Sue Hadjopoulos
Quick Facts
Biography
Sue Hadjopoulos is an American percussionist.
Early life and education
Hadjopoulos was born in Flushing, New York to a musical family. Her brother Chris Hadjopoulos is a drummer. Her brother, Steve Hadjopoulos, deceased in 1991 played flute, keyboards, and saxophone with the group Firefall from 1983-1988.
Hadjopoulos studied classical flute for six years before switching to drums and percussion. She graduated magna cum laude in Anthropology at Barnard College, Columbia University and did her graduate studies at Mannes College of Music in Manhattan.
Career
In 1977 Hadjopoulos began a two-year run as a founding member and timbalera of Latin Fever, a 14-piece female salsa band produced by Latin jazz pianist Larry Harlow. Their breakthrough CD Larry Harlow Presents Latin Fever rose to the top of the Latin charts and garnered a #1 hit with the single "Lo Que Te Gusta Mas".
In 1982, Hadjopoulos collaborated with British musician Joe Jackson to create his 1982 album Night and Day. Hadjopoulos continued her collaboration with him on and off through 2012, during that time she also worked with artists as Cyndi Lauper, Simple Minds, Enrique Iglesias, and Ricky Martin.
Hadjopoulos co-wrote, co-produced and performed the song "Breakin' Up" in the 1994 film Bar Girls and in the later 1990s and early 2000s, she also performed in theatre and off-Broadway shows: Behind the Beat at the Kaufman Theater with Vicki Sue Robinson in 1999. The Temptation of Saint Anthony premiere at Ruhr Trienalle Festivalle in Duisberg, Germany resulted in a limited release of a two compilation CD in addition to an off Broadway production of Songs For A New World at NYC's Churnuchin Theater, produced by Debbie Slevin.
In 1984 she was voted one of the top five percussionists in the Latin/Brazilian category of Modern Drummer magazine's Readers’ Poll.
Discography
- With Otis Blackwell
- The No.1 King of Rock ‘n’ Roll (1977)
- With Hazel Scott
- Always (1979)
- With Latin Fever
- Larry Harlow Presents Latin Fever (1978)
- Night And Day (1982)
- Night And Day Deluxe Edition (2003)
- Mikes Murder Film Soundtrack (1983)
- Joe Jackson Live 1980-86 (1988)
- Blaze of Glory (1989)
- Laughter and Lust (1991)
- Three of Hearts Film Score (1994)
- Joe Jackson & Friends - Heaven and Hell (1997)
- Symphony No.1 (Grammy Winner) (1999)
- Night and Day II (2000)
- The Duke (2011)
- With Simple Minds
- Once Upon A Time (1985)
- Simple Minds Live In The City of Light (1986)
- With Cyndi Lauper
- The World is Stone- Learn To Live Alone (1992 Special edition CD)
- Taken from Tycoon: The Musical Album (U.S. remake of the French/Québécois cyberpunk rock opera (1976)
- With Laurie Anderson
- Strange Angels (1989)
- “Strange Angels” in the Film Soundtrack of “The Doctor.”
- With Humpe Humpe
- Humpe Humpe (1985)
- With David Byrne
- David Byrne David Byrne (1994)
- With They Might Be Giants
- Factory Showroom (1996)
- With Ricky Martin
- “I Count The Minutes” from the CD Ricky Martin (1999 )
- With Michael Monroe
- Not Fakin’ It (1989)
- With Debbie Friedman
- The Water in the Well (2001)
- With Southside Johnny and the La Bamba Big Band
- Grapefruit Moon The Songs of Tom Waits (2008)