Suzie McNeil (born October 15, 1976 in Mississauga,
OntarioOntario is a province located in east-central Canada, the largest by population and second largest, after Quebec, in total area. Ontario is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba to the west and Quebec to the east, and 5 U.S...
,
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
) is a
TorontoToronto is the most populous city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. With over 2.5 million residents, it is the fifth most populous municipality in North America...
-based
rockRock music is a genre of popular music that entered the mainstream in the 1960s. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, rhythm and blues, country music and also drew on folk music, jazz and classical music....
/
soulSoul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
vocalist.
On November 4, 2008, McNeil released her sophomore album "
Rock-n-RollerRock-n-Roller is the sophomore album from Canadian singer-songwriter Suzie McNeil, released on November 4, 2008.-Track listing:#"Let's Go - " - 3:04...
", featuring her latest Top 20 hit "Let's Go".
In 2005, McNeil was a contestant on the
CBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is an American television network, one of television's original "big three", which also include NBC and ABC. Like NBC, CBS started out as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System...
realityReality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors...
show
Rock Star: INXSRock Star: INXS was the first season of the reality television show Rock Star where 15 contestants competed to become the lead vocalist for the Australian rock band INXS....
, a televised competition to find a new lead singer for the band INXS. McNeil made it to the final four of the competition and was the last female singer to be eliminated.
During the course of the competition, McNeil gained a great deal of respect from the
INXS----INXS achieved international success with a series of hit recordings through the 1980s and 1990s, including the albums Listen Like Thieves, Kick, X and Welcome to Wherever You Are and the singles "Original Sin", "Need You Tonight", "Devil Inside" and "New Sensation".Hutchence died in 1997 and...
band members as well as the fans. She was nicknamed "Sweet Suzie McNeil" by show host
Dave NavarroDavid Michael Navarro is an American guitarist who plays in the alternative rock band Jane's Addiction and cover band Camp Freddy. He has also played with the Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Panic Channel.- Early life :...
. The band INXS was impressed by her talent as well as her tenacity. Despite her rave reviews, McNeil faced the Bottom Three a total of six times throughout the competition, prompting her to create a hat which read "Queen of the Bottom Three." In the Bottom Three, contestants sang INXS songs. McNeil excelled at singing INXS songs, likely explaining her survival of so many eliminations. Some standout performances throughout the show (excluding her INXS songs) were the
The Rolling StonesThe Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in 1962 in London when multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones and pianist Ian Stewart were joined by vocalist Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards. Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early lineup...
', "
Start Me Up"Start Me Up" is a song by The Rolling Stones featured on the 1981 album Tattoo You.-Recording:"Start Me Up" was first recorded in Munich during the 1975 Black and Blue sessions, and later in the 1977 Some Girls and the 1979 Emotional Rescue sessions under the working titles "Never Stop" and "Start...
", R.E.M.'s hit "
Losing My Religion"Losing My Religion" is a song by the American alternative rock band R.E.M. The song was released as the first single from the group's 1991 album Out of Time. Based around a mandolin riff, "Losing My Religion" was an unlikely hit for the group, garnering heavy airplay on radio as well as on MTV due...
" and
QueenQueen were an English rock band. Formed in London in 1970 following the demise of the band Smile, Queen consisted of vocalist Freddie Mercury, guitarist Brian May, bassist John Deacon and drummer Roger Taylor. The band became popular with audiences via their hit songs, live performances,...
's "
Bohemian Rhapsody"Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock band Queen. It was written by Freddie Mercury for the band's 1975 album A Night at the Opera. "Bohemian Rhapsody" is in the style of a stream-of-consciousness nightmare that has unusual song structure, more akin to a classical rhapsody than popular...
." During the competition, McNeil performed an original song called "Soul Life" which she co-wrote with fellow Rock Star: INXS contestant
Ty TaylorTy Taylor is an American musician best known as guitarist and vocalist of R&B group Dakota Moon and as a contestant on the reality TV show Rock Star: INXS....
. McNeil met her elimination in the Final Four, where there was much speculation that INXS had finally agreed upon a male lead singer. On September 24, 2005, McNeil performed a sold-out show at the Revival Club in Toronto.
McNeil is featured on a few tracks on INXS' album
SwitchSwitch is the 11th studio album by the Australian rock band INXS. It was released on November 29 2005. It is notable for being the first and only album with new lead singer J. D. Fortune since the 1997 death of Michael Hutchence.-Background:...
. Examples are "Us" and "God's Top Ten."
Post: Rock Star: INXS
In January 2006, McNeil moved to
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the municipality of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123.445 inhabitants...
, where she is developing her music career. On January 26, 2006 she announced plans to record her first CD with Executive Producer
John KalodnerJohn David Kalodner is a retired American A&R executive. His achievements included signing Foreigner, Boston, AC/DC, Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins to Atlantic Records in the seventies....
and Producer
Marti FrederiksenMarti Frederiksen is a musician, producer, and songwriter best known for his work with many hard rock bands including Aerosmith, Def Leppard, Fuel, Mötley Crüe, Ozzy Osbourne, Foreigner, Buckcherry and film soundtracks.-With Aerosmith:...
. In the summer of 2006, McNeil performed as a backup singer for Pink on Pink's North American tour.
McNeil's first single, "Believe", is available to download on iTunes. It has been featured on NBC's promo for "The Biggest Loser" reality weight-loss show as well as throughout season 4 of Beauty and the Geek. The song was exclusively debuted by "King Ben's Injection of Perfection" in Sydney on the September 9, 2006, to positive reaction. The single was also used to raise funds for Own the Podium, an organization working to make sure that Canada, through its athletes, wins the most Olympic medals for the
2010 Winter OlympicsThe 2010 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, will be held February 12-28 2010 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the resort town of Whistler nearby...
in
VancouverVancouver is a coastal city and major seaport located in the Lower Mainland of southwestern British Columbia, Canada. The city is bounded by English Bay, Burrard Inlet, the Fraser River, the city of Burnaby, and the University Endowment Lands. Vancouver is named after Captain George Vancouver, a...
.
McNeil appears on
Matt NathansonMatt Nathanson is an American singer-songwriter whose work is a blend of folk and rock music. In addition to singing, he plays acoustic and electric guitar, and has played both solo and with a full band...
's last album
Some Mad HopeSome Mad Hope is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Matt Nathanson, released on August 14, 2007. It peaked on the Billboard 200 at #60, and peaked at 3 on the Top Independent Albums. Some Mad Hope was Nathanson's first album for Vanguard Records, and contained two singles that...
. She sings background vocals on the songs "Sooner Surrender" and "Bulletproof Weeks." She also appears on
Clay AikenClay Aiken is an American pop singer who began his rise to fame on the second season of the television program American Idol in 2003. RCA Records offered him a recording contract, and his multi-platinum debut album Measure of a Man was released in October 2003...
's album
A Thousand Different WaysA Thousand Different Ways is the third studio album by Clay Aiken. The album, which was executive produced by Jaymes Foster, consists of ten covers and four new songs. It was released by RCA on September 19, 2006...
as a guest vocalist on "
I Want to Know What Love Is"I Want to Know What Love Is" is a 1984 power ballad recorded by the British-American rock band Foreigner. The song hit #1 in both the UK and the U.S. and is the band's most successful single...
", a cover of the
ForeignerForeigner is an English rock band formed in New York City in 1976 by veteran English musicians Mick Jones, ex-King Crimson member Ian McDonald, and American vocalist Lou Gramm...
song.
McNeil's single "Hung Up" has gained a lot of radio airplay, especially in Canada, and it is also available on iTunes. The music video was released to
MuchMoreMusicMuchMore is a Canadian English language cable television specialty channel owned by CTVglobemedia, based at 299 Queen Street West in Toronto, Ontario....
on the week of February 19, 2007 and was uploaded to
YouTubeYouTube is a video sharing website on which users can upload and share videos. Three former PayPal employees created YouTube in February 2005. In November 2006, YouTube, LLC was bought by Google Inc. for $1.65 billion, and is now operated as a subsidiary of Google...
on February 10, 2007.
McNeil appeared as the character Oz in the Canadian production of "
We Will Rock YouWe Will Rock You is a jukebox musical, based on the songs of Queen and named after their hit single of the same name. The musical was written by English comedian and author Ben Elton in collaboration with Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor...
" at the
Canon TheatreThe Canon Theatre is a historic theatre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.-History:The Canon Theatre began as the Pantages Theatre in 1920 as a combination vaudeville and motion picture house. Designed by the great theatre architect Thomas W...
in
TorontoToronto is the most populous city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. With over 2.5 million residents, it is the fifth most populous municipality in North America...
until August 1, 2007.
McNeil has sung several versions of Marineland ad jingles.
In March 2008,
MTV CribsMTV Cribs is a reality television program on the MTV Networks' MTV and CMT that features tours of the houses and mansions of celebrities. The first show aired September 2000...
in Canada featured a segment on the house McNeil shares with friend and fellow Rock Star: INXS contestant
Tara SloneTara Slone is a Canadian rock vocalist.Born in Montreal, Quebec, and raised in Nova Scotia, Slone began pursuing classical voice training at the age of 12 with the goal of becoming an opera singer. At the age of 18, she attended Concordia University to pursue a degree in music...
.
In May 2008, McNeil released her third music video, "Lonely (Are You Coming Home?)".
McNeil held a contest for all of her fans across Canada to sing her hit single "Believe" and post it on her website and viewers would vote for who shall win.
McNeil was one of the judges on the first season of the children's Canadian reality TV show,
The Next StarThe Next Star is a reality television show on YTV hosted by Adamo Ruggiero. The show is a competition to find the most talented singer in Canada who is under 16 years of age. The winner of the first season was Dunnery Bond...
, on YTV, which premiered on July 18, 2008. She also recorded the theme song for the show, "Let's Go", and performed it on the show's season finale at Canada's Wonderland in
TorontoToronto is the most populous city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. With over 2.5 million residents, it is the fifth most populous municipality in North America...
on September 28, 2008.
McNeil announced nationally her recent engagement to
We Will Rock You cast mate, Scott Walters, July 3, 2008 on ET Canada. They were engaged July 1, 2008.
It was announced on October 13, 2008 during the
Montreal AlouettesThe Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current incarnation of the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
and
Calgary StampedersThe Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
football game, that she would be one of the musical acts to play during
96th Grey CupThe 96th Grey Cup was held in Montreal at Olympic Stadium on November 23, 2008. The Eastern Division Champion Montreal Alouettes hosted the Western Division Champion Calgary Stampeders. The Stampeders won the game 22-14, with quarterback Henry Burris winning the MVP award...
halftime show along with
Theory Of A DeadmanTheory of a Deadman is a Canadian rock band from Delta, British Columbia, formed in 2001. The band is currently signed to Roadrunner Records. The band also includes traits of other music styles, such as country and acoustic, as well as their post-grunge and alternative rock base...
and
Andrée WattersAndrée Watters-Michaud is a musician and a one-time Felix-award winner in 2004, from Quebec-Early/Non career life:...
. The Grey Cup aired live on November 23, 2008.
On November 4, 2008, McNeil released her 2nd solo album
Rock n Roller.
McNeil will be returning to second season of YTV's
The Next StarThe Next Star is a reality television show on YTV hosted by Adamo Ruggiero. The show is a competition to find the most talented singer in Canada who is under 16 years of age. The winner of the first season was Dunnery Bond...
starting mid-July.
She appears in commercials for Thrive lozenges to help quit smoking.
Albums
- Broken & Beautiful
Broken & Beautiful is the debut album from Canadian rocker Suzie McNeil, released on April 10, 2007.Reception of the album was good with the critics. Matthew Chisling of Allmusic stated that Broken & Beautiful was a strong effort where "...every single track individually is strong, and the best...
(2007)
- Rock-n-Roller
Rock-n-Roller is the sophomore album from Canadian singer-songwriter Suzie McNeil, released on November 4, 2008.-Track listing:#"Let's Go - " - 3:04...
(2008)
Singles
| Year |
Song |
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
|
Album |
| 2007 |
"Hung Up" |
95 |
Broken & Beautiful |
| "Believe" |
61 |
| "Broken & Beautiful" |
- |
| 2008 |
"Lonely (Are You Coming Home?)" |
- |
| "Let's Go" |
- |
Rock-n-Roller |
| "Don't Tell Me Goodbye |
- |
| 2009 |
"Supergirl" |
26 |
Rock-n-Roller - Reloaded |
Other recordings
- "It's Christmas Time" (not released on Broken & Beautiful or Rock-n-Roller albums) failed to chart
Rock Star: INXS performances
"Remedy" – In the first performance, McNeil missed her cue and then switched the first and second verses. Despite this, her vocal performance was praised, and she narrowly escaped elimination.
"Call Me" – McNeil's rendition of Blondie's "Call Me" was considered "a ballsy choice," and INXS thought she "nailed it." Still she was in the Bottom Three.
"Roxanne" – Again, the judges felt McNeil "nailed it", and her performance was finally enough to garner the votes to evade the Bottom Three.
"Superstition" – Stevie Wonder's hit was met with positive reviews; she began with a harmonica riff.
"Get Back" – The first Beatles song in the competition, McNeil expressed an honor in performing it. INXS felt that her dropping back while band members did instrumentals was "a joy to watch."
"Losing My Religion" – Going into this week, McNeil originally planned to go into the song a capella. Her actual performance followed the advice of J. D. Fortune with a steady rock beat in the background. This was called "a brilliant move" by INXS, as it highlighted McNeil's voice. Shockingly, she landed in the Bottom Three.
"Bring it On Home to Me" – After surprisingly landing in the Bottom Three the previous week, McNeil hoped to escape it this week. Having never heard the song before, she was unsure of how to approach it. Her final product was called "fantastic," prompting a band member to tell McNeil her voice was "one of the best in the competition." Despite her effort, she was again placed in the Bottom Three.
"Start Me Up" – McNeil truly hoped to nail this performance, as she no longer wanted to be in the Bottom Three. Her performance had high energy, ending with a mosh pit. Her comments from INXS were especially encouraging. "I am in total shock that you've ever been in the bottom three," host
Dave NavarroDavid Michael Navarro is an American guitarist who plays in the alternative rock band Jane's Addiction and cover band Camp Freddy. He has also played with the Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Panic Channel.- Early life :...
said. A band member agreed, "Tonight was exceptional." A second added "Looked like you meant business, and you sounded like you meant business." Not only did she escape the Bottom Three, but it was revealed that she was the ONLY contestant not to be in the bottom three at any moment in the voting process. She won her first encore performance.
"Bohemian Rhapsody" – Considered by some to be the pinnacle performance of McNeil's in the competition, the
QueenQueen were an English rock band. Formed in London in 1970 following the demise of the band Smile, Queen consisted of vocalist Freddie Mercury, guitarist Brian May, bassist John Deacon and drummer Roger Taylor. The band became popular with audiences via their hit songs, live performances,...
classic proved to be quite a success for McNeil. INXS continued to give shining feedback. "That was one of the most spectacular things I think I've ever seen...That was a show!" ... "That's gotta be the best performance I've seen through the whole show -- ever." ... "I'm so proud that you want to be part of our band." This comment, in particular, caused McNeil to "faint" in joy. She again evaded the Bottom Three AND won the encore performance.
"I Can't Make You Love Me" and
"Soul Life" – INXS claimed the first song was a test of her power. Immediately following her performance, they claimed that she "sold it." The second part of her performance—"Soul Life"—was an original song of McNeil's, and it met with good reviews, but some minor questions. One member of the band was unsure of whether the song could ever be played by INXS; another argued that, with some tweaking, it could. For whatever reason, McNeil was—once again—in the bottom three, but was not eliminated.
"Interstate Love Song" and
"What's Up?" – McNeil's performance of the two songs were back-to-back, and both met with positive reviews. INXS stated that McNeil had "the best voice in the competition." They called the performance "fantastic." Fans were not so positive, however; the Interstate Love Song was called "less than stellar" and "What's Up?" included a vocal glitch, particularly on the word "revolution." McNeil was in the Bottom Three for the final time this week, eliminated.
Awards and nominations
- Juno Award nomination (2008): New Artist of the Year
The Juno Award for New Artist of the Year has been awarded since 1974 as recognition each year for the best new artist/musician in Canada. The category was originally divided by separate awards for men and women...
- Independent Music Award (2008): Favourite Pop Artist/Group or Duo
- Canadian Radio Music Award nomination (2008): Hot AC – "Hung Up", AC – "Believe"
External links