Heartbreaking: One of The Bangles Legendary Singer passes away at 51 years after suffering a cardiac arrhythmia in…
In the ’80s, there were few bands cooler than the Bangles. Along with the Go-Go’s, they were one of the essential groups to prove that women could rock just as hard as men, and their combination of ’60s musical influences and ’80s style dominated MTV in the channel’s early days.
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The band was formed in 1981 and released their debut album, All Over the Place, in 1984. It wasn’t until their second album, Different Light, that they blew up in popularity. The 1986 record spawned two of their signature chart-toppers, “Manic Monday” and “Walk Like an Egyptian.”
The Bangles broke up in 1989, but reunited in 1998. Since then, they’ve released two more albums, Doll Revolution (2003) and Sweetheart of the Sun (2011) and have continued to perform on occasion.
40 years after their first album, the Bangles members remain some of the most talented women in music. Their songs have serious staying power (who among us hasn’t related to “Manic Monday,” danced to “Walk Like or Egyptian,” or swooned to “Eternal Flame”?) and they blazed a trail for many retro-inspired, fun-loving pop-rock bands that followed in their groovy footsteps.
Susanna Hoffs is the Bangles’ lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist. She released her first solo album, When You’re a Boy, in 1991. While it wasn’t a big hit, the single “My Side of the Bed” made it into Billboard‘s Top 40.
Hoffs had another solo album that went in a more folk-inspired and personal direction in 1996, and she released three cover albums of ’60s, ’70s and ’80s songs in collaboration with musician Matthew Sweet in the ’00s and ’10s. She released one more solo album of original songs, Someday, in 2012.
Hoffs released two solo cover albums, Bright Lights and The Deep End, in 2021 and 2023, respectively. She also branched out and wrote a rom-com novel, This Bird Has Flown, in 2023. The book received positive reviews, with The New York Times calling it “the smart, ferocious rock-chick redemption romance you didn’t know you needed.”
Now 65, the multitalented rockstar/writer has been married to Jay Roach, the director of the Austin Powers movies (which she appeared in, as part of a faux-’60s band!), Meet the Parents and Meet the Fockers and Trumbo, since 1993. They have two sons.
If you’re still curious about what Hoffs has been up to lately, you can check out this cute video she shared on her Instagram!
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