Before Carly Pearce, there was Suzy Bogguss.
Suzy was the first Dollywood performer to find major country success, paving the way for Carly to follow in her footsteps. Hits like “Aces,” “Letting Go” and “Drive South” delivered on the promise the CMA saw by giving Suzy the 1992 Horizon Award, now known as New Artist of the Year.
More than 30 years later, the Illinois native’s still going strong. She released her latest album, Prayin’ for Sunshine, in November.
“It’s really freaking me out that it’s been 16 years since I did an album of original music,” Suzy tells ABC Audio. “I’ve been kind of going down the thematic kind of things with the Merle [Haggard tribute] record and the [American Folk Songbook]…”
“This is the first time I ever wrote everything on the record. So that’s another big deal for me… I think I’m finally confident enough to say my songs are good enough,” she says.
Suzy co-produced the album with her husband and creative partner, Doug Crider, who was also by her side, taking the photos for her first cookbook.
Suzy’s Soup Night was born out of a love for cooking that dates back to childhood, when she’d regularly whip up a pot of something with whatever she had on hand.
“Then when I got into college, it was a way for me to gather my friends together without having to spend a lot of money. Because, you know, you can make a big pot of soup for not that much money…” she explains. “And it was a good way to get musicians together.”
Suzy’s Soup Night has also become a Nashville tradition for a dozen years around the holidays and her December birthday.
You can find out more about Suzy’s new album and cookbook via her website.
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