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Barbara Jean "BJ" Suter was born August 9, 1948 in Dayton, Ohio to Dale and Helen Suter and spent her early years in Centerville, south of Dayton. At the age of four, she knocked out her front tooth on her family’s piano and began her musical career.
"...with an instrument in her hands, improvising and talking in the language of music... She was always learning and working to share her musical gifts in her own way and in her own time."
After the family moved to Troy, Ohio in 1956, she mastered the piano and later joined the high school band and learned the flute, violin, sousaphone and tenor drum—though the guitar soon became her primary instrument. She then explored choral music, winning a state music competition with a 6-voice ensemble, and was named “Most Valuable Musician” her senior year. From there she went on to earn degrees in music, art and German from Bluffton College in 1970.
Shortly after her college graduation, BJ moved to Miami, Florida, where she worked as a professional musician, performing in an acoustic vocal trio. After meeting her now-divorced husband and moving with him to Boise, Idaho and then Boulder, Colorado, she became ensconced in the local bluegrass scene, learned to play the banjo, and helped nurture nascent festivals as part of the Colorado Bluegrass Music Society, with whom she served seven years as President. She was a regular staff member at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Rockygrass and Rockygrass Academy, Folks Fest and the Rocky Mountain Song School, among others.
"BJ was an essential part of the Colorado Bluegrass scene."
As a performer, BJ played in many ensembles, ultimately placing 2nd in the Telluride Band competition, and was a finalist in the Telluride Troubadour competition. As a songwriter, she was selected for the International Bluegrass Music Association’s “World of Bluegrass” Songwriter Showcase in Nashville. She was a prolific songwriter, devoted to writing a song a week for the last several years of her life, including many collaborations with performers such as the popular Rebecca Folsom. BJ was working on recording her first album, which is expected to be completed this summer.
"BJ was a woman of remarkable talents, mastering the banjo, piano and guitar; writing songs about peace, understanding and self-transformation; and possessing one of the most beautiful singing voices you’ll ever hear."
BJ worked for 30 years for the City of Boulder’s Housing and Human Services Department. After retiring in 2015, she volunteered to help organize finances for the underprivileged, to teach English to native Spanish-speakers, and as a docent for the Denver Art Museum. She was also a member of several art groups and classes, producing many lovely pastel paintings, sketches and other visual pieces.
"She touched so many lives in her gentle way."
BJ Suter passed away at the age of 74 on January 13, 2023 at Longs Peak Hospital in Longmont after a private year-and-a-half long battle with breast cancer, accompanied shortly before her death by her long-time friend and housemate David Coile. BJ was preceded in death by her father, mother, and brother David and is survived by her brother Ralph. She had no children.
"BJ Suter has gone to the pickin’ circle in the sky..."
A tribute from Bill Farmer
A tribute from Bill Farmer
HIDDEN FLOWERS
(for BJ)
Hidden flowers
Beneath the earth
Will bloom someday
From seeds you secretly scattered in the past
As you walked with us
And those flowers
Will remind us of your beauty
Sharing your joy
Springing forth for all of us
Just as they did
That day long ago,
That day when we first met you
That yesterday
When we discovered your unexpected, sudden laughter
When we first saw the colorful splash of your fresh, flashing smile
And found new giggling eyes before us
Music springing up at our feet!
Gently, carefully, you grew a path for us
And you guided us along
To these beautiful future days
One day
Unexpected, sudden,
Your hidden flowers
Your secret seeds
Will bloom again
Will laugh with us again
Will lead us in song
And carry us along again
To unknown and beautiful days ahead.
-Bill Farmer
A tribute from Edee Gail
A tribute from Edee Gail
My heart aches with the passing of my dear musician friend, confidant, picking bud, muse and Planet Bluegrass co-worker of 21+ years. I've had a numbness of disbelief, anger, confusion and a lot of guilt... that had I known I could have done more.
I'm moving through this slowly... All of us who were touched by her were shocked to hear of her passing. We worked together, laughed together, and had challenging moments which we got thru by using the word "banana" to get us back on the court. We facilitated over 44 + Rockygrass Academy's, and Song Schools, and at each one we learned more, laughed more, got closer, and refined what we brought forward while working with Steve Szymanski and others.
And there were preparations for supervising 18+ Elks Park in Telluride... which I call "The intimate stage that produces major magic!"
We called each other "Check and Balance."
She had her genius brought forward from her 20 years working in Human Services for Boulder County. We were a good team bringing forward our best and it felt great when the event was regarded as the best yet... be it Telluride, Rockygrass Academy, or Song School... as was/is the case for all of the Planet.
I met BJ in the late 90's or 2000 when Buck Buckner enrolled she, Brian Eyster, and myself individually to enter the Band Scramble. We immediately hit it off... BJ on banjo, Brian on dobro and me on guitar along with two other players. Much to our surprise we won!
...and its obvious the fame and glory we have all gone on to...
What is happening with BJ's transcendence is we all are learning more and more about her abilities and her well deserved fame with newly discovered gems about her coming forward... not only as a talented and disciplined multi instrumentalist with a beautiful voice and over 125 original songs, also as a fine visual artist, designer and seamstress of many of her clothes, docent at the Denver Art Museum, teacher of English to Hispanic persons, along with all the acknowledgements and awards that she has won thru the years. She was bright, humble, grounded, funny, so capable and now so missed.
In 2019, the two of us were partners in Paul Reisler's song writing class. The prompt was to tell your partner 3 moments in your life that were life changing. Each partner then chooses one of those true stories and writes a song about it. This is what I wrote of BJ's true story.
THIS IS THE TIME
Not long ago or far away, two sisters rode the rainy highway
wipers made rhythm as they talked of life,
drudgery of work, feelings of strife
til the cruise control didn’t act as it should,
in the fastness of time, this is not good
From one side of the highway and back to the other
they lost their breaths and called for their Mother
Very next moment giant semi zoomed by,
each aghast as they let out a sigh
That allowed for an in breath, they hadn’t expected
that brought insights of what they’ve rejected
Gently unscathed in a physical way
Internally changed, forever that day
no more journals of what they want to see
or cold dreams of perfect projects to be
cause what you ought to be doing
should be important to you before you go out of view… (they thought)
CHORUS
This is the time you have to do, What’s truly important to you!
Yes, this is the time you have to do, what’s truly important to You!
this is the time you have to be heard, you have to be spurred
To write your piece, tell your tale
take to the seas, open your sails
share your song, with words spot on others must sing along
say what you think, put it in order, put it in ink
this is the time you rally the masses,
going to marches before all life passes
Yes, this is the time you have to do what is truly important to you!!!
–Edee Gail
A tribute from David Coile
A tribute from David Coile
BJ Suter has gone to the pickin’ circle in the sky. For the last 10 years, she’s been my landlady, housemate and creative collaborator. For the 10 years before that, she was my colleague in the Housing & Human Services Department for the City of Boulder. For the past 20 years, she’s been one of my best friends.
She passed a little before 2:30 am early Friday morning from complications associated with breast cancer. I was there for her last hour and did my best to give her good company, reminiscing about old times and reading trivia from the web. BJ was very private about her condition, and it’s no exaggeration that this came as a surprise to all of her friends and family.
BJ was a woman of remarkable talents, mastering the banjo, piano and guitar; writing songs about peace, understanding and self-transformation; and possessing one of the most beautiful singing voices you’ll ever hear. She was also a skilled visual artist, being a capable painter and sketch artist. She didn’t share her art or music much, but only because she held herself to such high standards. Those who’ve been privileged enough to have experienced it know her creative work stands up with anyone’s.
She was very involved in the Colorado bluegrass scene, having once been President of the Colorado Bluegrass Music Society and working many of the state’s festivals, including Rockygrass, Folks Fest and Telluride. She also volunteered with underprivileged communities and as a docent at the Denver Art Museum.
BJ was an avid reader of both fiction and non-fiction, checking out stacks of books from the library, and she loved to wander around bookstores. She always kept a book with her and would often show up early for appointments so that she’d have time to read.
We first met when we had to put together a brochure for the HHS department, then later a video covering much of the same territory. When we became housemates, we often gave each other songwriting drills, and later collaborated on several songs together. I have a reputation as a prolific songwriter, but I haven’t even been the most prolific in my household: BJ wrote a new song every week for many years.
I have fond memories of driving around town with BJ looking at old houses and Christmas lights; also of going to Fort Collins to eat at the Olive Garden, followed by trips to Barnes & Noble. We didn’t like many of the same TV programs, but we did enjoy watching “Murdoch Mysteries” together. And we didn’t always see eye to eye– we had quiet domestic turf battles. Oddly enough, that’s what I miss the most right now.
The house is a strange and lonely place at the moment. I miss my friend. Bon Voyage, BJ! You are loved.
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