“As a kid I’d rattle on into a tape player, imitating what I heard on radio and TV. It led to where I am now, vocally exploring all the stuff I absorbed growing up.”

As a youngster Susie heard many pop vocalists. “Mom and Dad had all kinds of albums... I was a Sergio Franchi fan as a kid, and he was a good influence because of the variety of tunes he covered.” Other vocalists included Bing Crosby, Perry Como (Dad’s fave), Sinatra, Patsy Cline, Jim Reeves, Mario Lanza, Patti Page and Vic Damone among many others.

Eventually, after learning guitar as a teen, Susie switched to bass after falling in love with Paul McCartney’s melodic lines. “When the Beatles hit, that was it, I was gone....”, Susie says.

“Somehow I just made the switch and then dug in and learned all those great bass parts off Beatles’ records. I’m really grateful they came along - otherwise I don’t think I would have delved into the bass like that.”

It was as a lead vocalist/bassist that she joined her first band. “I really had my hands full, but it’s so much fun doing both at the same time. You get to hold down the bottom and then vocally soar above it.”

Home was Mobile, Alabama, where in cover bands and countless clubs Susie honed her writing skills, bass chops and assorted vocal styles. A bandmate in an R&B group, impressed with her soulful delivery, christened her ‘The Redneck Queen of Soul’, a title she still treasures.

Whether it involves an intense lead vocal, lush background harmonies, or a crazy character from her voiceover bag of tricks, Susie is known to quickly rise to the challenge. In fact, friends in the studio have given her the nickname ‘Two-Take-Sue’ for her ability to quickly deliver both the perfect persona and performance.

Susie Jennings’ vast array of sonic influences is especially apparent in her original music. She will eagerly pounce on anything that works, as long as it serves the song. “I have all these musical personalities inside me dying to get out, so it’s fun to see who’ll end up where!”

The vocal influences of her childhood made it a natural step to explore the world of Golden-Era pop and jazz. “There’s nothing like getting into a well-written tune....and anytime you can emulate someone like Ella Fitzgerald doing Gershwin - well, that’s just so much fun!”

Putting acoustic guitar to the forefront after years of electric bass was “a real joyful process. I got the opportunity to rediscover older tunes that I’d performed on bass, and gained new insights when I approached them on acoustic guitar. Utilizing the nylon-string was also a new twist for me, and gave me another way to interpret songs I wouldn’t have tried otherwise.”