Suzi Quatro To Speak At First Annual MEOW Con

Austin, TX (Top40 Charts) Musicians for Equal Opportunities for Women (aka MEOW) has announced plans for MEOW Con, a three day conference on the state of women in music. The conference will be held October 24-26, 2013 at the Renaissance Hotel in Austin, Texas.

Legendary "rock chick" Suzi Quatro, who first came to prominence as Leather Tuscadero on the '70s TV show "Happy Days," will receive the prestigious Woman of Valor Award at a dinner in her honor on October 24th. Quatro will also give the keynote address at MEOW Con on Friday, October 25th.

Past Woman of Valor Award recipients are Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart (2000), Patti Smith (2005) and Fanny (2007).

Suzi Quatro is the first female bass player to become a major rock star. Her duet with Chris Norman, "Stumblin' In," reached #4 in the US in 1978. The Detroit native has made her home in England since 1971. She released her autobiography, "Unzipped," in 2007, and recently performed it at the London West End as a one-woman show. It has been 30 years since Quatro last played in the US.

MEOW Con is the first conference of its kind. Not only will it feature panel discussions, workshops, performances, a trade show and networking opportunities, but it will also examine the cultural impact of how women in music are perceived through the lens of film, literature, blogs and traditional music journalism.

"Our goal is to elevate the state of women in music in every way," explains MEOW Director Carla DeSantis Black. "We want to ensure that women have opportunities to achieve success on their own terms, and that artists at every level of their career have a voice. The music business is more challenging than ever. MEOW Con will be the place for anyone concerned about the success of women as a whole to come together and figure out ways to end sexism in this industry."

Pre-sale tickets for MEOW Con are only $99 through December 31. In January, the cost will be $150 and then tiered, increasing $75 over time and reaching a walk-up rate of $450. Women of Valor Dinner tickets will be sold separately.

For more information and pre-sale tickets, visit meowonline.org