On this week’s episode of Magic’s 'Where Are They Now?' series, Mark McCarron sat down with Suzanne Prentice, shining a light on the beloved New Zealand singer who rose to fame as a country artist as a teenager in the 1970s.
She grew to become one of the genre's most recognisable voices, toured the world and even performed at the Royal Variety Show for the Queen.
To some, it may appear she has faded slightly into the shadows in comparison to those former years, but as she tells Mark, her 50-year music career is still going strong, and it’s still very much something she enjoys.
“I am so lucky. Life is great. Actually, I'm still singing, which is great. I've had a very long career - over 50 years now - but I’m enjoying singing,” she said.
These days, Suzanne has the luxury of picking and choosing her work, balancing international travel with quality family time.
“I'm very selective these days. I've got four grandchildren. So it's nice to be able to spend some time with them," she said.
Despite spending lengthy amounts of time overseas when she was younger, she says she has always remained a proud Southlander.
“I’m a Southlander at heart… Invercargill has always been home, and I think it always will be.”
Listen to the full chat below
Looking back to the start of her career, Suzanne recalled how it began unexpectedly, as music was never something on her radar until her family moved to a farm in Invercargill.
Purely to keep Suzanne busy, her mother signed them both up to a country music club - neither of them being huge country music fans.
“I was probably the most unlikely person to be in the entertainment industry. I never wanted to be a star. We didn’t even know I sang," she explained.
"Very few kids came out to see me [on the farm], so my mother said, ‘Let’s just join this country music club. ’ It was simply to give me something to do.”
It was through that “something” that Suzanne found her voice, which led to early recording sessions and appearances on the iconic TV show ‘That’s Country’, which she thanks for teaching her discipline and stagecraft.
“It was a great experience to have. And, you know, every show that we did, I learned something from it.”
A 15-year-old Suzanne Prentice on Canadian television. Source: Audioculture.
From then on out, the world was Suzanne’s oyster; she travelled to Nashville, London, and Ontario, with Canada and Britain becoming almost like second homes to her.
“I’ve worked extensively in Canada for many years, which was great. I also went to Great Britain and worked for the BBC for a while.”
Touching on her Royal Variety Performance, she added, “It was lovely to do that show for the Queen and Duke”.
While those are massive career highlights, when Mark asked about specific standout moments, Suzanne said what she really cherishes is the work she’s done closer to home with the Kids to Kids theatre concerts here in New Zealand.
“One of the things I’m most proud of is that over 18 years, I worked with children on a show called Kids for Kids. Just to see their self-esteem grow and get letters from teachers and principals. I've had so many memories from that," she said.
Even now, fans remind her of the impact she’s had.
“I often have people say, ‘I sang with you when I was young, and because of you, I became a teacher or a musician.’ That means the world to me.”
At the end of the chat, when asked how she feels about her legacy, Prentice remained graciously humble.
“If it wasn’t for the fans, I wouldn’t have had the career I’ve had. I’ve been extremely lucky.”
And how lucky are we to have been blessed with such a talent as Suzanne Prentice?
Tune in to Magic Breakfast Tuesdays at 8 am to catch up with more NZ stars of the past and see what they’re up to now.
