at when
00:56:08
they went to malls and stuff like that.
00:56:11
So it was television was, you know,
00:56:14
really building them up
00:56:15
>> and Michael Murphy got a career out of
00:56:17
it and he came second. So yeah, you
00:56:19
know,
00:56:20
>> yeah. What would your advice be for
00:56:21
anyone hoping to pursue a career in
00:56:23
music?
00:56:25
>> Don't do it.
00:56:27
>> It's really tough. I'm teaching a young
00:56:29
young man now who called Nathan Fry
00:56:32
who's an amazing artist. He's writing
00:56:34
his own songs now. He's got he plays
00:56:36
guitar. He's records his own harmonies.
00:56:39
He's got loop pedals and I've taught him
00:56:41
since he was about 12 and he's 16 now
00:56:45
>> and um he's actually opening for the
00:56:48
band that Andrew is playing for. So he's
00:56:51
he's out there gigging and I think the
00:56:53
best way is to write your own material
00:56:56
these days. Get it on YouTube.
00:56:59
um get your own YouTube channel and um
00:57:02
but the biggest thing is keep your ego
00:57:05
in your back pocket
00:57:07
>> because the people you meet on the way
00:57:08
up are the same people you're going to
00:57:09
meet on the way down. And I think you
00:57:12
know if you just concentrate on writing
00:57:15
some music once people get a hold of it
00:57:18
you've you've got to have the you can
00:57:21
get discovered but you've got to have
00:57:22
the talent to back it up with.
00:57:24
>> Yeah. So do your homework basically. Do
00:57:27
do you think um I mean with where the
00:57:30
internet's at now and you got social
00:57:31
media, you know, you got Tik Tok,
00:57:33
YouTube as you just mentioned, um
00:57:35
Spotify, all all these other
00:57:36
>> all those things.
00:57:36
>> Do you think do you think it's like
00:57:38
easier or harder to like carve a music
00:57:41
career now?
00:57:42
>> I think it's much harder.
00:57:44
>> Yeah.
00:57:45
much harder because the world's become a
00:57:47
very small place and you're putting your
00:57:49
music out against
00:57:51
500 other people that have just put
00:57:53
their new song out, you know,
00:57:55
>> so it's it's quite hard. But, um,
00:57:58
Nathan's got record producers chasing
00:58:00
him now and all that sort of thing and
00:58:01
he's going to do well,
00:58:03
>> but he's one of many, you know,
00:58:06
>> that have tried.
00:58:09
Um, and you made the Queen's birthday um
00:58:12
Queen's birthday honors list for
00:58:14
services to entertainment. What year was
00:58:15
that?
00:58:16
>> 2001, I think.
00:58:18
>> Yeah. How was that?
00:58:19
>> Oh, that was great. I flew down to
00:58:21
Wellington and
00:58:23
>> how does that happen? Do you do you get
00:58:25
notified by Does someone call you?
00:58:27
>> I think I got notified by mail in those
00:58:29
days. Yeah.
00:58:30
>> But that was a real honor. I was really
00:58:32
pleased about that. It was lovely to
00:58:34
get.
00:58:35
>> Yeah. Yeah. What does it mean to you?
00:58:38
Ah, well, I've got my medal.
00:58:40
>> I guess it was a
00:58:43
um someone actually noticing that I'd
00:58:46
had an achievement. You know, I' I'd
00:58:49
been throwing myself into helping people
00:58:51
in the music business ever since I got
00:58:53
back to New Zealand and um trying to
00:58:56
grow new talent and pass on what I'd
00:58:58
learned really.
00:59:00
>> So, it was an acknowledgement. An
00:59:02
acknowledgement. Yeah. That was really
00:59:04
special. Do do you have like a a room or
00:59:07
a space at home with you know your
00:59:09
>> I like to keep it real down home so I
00:59:11
just teach on my lounge.
00:59:12
>> Yeah.
00:59:13
>> And um
00:59:13
>> No, I mean in like a like a like a
00:59:15
trophy room or a
00:59:17
>> a she shed or
00:59:18
>> a a shrine?
00:59:20
>> No. Really? Why?
00:59:22
>> Oh, no. That's No,
00:59:25
>> that would be boasting.
00:59:27
>> But did you get like um a a twoy award
00:59:30
for the you know for making the Hall of
00:59:32
Fame in 2020 at the New Zealand Musical?
00:59:34
award. Yeah.
00:59:34
>> Yeah. Where's that?
00:59:36
>> Um, it's on in my little office.
00:59:39
>> Yeah.
00:59:40
>> Yeah. You must have some stuff. Yeah.
00:59:42
And
00:59:42
>> that no one sees.
00:59:45
>> But when you go in there, it's your
00:59:47
office. When you go in there and you see
00:59:48
these these things, what do you think?
00:59:50
It's only been the last five years
00:59:53
really that I've I think as I've got
00:59:56
older that I've sort of realized what
00:59:58
I've done if you know what I mean and
01:00:00
I've actually got the awards out and
01:00:02
cleaned them off and decided oh they
01:00:04
better sit on my in my office on the
01:00:07
mantle which is where they sit
01:00:10
>> people don't see them if they come to my
01:00:12
house. Yeah.
01:00:13
>> Is is there an actual physical award for
01:00:15
the New Zealand entertainer of the year?
01:00:18
>> Oh absolutely. It's it's beautiful.
01:00:19
Yeah. It's a big
01:00:20
>> big award.
01:00:22
>> Suzanne, put them in the lounge.
01:00:24
>> No,
01:00:25
>> put them in the put them in the foyer by
01:00:27
the front door.
01:00:29
>> Yeah. Why do you think um it's only
01:00:31
recently that you've sort of like
01:00:33
acknowledged them or or reflected on
01:00:35
them? Is it just because you've got this
01:00:36
sort of like growth mindset and you're
01:00:38
constantly working and constantly saying
01:00:39
yes,
01:00:39
>> just constantly learning and yeah,
01:00:41
moving moving along really.
01:00:43
>> Is is now just the the right time or the
01:00:45
chapter in your life to reflect on what
01:00:47
you've done?
01:00:48
>> Maybe. So yeah, maybe now I've got a bit
01:00:50
older, but um
01:00:51
>> but I'm still moving ahead, you know, so
01:00:54
>> um they're in the office anyway.
01:00:56
>> Yeah. Oh, how good. Oh, um the Dixie
01:01:00
Chick stuff.
01:01:00
>> Oh, yeah, the Dixie Chicks.
01:01:02
>> Dixie Chicks, one of the biggest country
01:01:03
bands in the world. Um they changed
01:01:06
their Why? I don't I don't know. I I
01:01:09
completely missed this. What's the story
01:01:10
with Dixie? Is Dixie an offensive word
01:01:12
now?
01:01:13
>> Well, it was in the conotation. Yeah, it
01:01:15
was in the um the Me Too or something or
01:01:18
or when the all the um Africans, you
01:01:22
know, were were getting in trouble with
01:01:24
the police over there. It's sort of
01:01:28
not a good word, Dixie. And um they
01:01:32
didn't want to be associated with all of
01:01:34
that that was going on in America at the
01:01:35
time. So, they wanted to get rid of the
01:01:38
word Dixie. And of course they did their
01:01:42
homework and found out the only place
01:01:43
where there was someone else called the
01:01:45
chicks was New Zealand.
01:01:47
So um their New York lawyer got in touch
01:01:50
and basically said could we could we um
01:01:54
have the name the chicks
01:01:56
and um eventually we we agreed. Yeah.
01:01:59
And that was fine. But they agreed to
01:02:00
share the name in the end because we'd
01:02:04
had the chicks for years and years.
01:02:07
>> Yeah. Like 50 years.
01:02:08
>> Yes. but it hadn't been registered. So
01:02:11
he said, "Well, we're going to use it
01:02:12
anyway." And I said, "Well, we'd like to
01:02:14
share it with you. We'd be fine." And
01:02:17
and the girls said, "Yes, let's share
01:02:20
it." So we're still the chicks here and
01:02:23
they're the chicks, the rest of the
01:02:25
world.
01:02:25
>> Oh, so it was like a like a courtesy
01:02:27
email.
01:02:27
>> It was like a Yeah.
01:02:28
>> Yeah. What did that mean to you?
01:02:31
>> Um,
01:02:32
well, we hadn't performed for a long
01:02:34
long time, so it didn't worry me too
01:02:36
much. Judy was a bit upset about it, I
01:02:38
think.
01:02:38
>> Was she?
01:02:39
>> Mhm.
01:02:39
>> Why so?
01:02:41
>> Um, well, her association's always been
01:02:43
as one of the chicks.
01:02:45
>> Uh, but we're still the chicks, so it
01:02:47
worked out fine in the end. Yeah.
01:02:48
>> Did um was there a chance to get get a
01:02:51
payday or anything? Get some money out
01:02:52
of them or not?
01:02:53
>> Well, I'm not moving house. No.
01:02:56
>> But they um Yes. So, okay. So, did you
01:02:59
have anything to the band themselves or
01:03:00
No, it was just done through lawyers. It
01:03:02
was all done through the girls did send
01:03:04
us a nice message but yeah I mean
01:03:06
they're a big big group so it was all
01:03:09
through managers and lawyers really.
01:03:11
>> Yeah. Yeah. Well yeah they they put a
01:03:13
message up on social media to their
01:03:14
millions of followers.
01:03:15
>> Yes they did.
01:03:16
>> Saying our sincere and heartfelt thanks
01:03:18
goes out to the chicks of New Zealand
01:03:20
for their gracious gesture and allowing
01:03:22
us to share their name.
01:03:23
>> We are honored to coexist in the world
01:03:25
with these exceptionally talented
01:03:27
sisters. Chicks rock.
01:03:28
>> Yeah.
01:03:28
>> Yeah.
01:03:29
>> Which was really nice of them. Yeah.
01:03:31
That make you feel good?
01:03:32
>> Yeah, because I love the Dixie Chicks.
01:03:33
They were great.
01:03:34
>> Well, they still are. And when they were
01:03:36
in Oakuckland, um they did a concert in
01:03:38
Oakuckland not long ago and I couldn't
01:03:40
go, but Judy and her daughter went and
01:03:42
they thanked us publicly and she stood
01:03:44
up. Judy took stood up and took a bow
01:03:46
and you know they took a photo with her
01:03:48
and all that sort of thing. So that was
01:03:50
that was really nice.
01:03:52
>> Seems quite gracious that they asked.
01:03:55
>> Absolut absolutely. Yeah,
01:03:58
>> absolutely. Although we'd owned it for
01:04:00
50 years, so they kind of had to ask.
01:04:04
>> Yeah. But devil's advocate. You weren't
01:04:06
you weren't using it.
01:04:07
>> No, we weren't using it.
01:04:08
>> Lose it.
01:04:09
>> No. Well, we just Viking Records,
01:04:11
funnily enough, had just released our
01:04:12
chicks album in the States.
01:04:15
>> So, actually came out in the USA and
01:04:17
that's probably how they found Oh, who
01:04:19
someone called the chicks
01:04:21
>> and who they'd hear us singing Kumala. I
01:04:24
think what the heck is that? Probably
01:04:27
>> but it was there from 19 1966 68 or 67.
01:04:31
Yeah.
01:04:32
>> Yeah. Um Ray Columbus who would would
01:04:35
he's a friend. Would you say he's a
01:04:36
mentor as well?
01:04:37
>> Absolutely. Yeah.
01:04:38
>> Absolutely. A mentor.
01:04:40
>> So he he he he got unwell. Um used to
01:04:42
had a lot to do with him and then um
01:04:44
before he passed he asked you to sing at
01:04:46
his funeral.
01:04:46
>> He did.
01:04:47
>> Yeah.
01:04:47
>> Yeah.
01:04:48
>> Yeah. What I mean what's that like?
01:04:50
That's so special, right?
01:04:51
>> That was very special. I I used to go
01:04:53
and visit him when he when he wasn't too
01:04:55
well at towards the end there
01:04:56
>> cuz he he passed away when
01:04:59
>> I don't know when was it a few years ago
01:05:01
now.
01:05:02
>> Um anyway, he he he wanted me to sing
01:05:06
Wind Beneath my wings cuz one of his
01:05:08
best friends in America had co-written
01:05:10
that song.
01:05:11
>> And um and so I did. The first verse was
01:05:15
really hard to get through. But after
01:05:16
that I sang like there was no tomorrow,
01:05:20
you I just I just sang it for him.
01:05:22
>> And then we um as they as they took him
01:05:25
out, we um we sang She's a Mod
01:05:29
with um Nathan King from Zed and Billy
01:05:33
Karatiana, who was his bass player
01:05:35
>> and who I've known for years. So, um
01:05:38
Max,
01:05:40
um Max did the um Max Cry did the
01:05:43
talking, you know, all the but not many
01:05:47
people talked
01:05:49
um because Max said if we get one person
01:05:52
up till we'll be here all day basically
01:05:54
cuz Ry was very very popular
01:05:56
>> and he was the greatest manager um for
01:05:59
the rumor. I mean, Judy married one of
01:06:01
the rumor and he managed them, he
01:06:03
managed Shane, he managed us and he was
01:06:06
the best manager in the world because he
01:06:08
wouldn't stop talking about you to
01:06:09
people, you know.
01:06:11
>> Yeah. He was such a champion of music.
01:06:13
>> I owe him an awful lot. Yeah.
01:06:15
>> Yeah. That must be the like an
01:06:17
incredibly humbling thing like to to
01:06:19
know that you've had that impact on
01:06:20
someone that they want you to sing at
01:06:21
their funeral. They ask you themselves
01:06:23
>> and which song to sing. Yeah.
01:06:24
>> Yeah.
01:06:26
What's um
01:06:28
I mean it's it's um it's the downside of
01:06:30
getting older, isn't it? You see friends
01:06:32
that um that pass away. What's what's
01:06:34
your relationship like with aging and
01:06:35
mortality?
01:06:37
>> Uh well, I don't I try not to think
01:06:39
about how old I am.
01:06:40
>> I just am. And if I can get up in the
01:06:43
morning, it's a good day.
01:06:45
>> Well, you don't look at or seem it.
01:06:47
>> Oh, thanks.
01:06:47
>> And you and you don't feel it?
01:06:49
>> No.
01:06:51
>> No. I mean, I'm still out there singing
01:06:54
Sweet Child of Mine and River Deep
01:06:56
Mountain High without too much trouble.
01:06:58
>> Yeah. Aging disgracefully, as they say.
01:07:01
>> That's That's me. I'm aging
01:07:03
disgracefully. Yeah.
01:07:04
>> What about um um some of the biggest
01:07:06
adversities you've gone through in your
01:07:08
life? Like no one gets to the the the
01:07:10
privilege of making it into their 70s
01:07:12
without going through some sort of
01:07:13
hardship. What's it been for you?
01:07:15
>> Hardship.
01:07:17
>> You had a marriage breakup.
01:07:18
>> I did. Yeah.
01:07:19
>> Yeah. Was that rough?
01:07:21
Um, it's always rough. Yeah. Yeah.
01:07:24
>> Mainly my health things, I suppose.
01:07:26
Those health things I had, like when I
01:07:28
thought I could never sing again, that
01:07:29
was terrible.
01:07:30
>> Um,
01:07:32
>> yeah, mostly health things. That's the
01:07:34
only things. I've just solded on and
01:07:36
kept going forward, you know. That's
01:07:38
>> I think everybody has to get up with a
01:07:40
purpose. That's that's my motto.
01:07:42
>> Yeah.
01:07:43
>> Have a purpose.
01:07:44
>> Yeah. Yeah. Where does your resilience
01:07:46
come from?
01:07:47
My father,
01:07:49
>> he was like that. He was I remember him
01:07:52
out um fishing. He used to go fishing
01:07:55
with some older people. He he had a big
01:07:57
truck he'd drive and they'd all be in
01:07:59
this big four-wheel drive and out they'd
01:08:02
go to the beach and put out a line, not
01:08:05
the flash ones that go out these days,
01:08:07
but you know, the old ones that you
01:08:09
throw it out and you reel it in and all
01:08:11
that sort of thing. And and he was 89
01:08:13
when he was doing that. And uh he
01:08:16
complained to me one day that there was
01:08:18
a lady there that only made the
01:08:20
sandwiches, you know, doesn't help pull
01:08:22
the fish in or anything. And I said,
01:08:24
"Well, how old is she, Pop? She's only
01:08:26
85." He said, "So, you know," he just
01:08:29
never thought about age either. He just
01:08:32
>> just went went on with it. Got on with
01:08:34
life.
01:08:35
>> Kept busy.
01:08:36
>> Yeah. Yeah. You Yeah. Your mental
01:08:39
health's been good over your life.
01:08:40
>> Yeah.
01:08:40
>> Yeah. Do Yeah. What do you think it is
01:08:44
like? Like like mental health and
01:08:45
awareness of mental health.
01:08:46
>> I think my cup's always half full is
01:08:48
what I decided.
01:08:49
>> Just your attitude.
01:08:50
>> Just your Yeah. And I think you can
01:08:51
choose to be happy basically.
01:08:54
>> Um I've just always been
01:08:58
quite placid bubbling along.
01:09:00
>> Just go with the flow.
01:09:02
>> Go with the flow. Yeah.
01:09:03
>> If you had to start over, what would you
01:09:05
do differently?
01:09:08
>> That's a tricky one.
01:09:10
>> Probably nothing. Very little. Very
01:09:12
little. Very little.
01:09:15
>> Yeah.
01:09:15
>> I mean, I always wanted to be a vet,
01:09:16
obviously, but I'd never have put an
01:09:19
animal down. You know, I'm a big softy
01:09:21
with animals. So, it's probably a good
01:09:23
choice that my mother said, "No, you're
01:09:24
going to be a secretary." So, you know,
01:09:27
that was And
01:09:27
>> you showed her you became a pop star
01:09:29
>> and I became
01:09:32
>> It seems like even though it was um very
01:09:33
very unorthodox, it seems like your your
01:09:36
parents got quite a quite a rush out of
01:09:37
it.
01:09:38
>> They did. Yeah. Yeah. They they I think
01:09:39
they were more excited than us, you
01:09:41
know. I was like, "Here I go again." You
01:09:43
know, learn another song. But
01:09:45
>> I was so fell in love with music by the
01:09:48
time I was 16 really.
01:09:50
>> And I remember the Supremes and, you
01:09:52
know, all those groups that came out,
01:09:53
they were just so good
01:09:55
>> in the in those days.
01:09:57
And then when I heard the fifth
01:09:58
dimension, that was like, wow.
01:10:01
>> Um, so music was exciting to me because
01:10:04
it we were breaking new barriers all the
01:10:06
time in those days. What what excites
01:10:08
you now musically in terms of like
01:10:09
current or you know newish artists?
01:10:12
>> You keep up to date with things.
01:10:14
>> I do try to. Yeah. I mean my pupils keep
01:10:16
me up to date.
01:10:18
>> Um I find everybody nobody wants to
01:10:20
learn to walk anymore. They just want to
01:10:22
run.
01:10:23
>> They all want to be Katy Perry
01:10:25
yesterday.
01:10:26
And uh and I have to point out to them
01:10:28
that well this has been dropped in you
01:10:31
know like the reason you can't breathe
01:10:33
there is they've just continued that on
01:10:36
>> artificially kind of thing.
01:10:38
>> So music's changed an awful lot
01:10:41
>> these days. Uh I still I still loved the
01:10:45
old Janie Mitchell songs personally.
01:10:47
>> Yeah.
01:10:48
>> And uh there's a few people that are
01:10:49
starting to go back that way. Just
01:10:51
simple guitar and voice you know. M
01:10:53
>> I'd love to do something like that with
01:10:55
the Lady Killers. We're sort of thinking
01:10:56
about just doing a a lovely little
01:10:59
concerts just with acoustic guitars and
01:11:02
singing beautiful harmony songs in the
01:11:05
future next year.
01:11:08
>> I love how active you still are.
01:11:10
>> Oh, thanks.
01:11:11
>> Yeah. You know what I mean? And you're
01:11:12
still still like looking ahead, still
01:11:14
making making plans.
01:11:15
>> Making plans. Yeah.
01:11:16
>> It's really cool.
01:11:17
>> It's really cool. I'm I'm 52 now, so I
01:11:20
I've started
01:11:20
>> Oh, you're young.
01:11:21
>> I've started looking I've started I
01:11:23
started looking for like aging role
01:11:25
models. You see people in their in their
01:11:27
70s and 80s and see what they're doing
01:11:28
and you try and sort of work backwards.
01:11:30
>> I think um
01:11:31
>> too busy to get old.
01:11:32
>> No, I think I think I think you know
01:11:34
what I think that's part of the key.
01:11:35
It's keeping busy.
01:11:36
>> Yep.
01:11:37
>> Need a reason to get out of bed in the
01:11:38
morning. Eh,
01:11:39
>> that's it. Have a purpose.
01:11:40
>> Mhm.
01:11:41
>> When when people look back on Suzanne
01:11:43
Lynch in 50 years, what do you hope
01:11:45
they'll say?
01:11:48
Uh,
01:11:50
well,
01:11:52
gosh, she had a fun time.
01:11:55
>> Who knew? That just saying yes
01:11:59
would open up all these doors, you know?
01:12:02
I think
01:12:04
I don't know what they'd say really.
01:12:08
>> I guess they'd say
01:12:11
she had a fun Yeah, she'd had a great
01:12:12
time
01:12:14
>> and a very interesting life.
01:12:17
Yeah, she crammed a lot in.
01:12:19
>> She crammed a lot in and she was
01:12:20
cramming it in till the end.
01:12:22
>> Well, hopefully they'll still say and
01:12:23
she's still going. 124. Of
01:12:25
>> course they will.
01:12:27
>> How do you How do you personally define
01:12:29
happiness now?
01:12:31
>> I'm just happy within myself. I mean, I
01:12:33
have a great time with my grandchildren.
01:12:36
>> Um, both my children are very close to
01:12:38
me. They're great. Love them to bits.
01:12:41
Um, Bruce, my husband, my ex-husband. We
01:12:45
still give each other a hug when we see
01:12:47
each other and say hi, and it's all I'm
01:12:49
just a happy person really. And I've got
01:12:51
the love of the girls that I sing with.
01:12:53
Um, and I'm doing these jobs with Shane,
01:12:56
you know, and Shazam, which are just
01:12:58
fun. I'm getting out there doing 60s
01:13:00
music. And with the Lady Killers, of
01:13:02
course, it's much more complicated
01:13:04
stuff.
01:13:04
>> I um I had I've got a funny story to
01:13:07
tell you, actually. I fell over I was
01:13:09
chasing my cat. the naughty cat.
01:13:12
>> Not Cat Stevens.
01:13:13
>> No, not that cat. No, I was I was
01:13:16
chasing Sir Buddy, my pussycat. And um I
01:13:20
tripped on our footpath. Gave myself a
01:13:23
black eye and I got sent to hospital to
01:13:25
have a head and brain scan. And that was
01:13:28
only a few months ago. And uh so I got
01:13:31
the scan at the hospital and I'm sitting
01:13:33
there and the specialist came over and
01:13:35
he said, "Suzanne, yes. I've got
01:13:38
something to tell you." I said, "What?
01:13:41
What? You've got a beautiful brain." I
01:13:45
said, "Pardon?"
01:13:47
He said, "Your brain for your age
01:13:50
mostly." Oh, sorry. Mostly
01:13:54
they shrink from your skull. So he said,
01:13:57
"You haven't broken your bone and your
01:14:00
brain is absolutely perfect." Because
01:14:01
the shaw care thought I might have had a
01:14:04
brain bleed. and he said, "No, there's
01:14:06
nothing wrong with you because your
01:14:08
brain hasn't parted from your
01:14:10
>> uh skull."
01:14:12
>> And he said, "That's from learning songs
01:14:14
and being active on both sides of your
01:14:16
brain for years and years and years."
01:14:19
So, um, apparently I have a beautiful
01:14:21
brain.
01:14:23
>> How's that?
01:14:24
>> You take these compliments when you can
01:14:25
get them.
01:14:25
>> And I was so surprised.
01:14:28
>> What's a perfect day for you these days?
01:14:31
Ah, sitting out on my deck and having
01:14:35
having my morning coffee and
01:14:38
looking at the sun, if there's any sun,
01:14:40
I go for a walk. Sometimes I pick my
01:14:43
grandkids up from school. Um, I I teach
01:14:47
people still and um I'm still learning
01:14:50
songs to go and do gigs.
01:14:53
>> Yeah. I met up with the Lady Killers
01:14:56
just the other day and we all had lunch
01:14:58
and had a good chat. We we just have
01:15:01
this love and respect for each other
01:15:03
that will just never die, I don't think.
01:15:05
>> Yeah.
01:15:06
>> We just get on so well. And um that's
01:15:08
very unusual for a three girl group
01:15:10
really. 20.
01:15:11
>> Why?
01:15:13
>> Well, usually groups, any kind of group
01:15:16
doesn't last 20 years.
01:15:17
>> Oh, there's some friction or personality
01:15:19
clash or
01:15:20
>> We don't have that. you know, we're so
01:15:22
different, but we've got such respect
01:15:25
for each other and what we each can do.
01:15:27
And our voices are all completely
01:15:28
different, but when we sing together,
01:15:31
it's like one voice.
01:15:32
>> And um
01:15:33
>> as I say, we we just have a lot of fun
01:15:36
on our gigs.
01:15:38
>> Why do you think there is no friction
01:15:39
there? Do you think it's just because
01:15:42
you're all at that stage of life where
01:15:43
you drop the ego and there's a respect
01:15:46
for each other?
01:15:46
>> I mean, just put your ego in your back
01:15:49
pocket, you know?
01:15:51
People with egos don't last long, I
01:15:53
don't think.
01:15:54
>> There's a lot of people that have, you
01:15:56
know, you're up one minute, as I say to
01:15:58
my peoples, you're up one minute and
01:16:00
it's all happening and then it's not
01:16:01
happening.
01:16:02
>> What are you going to do? You know,
01:16:04
>> and that can crush some people and
01:16:06
that's when they get depressed or they
01:16:08
get lonely or whatever.
01:16:10
>> But I've just kept I don't know, just
01:16:14
doing that really all the way.
01:16:16
>> Yeah. I I I say to people, you want to
01:16:17
be you want to be e you want to be
01:16:19
reliable, easy to work with, and do a
01:16:21
good job.
01:16:21
>> You've got to turn up on time, dressed
01:16:23
right, know your stuff. That's that's
01:16:25
the bottom line.
01:16:25
>> If you're a pain in the ass, that's when
01:16:27
the work dries up, no matter how
01:16:28
talented you are. Right.
01:16:29
>> That's right.
01:16:29
>> Yeah. What What about fears? What are
01:16:31
you most afraid of?
01:16:34
>> Uh
01:16:36
what am I most afraid of? I don't like
01:16:39
swimming in deep water.
01:16:41
That's about it really because I went
01:16:44
under once when I was a little kid and
01:16:46
the man saved me and got me to shore.
01:16:49
So, um, my daughter's always trying to
01:16:51
get me to hop in their swimming pool and
01:16:52
I make every excuse under the sun and if
01:16:55
I do, I stay in the shallow end. So,
01:16:57
that's about my only fear. Um,
01:17:01
I don't know. I never think about
01:17:05
>> fear too much.
01:17:06
>> Any any regrets?
01:17:08
>> I suppose everybody fears a little bit.
01:17:10
Yeah.
01:17:10
>> Dying.
01:17:13
>> I figure that's a long way off, so I'm
01:17:15
not going to worry about it.
01:17:18
>> Yeah.
01:17:19
>> Yeah. I I don't know if I'm scared of
01:17:21
dying. I think I'm just scared of of the
01:17:23
FOMO factor, you know, missing out on
01:17:25
stuff.
01:17:26
>> Yeah.
01:17:28
>> When you're gone, you're gone.
01:17:29
>> You can't see if your ch when your
01:17:30
grandchildren get married and things
01:17:31
like that. That's a
01:17:32
>> Yeah.
01:17:33
>> I remember my mother saying that to me.
01:17:35
He's like, you know, I won't I won't get
01:17:37
to see what you do with so and so. and
01:17:39
and um that's got to be the hardest part
01:17:41
for everybody really
01:17:42
>> when you're close to your family.
01:17:44
>> Yeah.
01:17:45
>> Yeah. I'm not scared of dying. I just
01:17:46
don't want to really
01:17:48
>> I'm too busy.
01:17:50
>> Too much.
01:17:50
>> I'm too busy for it. I haven't got time
01:17:51
for it. Yeah.
01:17:52
>> Um any regrets, professional or
01:17:54
personal?
01:17:58
>> No. I'd like to think that um I don't
01:18:01
really have regrets. No.
01:18:03
>> In future goals, where do you see
01:18:04
yourself at 80?
01:18:06
Oh, I see myself sitting on my deck
01:18:08
having a coffee, going out for a walk,
01:18:11
playing with my grandchildren, and um
01:18:14
probably going out and doing a gig.
01:18:17
>> Just doing what you're doing now.
01:18:19
>> Doing what I'm doing now. Don't see why
01:18:20
not.
01:18:21
>> That to me says you're living you're
01:18:22
living your best life.
01:18:23
>> I am.
01:18:24
>> Yeah. You're living the life you want.
01:18:26
>> Yeah.
01:18:27
>> That's so cool. It's a brilliant tape.
01:18:30
>> It's taken me 74 years to find it and I
01:18:32
found it.
01:18:32
>> What do you mean now? Firstly, you've
01:18:34
been doing it all along. Yeah, but I've
01:18:36
always been so busy.
01:18:38
>> Yeah.
01:18:38
>> But now I've got a little bit of time to
01:18:41
>> just do what I want to do. If I want to
01:18:42
meet some friends for a coffee, I've now
01:18:44
got time
01:18:45
>> to go and meet friends for a coffee. Um
01:18:48
I've got some great friends that I catch
01:18:50
up with and uh you know, life is life is
01:18:54
good.
01:18:57
>> Life is good.
01:18:57
>> It was it was a whole lifetime ago um
01:19:00
from the 1960s and the chicks. But like
01:19:03
do you do you miss that? um the
01:19:06
intensity of that fame, that
01:19:07
recognition. I mean, now you now now
01:19:10
you're a pensioner. You can ride the bus
01:19:11
for free.
01:19:12
>> So, I've heard.
01:19:15
>> No, you drive here today. Um Yeah. Do
01:19:17
you like do you miss do you miss that or
01:19:19
not so much?
01:19:20
>> Is the level of like fame you've got now
01:19:22
enough?
01:19:23
>> Oh, it's it's enough. Believe me, it's
01:19:25
enough. Yeah.
01:19:26
>> Yeah. You still get recognized?
01:19:27
>> I'm happy. Uh yes, I do, surprisingly.
01:19:30
>> Yeah. Someone just came up to me in a
01:19:32
when I was having coffee with the pills,
01:19:34
my mates that I meet every Friday.
01:19:36
>> The pills?
01:19:37
>> Yeah, because they all take pills except
01:19:38
for me. So, I called them the pills of
01:19:40
the round table.
01:19:42
>> I bet maybe it's some band I haven't
01:19:44
some indie band or something.
01:19:45
>> I know. They just they've all been in
01:19:47
the music business and but they're all
01:19:49
pensioners now,
01:19:50
>> but they don't look like pensioners.
01:19:52
They're all up and happening, you know.
01:19:54
>> Yeah.
01:19:54
>> And um she came a lady came up and said,
01:19:57
"Oh, I remember you. Thank you so much
01:19:59
for your music." And that's still
01:20:01
amazing to I'm always surprised to me
01:20:03
that's that they still recognize me. But
01:20:05
but that's lovely, you know. It's nice.
01:20:07
>> Well, it says you've had a huge impact
01:20:08
on people. Eh,
01:20:10
>> must have. Yeah.
01:20:11
>> I didn't realize it at the time.
01:20:15
>> Well, it's nice that you're taking time
01:20:16
now to like do this book project and
01:20:18
pause and reflect on some of the stuff
01:20:20
you've done.
01:20:20
>> It's just a bit of time of reflection or
01:20:23
it was during co really.
01:20:25
>> Yeah.
01:20:25
>> And I think a lot of people probably had
01:20:27
that. you know, I had to stay at home.
01:20:30
My um my little granddaughter, she was
01:20:33
only five and Amy brought her to the
01:20:36
door and they stood over by the about,
01:20:39
you know, three or four, five feet away
01:20:41
from me and she'd left a little parcel
01:20:43
on my doorstep in co and I opened it up
01:20:46
and she had her pocket money
01:20:49
and a mirror and I said, "You bought me
01:20:54
your pocket money." And she said, "Oh,
01:20:55
Nanny, you might need the money because
01:20:58
you know you can't work at the moment."
01:20:59
And I said, "No, I can't." I said,
01:21:01
"What's the mirror for, Lily?" And she
01:21:03
said, "Well, you might be lonely. You
01:21:05
can look at yourself."
01:21:07
>> And I just that finished me off,
01:21:10
honestly. And just in case you're
01:21:11
lonely,
01:21:12
>> you can look in the mirror. And I
01:21:14
thought, "The mind of a child. How
01:21:16
wonderful is that?"
01:21:17
>> It's beautiful, isn't it?
01:21:18
>> Isn't that beautiful?
01:21:20
Are there three words that you'd like to
01:21:22
think family and friends would use to
01:21:24
describe you? Say, say your your adult
01:21:27
children were here or your grandkids.
01:21:29
>> What three words?
01:21:31
>> Uh, where are you going?
01:21:34
>> Where are you going? No, that's four.
01:21:37
>> No, that's four. Okay.
01:21:38
>> I'm I'm thinking more like um like
01:21:40
character traits or personality traits.
01:21:43
>> I have no idea.
01:21:44
>> What do you reckon? What would What
01:21:45
would you like?
01:21:46
>> I'd like to think they think I'm a nice
01:21:48
person.
01:21:50
Is it kind?
01:21:51
>> Yeah,
01:21:51
>> that can be
01:21:52
>> I'm kind. I'm I have empathy.
01:21:55
>> Um I still go with the flow.
01:21:58
>> And if they want me, I'm there.
01:22:02
>> Yep.
01:22:02
>> I think that's a great place to end it.
01:22:05
What a life.
01:22:06
>> Thank you.
01:22:07
>> What a life.
01:22:08
>> It's not over yet.
01:22:09
>> No, no, no, no. Abs No, no. I mean, what
01:22:13
a life is in as in as in the [ __ ] you've
01:22:15
got done so far. So far. Is it nice to
01:22:18
Is it nice to reflect?
01:22:20
>> Yeah, it is now.
01:22:21
>> Yeah.
01:22:22
>> Cool.
01:22:23
>> It is.
01:22:23
>> Well, this has been really nice. I've
01:22:25
really enjoyed this today and I hope you
01:22:26
have, too.
01:22:27
>> I have. I really have.
01:22:28
>> Suzanne Lynch, you're a great New
01:22:29
Zealander.
01:22:30
>> Thank you.
01:22:31
>> And thanks for coming on the podcast.
