Suzie McNeil
Founder and Instructor
Juno Award winner, Suzie McNeil, was born to make music. From a very early age, she learned the art of musical collaboration by singing with her mother and sister in their Mississauga, Ontario home. Since then, her passion, hard work and determination has led to an impressive and diverse career on stage, on screen and in the studio.
With a whole country cheering her on, Suzie’s became a household name in 2005 when she was the last woman standing on the CBS reality show, Rockstar:INXS. Since then, she has continued to make Canada proud, recording, “Believe,” in 2009, a song that became an anthem for the 2010 Canadian Olympic Team. She was honoured to perform this song for the world during the closing ceremonies in Vancouver.
Suzie is a powerful vocalist and talented performer, landing her the role of OZ in the Toronto debut of Queen’s We will Rock YOU Musical as well as countless live shows and studio work alongside some of North America’s top artists including Steven Tyler, Alan Frew, Jeff Healey, Dave Navarro, INXS, Scott Weiland, Gavin Rossdale, Clay Aitkin and Foreigner. In ### she had the exciting opportunity to back up for P!NK on her North American Tour and just this year, Suzie made history by joining Aerosmith on their Las Vegas residency singing backup vocals with Steven Tyler, an opportunity unfortunately cut short by the Covid-19 pandemic.
As an acclaimed solo artist, Suzie co-wrote and released five albums in Canada with singles that reached the Top 20 Canadian Pop Charts, including “SuperGirl” that went gold. Suzie was nominated for a Canadian Radio Music Award, a “Best New Artist” JUNO award, and was awarded The Canadian Independent Music award’s “Favorite Pop Artist/Group of the Year”.
In 2014, Suzie moved to Nashville with her then partner, Andrew Mactaggart, to start a classic-rock/country band, “The Loving Mary Band”. Together, they released a critically acclaimed album, and toured Steven Tyler’s solo country project for four years, before the once bandmates turned soulmates and returned to Ontario as husband and wife. In ### Suzie unleashed her latest musical project, “The Chain Reaction”, a 10-piece soul band that has been performing high-energy shows around the country.
Suzie’s desire to support other’s in pursuit of their musical dreams began when she was a featured judge and mentor for four seasons of YTV’s ‘Idol-esque’ search for the next teen singing-sensation: The Next Star, (her song, Let’s Go, could also be heard as the theme song). Today, she is thrilled to continue mentoring many budding musicians through Burlingtone Music Academy in Burlington, Ontario.