AMERICAN singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega stops off at Salisbury City Hall later this month - the only local gig on her marathon five-month tour of the USA and Europe.

The tour comes in support of her new compilation album, Retrospective.

Born in New York in 1959, Suzanne originally studied dance at New York High School for the Performing Arts, as featured in the 80s TV series Fame.

At the same time she began singing her own songs in New York folk clubs.

Suzanne soon abandoned dance after her innovative and personal songs attracted record company attention.

A&M Records signed her up in 1984, releasing her self-titled debut album, which swiftly established her reputation as an uncompromising writer dealing with subjects as controversial as child abuse on songs like Luka.

Suzanne's song Left of Center featured in the film Pretty In Pink, and she followed up her debut album with two more CDs.

Suzanne first found success in the UK with some highly literate songs, including the atmospheric vignette of bedsitter angst, Marlene On The Wall.

In 1990, she got a lucky break in the UK when her song Tom's Diner, which had only reached 58 in the British charts three years previously, was sampled by the group DNA.

The song, from the album Solitude Standing, reached number two, reawakening interest in Suzanne's work. The result was an album called Tom's Album entirely devoted to reworkings of the song by such artists as REM and rapper Nikki D.

Suzanne will be singing songs covering her whole career at City Hall, including tracks from later albums like Nine Objects of Desire.

Tickets for the concert on Friday, June 27 cost £15.

For more details call the box office on 01722 327676.