Suzie McNeil’s long road to New Artist of the Year Nominee

by Nadine Silverthorne

Suzie McNeil is no stranger to the blessings that providence can bring. The New Artist of the Year nominee spent a decade as a hard working but little-known musical artist. Having grown up in a musical family, she took any opportunity possible to show off her talents, from live shows to singing commercial jingles. Then a fateful audition for a reality series changed this Torontonian’s life.

Rockstar: Suzie McNeil

By the time the leaves changed in 2005, so had McNeil’s career. As the last female contestant in CBS’s ”Rockstar: INXS,” Suzie grew legions of fans with her husky rock vocals and her impressive stage presence. “When that many people see you and you have fans and a lot of doors are open,” McNeil told CTV.ca, “It’s all about what doors you go through.”

The Reality of Post-Reality-TV Life

Her taste of reality TV fame was deceiving. “I think for a while there I was just kind of confused about what to do and feeling like there’s some kind of free ride,” admitted McNeil. “I’ve learned so much in the past couple of years -- especially this year -- that for any artist there’s no free ride.”

The modest Canadian underestimates her achievements. Since appearing on Rockstar, she’s performed backup for Pink, sang on the records of artists such as Clay Aiken, and starred in the hit Queen musical, ”We Will Rock You”. To top off all that momentum to superstardom, McNeil released her debut album, ”Broken & Beautiful” in the spring of 2007. This past fall, Suzie recorded a special “Olympic Inspired” version of her song, “Believe,” as part of Bell’s “Road to 2010” campaign.

Northern Exposure

Though her recording career has her spending a lot of time in Los Angeles, McNeil’s affection for her home and native land hasn’t faded. “Canada’s been so great! There are so many great opportunities for the citizens and for artists here.”

When asked if the cold climate contributes to our vast talent pool, McNeil grins. “I’ve wondered that! It could be because we live in such a great country. We take care of each other. We’re sort of given the space and the time to be creative and really tap into that self-expression.” She flashes a devious smile. “That and the fact that we’re cooped up day after day. There’s nothing else to do. We can’t go surfing!”

The Road to the JUNO Awards

“It’s been sort of a whirlwind of ups and downs and weird emotions, but I’m really proud about this [nomination] right now,” gushed the adorable McNeil. “It’s weird because I’ve been an artist like my whole life really. But this year has been the craziest of all. It does feel new to me, so it sort of matches. I’m honoured.”

Being around musicians her whole life hasn’t lost its appeal for the seasoned singer. The JUNO Awards provide a venue to mingle with her peers from across the country. “I’m surrounded by these amazing artists. I’m totally like a sponge watching how they do it. It’s so wonderful to get to be a part of it.”

Official Website: www.suziemcneil.ca
MySpace: myspace.com/suziemcneilmusic