Suzanne Vega is one of the most critically acclaimed songwriters of the last two

decades. She made major inroads on the pop charts with her U.S. top-five hit "Luka"

(

XXXXXX%2F0017297_0102_00_0002.ra">RealAudio excerpt) in 1987. That

song was a precursor to the confessional folk-based style pursued by many artists

— several of them female — in the '90s.

Vega was born 40 years ago today in Santa Monica, Calif. Her family moved to New

York's Spanish Harlem when Vega was 2. She was encouraged to pursue her interests

in music and dance by her Puerto Rican stepfather, who was a writer and teacher.

Vega attended Manhattan's High School of Performing Arts, where she began writing

songs on her guitar. At 16 Vega started performing in Greenwich Village coffeehouses.

She then went on to Barnard College.

In 1983 Vega fortuitously met lawyer Ron Fierstein and producer Steve Addabbo, who

had founded their own music production company. They were impressed with Vega's

hushed vocals and incisive, introspective songwriting. With Fierstein and Addabbo

managing her, Vega was signed to A&M Records.

Her eponymous 1985 debut, produced by Addabbo and Lenny Kaye of the Patti Smith

Group, received wide critical praise in the U.S. and was a #11 hit in the UK. Solitude

Standing (1987), spurred by the success of the child-abuse saga "Luka," broke Vega

into the mainstream in the U.S. It was a top-20 LP on the Billboard 200 albums

chart.

Days of Open Hand (1990) was something of a commercial disappointment due

to its lack of hit singles, but Vega was still respected in the music industry. Also in 1990,

Vega's career benefited from the British remixing duo DNA, who added a new rhythm

track to her "Tom's Diner," from Solitude Standing. After Vega acquired rights to

the new track, it became a top-five smash on both sides of the Atlantic.

Her next album, 1992's 99.9 F (

HREF="http://www.sonicnet.com/artists/clip.cgi?track=%7Ebb-

XXXXXX%2F0010495_0104_00_0002.ra">RealAudio excerpt of title track),

also failed to sell in great numbers. Vega's last LP to date is 1996's Nine Objects of

Desire, which, despite the commercial appeal of such tracks as "No Cheap Thrill"

and "Caramel," was not a big hit. The album was produced by veteran Mitchell Froom,

who is also Vega's husband.

Movie soundtracks which Vega has contributed to include "Pretty in Pink," "Dead Man

Walking" and "The Truth About Cats and Dogs."

Earlier this year, Vega released a book, "The Passionate Eye," a collection of poetry,

anecdotes, interviews and lyrics.

Her appearance on the TV show "Sessions at West 54th" is available on CD in Japan

only.

Other birthdays: Jeff Hanna (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band), 52; Bonnie Pointer, 49; Peter Brown,

46; Benny DeFranco (The DeFranco Family), 45; Peter Murphy (Bauhaus), 42; Richie

Sambora (Bon Jovi), 40; Li'l Kim, 24; and Blind Lemon Jefferson (1897-1929).