Susan Jacks
Encyclopedia
Susan Jacks is a Canadian
singer–songwriter
.
, Music Hop. She also appeared on several other national television shows and regularly did live performances in the British Columbia and Alberta areas. She recorded her first single with two other well known Vancouver performers, Howie Vickers and Tom Northcott, under the name of "The Eternal Triangle"
In 1965, 17 year old Susan Pesklevits asked Terry Jacks to accompany her on guitar for an upcoming appearance. As they began performing more often, they added Craig McCaw on lead guitar and Susan eventually stopped performing as a solo artist and dedicated her time to the trio. Susan and Terry married in 1967. Craig McCaw introduced Satwant Singh to the group and he soon joined the trio on tablas, forming The Poppy Family
featuring Susan Jacks. The group, with Susan as lead vocalist, had a number of hits
from 1968 through the early 1970s. "Which Way You Goin' Billy?
" sold over 3 million copies worldwide, hitting No. 1 in Canada
and No. 2 in the United States
. "That's Where I Went Wrong" and "Where Evil Grows' also charted well on Billboard. They consequently followed up with numerous hits in Canada. Terry released Satwant Singh and Craig McCaw from the group in 1970 and, although the name Poppy Family was still used, Susan essentially became a solo singer, with the exception of one or two duets with Terry. She often performed their hits on numerous television shows including "Rollin' On The River", "The Bobby Darin Show" and "The George Kirby Special". Later, as a solo artist, she appeared on other television shows including "The Bobby Vinton Show" and numerous talk shows. She was also featured in a special called "Caught In The Act".
In 1972, Terry Jacks decided to drop the Poppy Family name and he and Susan recorded solo albums: Susan's album "I Thought of You Again" and Terry's album "Seasons In The Sun". Susan left the marriage in 1973 and resumed her solo
career. She continued to have hits in Canada with songs including "Anna Marie", "Forever", "I Thought of You Again", "All The Tea in China", "Evergreen", "You Don't Know What Love Is", "I Want You To Love Me", "Build A Tower", "Love Has No Pride", and "Another Woman's Man". Susan's first solo album I Thought of You Again... was released in 1973, the title single earning her a nomination for Canadian Female Vocalist of the Year. With the release of her Dream album in 1975, Susan was nominated again for her single "Anna Marie". Her 1980 Ghosts album garnered her another nomination with her single "All The Tea In China". In 1982 her Forever album was released.
In 1977, Jacks met former Canadian Football League
player Ted Dushinski
. They married in 1980 and had a son, Thad. The family moved to Nashville
, Tennessee
in 1983 where she recorded
the Juno
-nominated song
, "Another Woman's Man". She became a staff songwriter
for a Nashville publishing company and has had several songs recorded, including a children's song on a Grammy nominated album entitled "A Child's Gift of Lullabyes". Susan would later co-write and sing a song for the made-for-TV movie "The Last Chance Cafe".
In 2004, Jacks returned to Canada when her husband was diagnosed with lung cancer. He died in 2005. Upon returning, she was told she was in kidney failure and performed on a limited basis as her strength deteriorated. In 2010, Susan received a kidney transplant when her brother Billy donated a kidney to her. (Billy's name was used for her first hit with the Poppy Family "Which Way You Goin' Billy?"). A few months after the transplant, Jacks was again on stage and on April 17, 2011 performed a benefit concert for the Kidney Foundation of Canada to raise awareness of the need for organ donation. The concert brought very favorable response for her return to the stage and she is now planning to tour across Canada in 2012.
Jacks was inducted into the British Columbia Entertainment Hall of Fame on 27 June 2010.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
singer–songwriter
Singer–songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
.
Career
Susan Jacks was born to a family of eight children in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Her family moved to British Columbia when she was 9. Jacks began her professional career at 15 when she was asked to be a regular performer on the national Canadian television showCBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
, Music Hop. She also appeared on several other national television shows and regularly did live performances in the British Columbia and Alberta areas. She recorded her first single with two other well known Vancouver performers, Howie Vickers and Tom Northcott, under the name of "The Eternal Triangle"
In 1965, 17 year old Susan Pesklevits asked Terry Jacks to accompany her on guitar for an upcoming appearance. As they began performing more often, they added Craig McCaw on lead guitar and Susan eventually stopped performing as a solo artist and dedicated her time to the trio. Susan and Terry married in 1967. Craig McCaw introduced Satwant Singh to the group and he soon joined the trio on tablas, forming The Poppy Family
The Poppy Family
The Poppy Family was a late 1960s and early 1970s Canadian pop music group, based in Vancouver, British Columbia.-Career:Seventeen year old Susan Pesklevits met Terry Jacks in the middle 1960s while she was a regular performer on a national teen TV show called Music Hop as well as many other...
featuring Susan Jacks. The group, with Susan as lead vocalist, had a number of hits
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
from 1968 through the early 1970s. "Which Way You Goin' Billy?
Which Way You Goin' Billy?
Which Way You Goin' Billy?, released in 1969, was the first album from Vancouver, British Columbia band The Poppy Family. They scored their biggest hit with title track "Which Way You Goin' Billy?" which went to #1 in Canada and #2 on the Billboard charts in the U.S...
" sold over 3 million copies worldwide, hitting No. 1 in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and No. 2 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. "That's Where I Went Wrong" and "Where Evil Grows' also charted well on Billboard. They consequently followed up with numerous hits in Canada. Terry released Satwant Singh and Craig McCaw from the group in 1970 and, although the name Poppy Family was still used, Susan essentially became a solo singer, with the exception of one or two duets with Terry. She often performed their hits on numerous television shows including "Rollin' On The River", "The Bobby Darin Show" and "The George Kirby Special". Later, as a solo artist, she appeared on other television shows including "The Bobby Vinton Show" and numerous talk shows. She was also featured in a special called "Caught In The Act".
In 1972, Terry Jacks decided to drop the Poppy Family name and he and Susan recorded solo albums: Susan's album "I Thought of You Again" and Terry's album "Seasons In The Sun". Susan left the marriage in 1973 and resumed her solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
career. She continued to have hits in Canada with songs including "Anna Marie", "Forever", "I Thought of You Again", "All The Tea in China", "Evergreen", "You Don't Know What Love Is", "I Want You To Love Me", "Build A Tower", "Love Has No Pride", and "Another Woman's Man". Susan's first solo album I Thought of You Again... was released in 1973, the title single earning her a nomination for Canadian Female Vocalist of the Year. With the release of her Dream album in 1975, Susan was nominated again for her single "Anna Marie". Her 1980 Ghosts album garnered her another nomination with her single "All The Tea In China". In 1982 her Forever album was released.
In 1977, Jacks met former Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
player Ted Dushinski
Ted Dushinski
Ted J. Dushinski was a former defensive back for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League.-Early days:...
. They married in 1980 and had a son, Thad. The family moved to Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
in 1983 where she recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
the Juno
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
-nominated song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
, "Another Woman's Man". She became a staff 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...
for a Nashville publishing company and has had several songs recorded, including a children's song on a Grammy nominated album entitled "A Child's Gift of Lullabyes". Susan would later co-write and sing a song for the made-for-TV movie "The Last Chance Cafe".
In 2004, Jacks returned to Canada when her husband was diagnosed with lung cancer. He died in 2005. Upon returning, she was told she was in kidney failure and performed on a limited basis as her strength deteriorated. In 2010, Susan received a kidney transplant when her brother Billy donated a kidney to her. (Billy's name was used for her first hit with the Poppy Family "Which Way You Goin' Billy?"). A few months after the transplant, Jacks was again on stage and on April 17, 2011 performed a benefit concert for the Kidney Foundation of Canada to raise awareness of the need for organ donation. The concert brought very favorable response for her return to the stage and she is now planning to tour across Canada in 2012.
Jacks was inducted into the British Columbia Entertainment Hall of Fame on 27 June 2010.
Albums
| Year | Album | CAN |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | I Thought of You Again... | — |
| 1975 | Dream | 93 |
| 1976 | The World of Susan Jacks and the Poppy Family | — |
| 1980 | Ghosts | — |
| 1982 | Forever | — |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN | CAN AC | CAN Country | US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
||
| 1973 | "You Don't Know What Love Is" | 3 | 3 | — | — |
| "I Thought of You Again" | 7 | 2 | — | — | |
| 1974 | "I Want You to Love Me" | 66 | 7 | — | — |
| "Build a Tower" | 56 | 14 | — | — | |
| 1975 | "You're a Part of Me" | 41 | 11 | — | 90 |
| "Love Has No Pride" | 71 | — | — | — | |
| "Anna Marie" | 20 | — | 13 | — | |
| 1976 | "Memories Are Made of You" | 49 | 5 | — | — |
| 1980 | "All the Tea in China" | 93 | 11 | — | — |
| "Twice as Strong" | — | 18 | — | — | |
| 1981 | "Evergreen" | — | 5 | 30 | — |
| 1982 | "Forever" | — | 19 | — | — |
| "It Takes Two" | — | 28 | — | — | |
| 1984 | "Another Woman's Man" | — | — | 47 | — |