IN the BBC drama Ashes to Ashes, DCI Gene Hunt used to shout out ‘let’s fire up the quattro’.

The original and best Quatro by a mile, even a country mile, is the rock ‘n’ roll legend Suzi Quatro, who had been roaring on all cylinders long before DCI Hunt was firing up his Quattro in the1980s.

While DCI Hunt’s Quattro may have stopped firing and might be more spluttering along, Suzi Quatro is still firing on all her cylinders.

While Audi used the advertising phrase ‘Vorsprung durch technik,’ which means “Advancement through Technology”, the German slogan for Suzi could be ‘Fortschritt durch Rock ‘n’ Roll’ - “Advancement through rock ‘n’ roll”.

The rock ‘n’ roll fire was lit in her belly when she was six years old and happened the first time she saw Elvis Presley appear on the Ed Sullivan Show.

This moment, Suzi said, was for her ‘an epiphany’ and one which she has never forgotten.

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She said: “I knew at that moment, at that stage that is what I wanted to do.

“I saw Elvis when I was six years old and I knew I wanted to do what he did.

“I did not have to think about it, and I did not think, as I was a girl, I could not do it.

“I could not understand why my older sister was screaming as I just stared at the television and seemed to be drawn towards it.

“It was the first time I had felt like this.

“I do not know why but I had a sense of my own future.

“When I look back now I realise I was a trailblazer for women in rock ‘n’ roll.

“I felt it would fall on my shoulders as I was someone who did not think about gender.

“To me, it was quite natural; I can play music and I can do it and I knew I would.

“I have always treated what I have done as being a total professional.

“My dad told me it was my job and I knew I had to give it 100 per cent on stage.

“As a result, I have been a professional entertainer.”

One of the items of clothing which Suzi is famous for is her leather jump suit.

The jump suit came about when she battled with her then record producer Mickie Most, who, when he saw her in a leather jacket told her leather was on the way out.

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Suzi argued with him as she wanted to be different and, in the end, they compromised and Suzi could wear a leather jump suit.

She said: “This was what I saw as part of my image.

“I thought it would be a good thing; I thought it was practical and never thought it was sexy.

“How naive I was but I felt it would be comfortable.

“Wearing the leather was my second Elvis epiphany.

“Back then, I was in an all-girl group (The Pleasure Seekers) and we, from time to time, wore mini skirts.

“I preferred jeans but, while I was watching television in South Carolina, I saw Elvis in his comeback special in 1968.

“He was wearing all leather and I thought ‘That is the look for me’ and I got myself a leather jacket.”

The look worked but it was backed up by talent and showwomanship.

Suzi had a string of hits which lit up the 1970s and early 1980s.

Her impressive hit singles include Can the Can (1973); 48 Crash (1973); Devil Gate Drive (1974) Daytona Demon (1974); The Wild One (1974); If You Can’t Give Me Love (1978) and She’s in Love with You (1979).

One of the things Suzi is proud of outside the music world is being awarded an honorary doctorate at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK on October 19, 2016.

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Suzi said she did have a bucket list of things which she had ticked off but one of the things left was to make a movie or make a movie about her life.

Suzi is always looking forward and, like many of the acts which came out of Detroit at the same time, such as Iggy Pop and Alice Copper, is still going.

She has been quoted as saying: “I will retire when I go on stage, shake my ass, and there is silence.”

When asked about this, she laughed but I have a feeling her talent will always shine through.

You can learn more about Suzi as she will be appearing at the Yeovil Literary Festival.

She will be at The Manor Hotel on Friday, October 27.

Tickets: £10, Members: £8.

Her first novel, The Hurricane, was released in May.

For full listings for this year’s Yeovil Literary Festival please visit yeovilliteraryfestival.co.uk One of the big releases on the horizon is a new 20-track compilation album personally curated by Suzi Quatro featuring digitally remastered versions of all her biggest hits including “Can The Can”, “48 Crash”, “Devil Gate Drive”, and “Stumblin’ In”.

The album will be available on Gold Coloured Double Vinyl, CD and digitally.

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For the very first time, Suzi’s four RAK studio albums she originally released between 1975 and 1979, will be digitally remastered and available to download and stream across all digital platforms.

The four studio albums include “Your Mamma Won’t Like Me”

(1975), “Aggro- Phobia” (1976), “If You Knew Suzi” (1978), and “Suzi … and Other Four Letter Words” (1979).

Suzi said: “I’m excited about my new compilation; it’s not just the hits, which I love, but it also features favourite and important tracks from my albums, with an extensive Track By Track on the liner notes. Enjoy one and all.”

To date, the only original RAK studio albums available digitally are Suzi’s eponymous debut 1973 album “Suzi Quatro”, and 1974’s album “Quatro”.

She added: “The hits are the hits but, as Mickie Most always told me, ‘Your self-penned songs are the meat of what you do, Suzi’. Enjoy some of my personal choices.”

“The Best Of Suzi Quatro: Legend” is released on September 22 on Gold Coloured Double Vinyl, CD and Digital Formats. Preorder via Pledge - https:// SuziBestOf.lnk.to/Pledge.

SUZI QUATRO – ‘THE BEST OF SUZI QUATRO: LEGEND’ – TRACKLISTING 1. Can The Can (2017 Remaster) 2. Shine My Machine (2017 Remaster) 3. 48 Crash (2017 Remaster) 4. Skin Tight Skin (2017 Remaster) 5. Daytona Demon (2017 Remaster) 6. Devil Gate Drive (2017 Remaster) 7. The Wild One (Single Version) 8. Cat Size (2017 Remaster) 9. Too Big (2017 Remaster) 10. Michael (2017 Remaster) 11. Half As Much As Me (2017 Remaster) 12. Stumblin’ In (2017 Remaster) 13. If You Can’t Give Me Love (2017 Remaster) 14. Suicide (2017 Remaster) 15. Wiser Than You (2017 Remaster) 16. She’s In Love With You (2017 Remaster) 17. Hollywood (2017 Remaster) 18. 15 Minutes Of Fame 19. Free The Butterfly 20. Dancing In The Wind Suzi Quatro headlines the “Legends Live” Tour in October featuring David Essex, The Osmonds and Hot Chocolate.

Further info: suziquatro.com