Bette Sussman
Encyclopedia
Bette Sussman is an American television composer
, singer, songwriter
, pianist
, and musical director.
till she graduated from high school
, after which she attended the Oberlin College Conservatory. When she had finished her first year, she moved to New York City
, and studied with late jazz musician Sanford Gold
, at age eighteen.
. By chance, Dick Wagner
met her, and introduced her to Tim Curry
. She played on Curry's Fearless album and also embarked on her first major world tour with him. She would later work as a musical director and a pianist for music artists such as Cissy Houston
, Sarah Dash
, Esther Marrow, and Patti Austin
, whom she recorded a live album with from the Bottom Line in NYC.
Sussman toured with Whitney Houston
, Cissy Houston's daughter, in 1999, and played on Houston's version of the Dolly Parton
classic "I Will Always Love You" for The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album. Their version was a soundtrack success and sold over 17 million copies.
Sussman's friend, award winning composer and lyricist
Marc Shaiman
got her in touch with Bette Midler
, later that same year. She and Midler then worked together for several years, and embarked on a tour together in 2003. Sussman has also worked with Aretha Franklin
and Dean Friedman
.
In television, she performed on the soundtrack for the song "Christmastime for the Jews" in the 2005 Jack Black/Neil Young episode of Saturday Night Live
. She also worked as a composer on the award winning daytime drama series, One Life to Live
, from 1999 to 2000, and As the World Turns
, for which she has garnered two Daytime Emmy Award
wins and six nominations.
Will Lee
, by whom she is nicknamed "Skeezer".
s:
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, singer, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
, and musical director.
Early life
Sussman was musically inspired by her mother and older sister, Sue. After her mother signed her up for piano lessons at age four, she studied classical musicClassical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
till she graduated from high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, after which she attended the Oberlin College Conservatory. When she had finished her first year, she moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and studied with late jazz musician Sanford Gold
Sanford Gold
Sanford Gold was an American jazz pianist born in Cleveland, Ohio.Gold played locally in Cleveland and led regional bands before moving to New York City in the 1930s. There he collaborated with Babe Russin and Raymond Scott in 1935, and formed a trio with Dave Barbour in 1941...
, at age eighteen.
Career
When she was nineteen years old, she began her work as a musical director with a touring production of GodspellGodspell
Godspell is a musical by Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak. It opened off Broadway on May 17, 1971, and has played in various touring companies and revivals many times since, including a 2011 revival now playing on Broadway...
. By chance, Dick Wagner
Dick Wagner
Dick Wagner Dick Wagner Dick Wagner (born December 14, 1943, in Oelwein, Iowa is an American rock music guitarist and songwriter best known for his work with Alice Cooper, Lou Reed and KISS.-Performing career:...
met her, and introduced her to Tim Curry
Tim Curry
Timothy James "Tim" Curry is a British actor, singer, composer and voice actor, known for his work in a diverse range of theatre, film and television productions. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California....
. She played on Curry's Fearless album and also embarked on her first major world tour with him. She would later work as a musical director and a pianist for music artists such as Cissy Houston
Cissy Houston
Emily "Cissy" Houston is a Grammy Award–winning American soul and gospel singer. She led a very successful career as a backup singer for such artists as Elvis Presley, Mahalia Jackson, Wishbone Ash and Aretha Franklin, and is now primarily a solo artist...
, Sarah Dash
Sarah Dash
Sarah Dash is a singer and actress. Her first notable appearance on the music scene was as a member of Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles...
, Esther Marrow, and Patti Austin
Patti Austin
-Life and career:Austin was born in Harlem, New York. She made her debut at the Apollo Theater at age four and had a contract with RCA Records when she was only five. Quincy Jones and Dinah Washington have proclaimed themselves as her godparents....
, whom she recorded a live album with from the Bottom Line in NYC.
Sussman toured with Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
, Cissy Houston's daughter, in 1999, and played on Houston's version of the Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
classic "I Will Always Love You" for The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album. Their version was a soundtrack success and sold over 17 million copies.
Sussman's friend, award winning composer and lyricist
Lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
Marc Shaiman
Marc Shaiman
Marc Shaiman is an American composer, lyricist, arranger, and performer for films, television, and theatre. He is perhaps best known for writing the music and co-writing the lyrics for the Broadway musical version of the cult John Waters film Hairspray, for which Shaiman won Tony and Grammy...
got her in touch with Bette Midler
Bette Midler
Bette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...
, later that same year. She and Midler then worked together for several years, and embarked on a tour together in 2003. Sussman has also worked with Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
and Dean Friedman
Dean Friedman
Dean Friedman is an American singer-songwriter who plays piano, keyboard, guitar and other instruments, including the harmonica.-Music:...
.
In television, she performed on the soundtrack for the song "Christmastime for the Jews" in the 2005 Jack Black/Neil Young episode of Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
. She also worked as a composer on the award winning daytime drama series, One Life to Live
One Life to Live
One Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
, from 1999 to 2000, and As the World Turns
As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
, for which she has garnered two Daytime Emmy Award
Daytime Emmy Award
The Daytime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming...
wins and six nominations.
Personal life
In her spare time, she studies with jazz musician Garry Dial, and plays with the R&B band, the Bev Leslies. She is friends with bassistBassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Will Lee
Will Lee (bassist)
Will Lee aka William Franklin Lee IV is an American musician and bassist, best known for his work on the CBS television program The Late Show with David Letterman as part of the CBS Orchestra....
, by whom she is nicknamed "Skeezer".
Awards and nominations
Daytime Emmy AwardDaytime Emmy Award
The Daytime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming...
s:
- Nominated, 2000, Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition for a Drama Series for: As the World TurnsAs the World TurnsAs the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
- Won, 2000, Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition for a Drama Series for: One Life to LiveOne Life to LiveOne Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
- Nominated, 2002, Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition for a Drama Series for: One Life to Live
- Nominated, 2002, Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition for a Drama Series for: As the World Turns
- Nominated, 2003, Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition for a Drama Series for: As the World Turns
- Nominated, 2004, Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition for a Drama Series for: One Life to Live
- Won, 2005, Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition for a Drama Series for: One Life to Live
- Nominated, 2006, Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition for a Drama Series for: One Life to Live
Further reading
- Secrets of Six-Figure Women By Barbara Stanny. Published 2004, HarperCollinsHarperCollinsHarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
. ISBN 0-06-093346-1
External links
- Bette Sussman BetteSussman.com
- Bette Sussman at TV.comTV.comTV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...
- Kiss My Brass reviews
- Bette Sussman at www.discogs.com
- Bette Sussman at Artist Direct.com