Suzanne Vega Biography

The American singer and songwriter Suzanne Vega was born in 1959 in Santa Monica, California. Long before Suzanne rose to fame with her breakthrough hit “Luka” in the late 1980’s, she moved with her family to New York City and spent her formative years growing up in Spanish Harlem. Vega began writing lyrics and music at the age of fourteen, and after being accepted to LaGuardia High School (formerly the New York High School of the Performing Arts), she started performing around the Greenwich Village area, establishing a local following.

Within a short period of time, Vega’s talents caught the attention of an A&R representative who signed Suzanne to her first record deal. In 1985, Suzanne Vega released her self-titled debut, which rose to the top of the charts in the UK and was praised by critics in the United States. In the following year, Vega’s song “Left of Center” was chosen for inclusion in the film Pretty in Pink, bringing the performer further recognition and a top forty single on the British charts. But it was Suzanne Vega’s sophomore effort, Solitude Standing, that spawned the mega-hit “Luka,” which brought Vega to the forefront of the music scene and made her a household name.

Since that time, Suzanne Vega has released the albums: Days of Open Hand (1990), 99.9F (1992), Nine Objects of Desire (1996), Songs in Red and Gray (2001), and Beauty & Crime (2007.) The albums gave audiences the additional singles: “In Liverpool,” “99.9F,” “Blood Makes Noise,” “When Heroes Go Down,” and “No Cheap Thrill.” In addition, Vega’s song “Caramel” was featured in the film The Truth About Cats & Dogs and also in the trailer for the movie Closer. Suzanne Vega also wrote the song “Woman on the Tier” for the film Dead Man Walking.

Suzanne Vega continues to perform and record. She most recently released the album Tales from the Realm of the Queen of Pentacles, in 2014. The album features the single “Fool’s Complaint.”