Susanna Hoffs, born on January 17, 1959, in Los Angeles, emerged as a defining force in 1980s music as the lead vocalist and guitarist of The Bangles, blending her artistic upbringing, musical training, and fierce determination to break into a male-dominated rock world.

Raised in a creative household—her father a psychoanalyst to Hollywood stars and her mother a pioneering female director—Susanna was immersed in Beatles music and trained in ballet and guitar from an early age, laying the foundation for her future stage presence and musical precision. After graduating from UC Berkeley with an art degree, she returned to L.A. and joined forces with Vicki and Debbie Peterson to form The Bangles, achieving breakout success with help from Prince, who secretly gave them their hit “Manic Monday” in 1986. Though her rising fame and lead vocal dominance unintentionally caused internal rifts that led to the group’s 1989 breakup, Hoffs pursued a solo career with mixed commercial results but critical growth.