The Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College welcomes acclaimed singer Suzy Bogguss on Sunday, Oct. 11

 

DURANGO, Colo. – Suzy Bogguss, one of the most acclaimed female country singers of the late ’80s and ’90s who has balanced country tradition with a contemporary mainstream sensibility, comes to the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009, 7 p.m.

Walking the line between critical acclaim and commercial success, Bogguss remains one of the rare artists who has pleased fans and critics alike with her vocal style, musicianship and meaningful lyrics. With a knack for blending songs of substance and dept with mass-market appeal, Bogguss is currently touring to promote her latest studio release, “Sweet Danger,” co-produced with legendary jazz producer and keyboardist Jason Miles.

Known for connecting with her audiences, Bogguss set out on the coffeehouse and club circuit following her graduation from Illinois State University with an art degree; After five years of touring in a van, she settled in Nashville. A 1986 tape made to sell at Dolly Parton’s Dollywood theme park impressed Capitol Records, which signed her.

She reached the Top 15 in 1989 with “Cross My Broken Heart” and won the Academy of Country Music’s Top Female Vocalist. The 1991 album “Aces” spawned three Top 10 hits – “Outbound Plane,” “Aces” and “Letting Go,” successes that earned her the Horizon Award for most promising artist at the 1992 CMA awards.

In 1993, Bogguss climbed to No. 2 with John Hiatt’s “Drive South,” followed by the Top 5 hits “Just Like the Weather” and “Hey Cinderella.” She and friend Chet Atkins released the album “Simpatico” in 1994.

Parting with Capitol Records, Bogguss resurfaced with one album on the Platinum label in 1999. After an extensive tour with John Berry and Billy Dean, she released “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas in 2001,” as well as “Swing!” in 2003.

 “Sweet Danger,” like all of Bogguss’ previous work, is filled with songs of emotional integrity. She covers Chicago’s “If You Leave Me Now” and creates a totally new vibe by stripping the song down to its emotional core and rebuilding it with a tight acoustic ensemble. “No Good Way To Go” is a tongue-in-cheek lesson in “the break up” delivered in a bluesy, whispered rap. She turns to husband/songwriter Doug Crider for “In Heaven,” the emotional centerpiece of the album written about some of the couple’s best friends.

Bogguss remains consistent in her unwillingness to be defined by the expectations of others. She has always listened to her own instincts and followed her muse wherever it has led, and notes on her web site, “What I’m really trying to do is make music that people like. That’s why I started playing in bars in the first place.”

Tickets for Suzy Bogguss ($25-Balcony/Orchestra and $35-Plaza) are available on the web at www.durangoconcerts.com or by calling 970.247.7657 or 877.282.9992, or at the Ticket Office in Downtown Durango at 7^th and Main Ave. All sales final.

Curtain is 7:00 p.m., with doors to the Concert Hall and concessions, serving beer, wine and non-alcoholic beverages and snacks, opening at 6:00 p.m.

The Community Concert Hall is located in the growing arts complex of Fort Lewis College.  It operates through a partnership with the college, a state-supported, independent institution of higher education, as well as the city of Durango, and with financial and in-kind contributions from generous members of the community.