Pat Suzuki portrait

This photograph of Pat Suzuki (b. 1930) was originally owned by audio engineer Joe Boles (1904-1962). Suzuki recorded a demonstration tape at Boles’ recording studio in 1957; this demonstration tape would help her get a contract with the label RCA Victor.

Pat Suzuki, born Chiyoko Suzuki, was raised in Cressey, California on her family’s farm. Even as a child Suzuki loved to sing, performing at the local church and at community gatherings. During WWII she was incarcerated with her family at the Merced Assembly Center and the Amache Colorado concentration camp. Following the war, she and her family were able to return to California. Suzuki attended San Jose State College where she earned a degree in art and education and spent her evenings singing at nightclubs. In 1954, Suzuki was in New York, where she successfully auditioned for a role in the traveling production of Teahouse of the August Moon and began touring with the show. The Teahouse of the August Moon tour took Suzuki to Seattle in 1955, the city which would capture her heart. Her impromptu performance at The Colony nightclub led owner Norm Bobrow (1917-2008) to offer her a permanent position, which she accepted. While headlining at The Colony, Suzuki was popular with the local audience but also gained attention from Variety which likened her to Billie Holiday (1915-1959) or Judy Garland (1922-1969). Bing Crosby (1903-1977), who was a Washington native, helped her get a record contract with RCA Victor. In 1958, Suzuki was cast as Linda Low in the Broadway debut of Flower Drum Song, which received mostly positive reviews including special accolades for the quality of Suzuki’s voice. Suzuki received a Grammy nomination in 1960 for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for her album Broadway ‘59. The following year she performed at the presidential inauguration of John F. Kennedy (1917-1963). Suzuki returned to Seattle in 1963, but she continued making television appearances and acting on both stage and screen. Suzuki’s work also includes activism for Asian-American civil rights. She performed in musical drama Manzanar: An American Story in 2005 and hosted the podcast Order 9066 with Sab Shimono in 2018.