The Kiwi pop icon talks to Paula Bennett about her adventures with David Bowie and Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam.
For six decades, Suzanne Lynch has lived by a simple mantra. “Keep smiling, keep saying yes, you’re doing great.”
Talking with Paula Bennett on the Ask Me Anything podcast, the pop icon says this advice first came from mentor Ray Columbus, and she’s tested it everywhere from TV studiosto Madison Square Garden.
“Once I’m on stage I’m really comfortable,” Lynch says. Off stage she admits, “I’m quite shy.”
To bridge the gap between her on and off-stage personas, Lynch starts with seizing the opportunity, then following through with hard work.
“If you get the opportunity, say yes. But have the goods to back it up with.”
For Lynch, grabbing the moment started early. At 14 she and sister Judy were invited into a recording studio after a chance encounter with guitarist Peter Posa. “It didn’t really phase me,” she says. “It was just like, oh, you learn this song. Okay, go and sing. Okay, well this is fun.”
That studio session with Posa ultimately led to the creation of The Chicks, often considered New Zealand’s first successful girl group.
Judy (left) and Suzanne Donaldson (now Lynch) as The Chicks in 1966. Photo / Supplied
Throughout her career, which has included her partying with David Bowie and touring with Cat Stevens, Lynch has followed a few other key rules. Making sure she’s punctual, that she knows her parts and respects the crew.
“I always did turn up on time, dressed right. Ready to go.
“The people you meet on the way up are the same people you meet on the way back down.”
Gut instinct has also played a significant role in how Lynch has navigated a lengthy career in music.
“I’ve always followed my intuition, so it has to feel right. If it doesn’t feel right, I’ll say, oh, it doesn’t suit me at the moment or something. But if it feels right, I always say yes and then figure out how I’ll go about it later.”
Always being ready to say yes has served Lynch well, but with age she’s learnt there’s another word that’s just as important, “let me put it this way, I’ve learned to say no.”
