Suzy Bogguss headlines The Levoy, to the delight of country music fans.
Singer Suzy Bogguss credits her career to a musical family.
“We were all in the church choir with my mom,” she says in a phone interview. “We played instruments.”
But Bogguss could just as easily credit Dolly Parton for her achievements. As a child, she stayed up late to watch Parton whenever she appeared on late-night programs.
“I soaked up every bit of her command of the stage, and her witty conversations, Bogguss recalls. “Until then, it never dawned on me that a small-town girl could follow a big dream.”
Starring at Dollywood in its first season proved to be Bogguss’ big break.
“I had been watching Dolly for all the years leading up to my decision to make music my life,” she says. “Imagine how my knees were shaking, as a young artist, to share the stage with her. She even took the time to give me advice and encouragement. She was my mentor even before I was aware.”
Now a seasoned performer, Bogguss, will appear September 16 at the Levoy Theatre in Millville.
Born near Moline, Illinois, Bogguss attended Illinois Wesleyan and later Illinois State universities, majoring in the arts. “We played weekends including touring ski resorts near the colleges.”
The weekend gigs continued as she shifted into professional touring mode. “We are weekend warriors, playing two to three weekends a month.”
Bogguss put out her last LP at the end of 2023. She and her close friends should be back in the studio to write and record by early next year.
Her 90-minute concerts open with a vigorous guitar intro that kicks off “Outbound Plane.” The show closes with an upbeat number as well. “There is a little wiggle room to incorporate something unplanned,” she says.
Backed by an acoustic upright bass, and lots of harmony, Bogguss performs her own songs and those she’s recorded with others in the industry like Alison Kraus, Chet Atkins, and Don Henley. She is a three-time Grammy nominee, all three with collaborations:
• 1996 All My Loving (with Chet Atkins)
• 1995 Teach Your Children (with Alison Krauss, Kathy Mattea, Crosby, Stills & Nash)
• 1992 Hopelessly Yours (with Lee Greenwood)
During the 1990s country music explosion, Bogguss sold four million records with hits like “Outbound Plane,” “Someday Soon,” “Letting Go,” “Drive South,” and “Hey Cinderella.” But to call her just a country singer doesn’t do justice.
She recorded a duets album with Atkins. In 2003 she made an album of modern swing music with Ray Benson of Asleep at the Wheel. An album of original music in 2007 landed her at number 4 on the jazz charts. She frequents PBS radio’s “A Prairie Home Companion.” In 2014 she released Lucky, a collection of songs written by Merle Haggard and interpreted through Suzy’s vocals from the female point of view. In 2015, Bogguss recorded with Don Henley and others for a concert to benefit Walden Pond in Massachusetts. Bogguss, Tarri Clark, and Pam Tillis joined forces as “Chicks with Hits” and more recently, she partnered with Kathy Mattea on the “Together at Last” tour.
Amid all these iconic moves, Bogguss just became an inductee of Grand Ole Opry.
If You Go:
Date: September 16, at 7 p.m.
Where: The Levoy Theatre 126-130 N. High Street, Millville
Phone: 800-642-7676
Tickets: $42.75 to $86.50, available at box office or online at
levoy.net
