Behind the wheel with Suzi Quatro

Words: Danny Scott

Where has been your favourite road trip destination?

I moved to England in the early 1970s, but I was in LA for a lot of 1977 filming the TV show, Happy Days. We had the weekend off so my ex-husband and I hired a convertible – I think it was Chevrolet Monte Carlo – and drove out to Las Vegas. Back then, it was literally like driving across an open desert. I saw tumbleweed! We arrived in Las Vegas in the early evening and this city of lights magically rose out of the sand. Mind blowing! 
 

Where’s the number one place on your bucket list?

In 1967, I was in a band with my sisters and we were being flown to Vietnam to entertain the troops. We stopped off for one night in Hawaii and, to my eternal shame, I have never been back. Let me tell you, I have seen a lot of this world, but Hawaii... My God, it’s like you’re living in a postcard or a beautiful painting. One day, I will be back there.

 What’s your ultimate travel song?

This is going to sound cheeky, but can I have the title track from new album, Freedom? There’s me on the front cover, fist in the air, sitting on a motorbike, ready to hit the highway. I was driving in London the other day and it came on the radio, so I wound down the window and turned it up as loud as it could go. A lady looked in at me and I screamed: “This is me! On the radio!”

What is your most dramatic road trip story?

I was maybe 15 or 16, touring with my band. Because I was so small, I used to sit on our old van’s engine bay between the front seats. For some reason, my boyfriend came to the show and, on this particular night, he gave me a lift back to Detroit. Thankfully, nobody was hurt, but the van crashed and a tree came straight down the middle... right where I would have been sitting. Someone up there was looking after me.

What are your three packing essentials and why? 

First and foremost, my crossword books. Open them up and I’m in my own little world. I’ve never been much of a party girl, but I do carry a hip flask of brandy. I have a quick sip before bedtime on the bus or plane and I’m out like a light. But the most important item is my noise-cancelling headphones because my husband’s snoring could wake the dead!

Do you have any clever travel hacks?

My three tips: make a list, make a list and make a list. I tick everything off as it goes in the bag and I know I’m ready to go.

What’s your dream car? And where in the world would you most want to drive it?

I used to own my dream car: a 1957 Ford Thunderbird. That was a great year for Thunderbirds! I bought it in Miami, shipped it to England, and hardly ever took it out. On the day I sold it, I put on 1950s music and headed to McDonald’s for a burger and shake. It was like being back in Happy Days. Yeah, I miss it, but you need plenty of sunshine for a car like that. 

Do you think you’re a good traveller?

I’ve been touring since I was 14... travelling for most of my life. I was due to go back and finish school at 15, but I called my dad from a hotel room in New York where we were playing and said, “Dad, I think I’ve found the place where I’m meant to be. It’s on the road.” I haven’t looked back. 

What’s been your craziest travel experience to date?

Touring in the 1970s was fun, but you came across a lot of ‘characters’. We met this guy when we were travelling across the mountains of West Virginia, He seemed very nice and offered to drive. Anyway, we’re heading down a mountain road and he’s suddenly holding this piece of rock. Just for a joke, he jammed it on the gas pedal and let go of the steering wheel. We were inches from disaster. I yanked on the handbrake and went nuts on him. Nobody stops Suzi Quatro getting to a gig!

If you could live anywhere else in the world, where would it be, and why?

Probably back to Detroit. It was a fun place to grow up... Hanging out with Alice Cooper, Iggy Pop and all those guys. I’ve been in Britain for more than 50 years and I’m very happy here, but Detroit always feels like my spiritual home. 
  
Suzi Quatro’s new album, Freedom, is out now. Her latest UK tour kicks off on 7 April 
 
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