Those of us who grew up watching the TV show "Happy Days" in the 70's will remember 'leather Tuscadero, the little sister of Fonzie's sometimes girlfriend Pinky Tuscadero. Leather was played by 70's rock icon Suzi Quatro (best known for her 1978 hit with Chris Norman "Stumblin' In.") Today she is 68 and still rocking.
Suzi is releasing her new album,“No Control,”on March 29th.To give fans a preview, she’s put out a new single, “Macho Man.” Despite the girl power vibe of the song as well as Quatro’s legacy, she admits she never really dealt with the “boys’ club” of the music industry.
“I grew up in a four girls, one boy family, so I personally never thought about [rock n’ roll] as a boys’ club,” she explains. “I have never been concerned with gender past, present or future – which I guess in hindsight is why I was able to do what I finally did and have success around the world and be taken seriously.”
But that doesn’t mean she isn’t glad she opened doors for women in rock n’ roll. “There was no guarantee this crazy girl with the leather jacket and bass guitar was going to be able to make it doing what I did, but I did,” she adds. “And after that it was definitely easier for girls, which I am happy about. Check out the song and some "Leather" nostalgia below. Videos courtesy of YouTube.
Here's some flashback video of Suzi's appearances as Leather Tuscadero on "Happy Days."
Here is her 1978 hit "Stumblin' In" with Chris Norman. (courtesy of YouTube)