‘Singing Soccer Mom’ Scores on a Christmas Hit

It’s not unusual for alternative and punk-rock bands to carve out a niche without major-label support. In fact, that’s still pretty much the general idea.

But in adult-pop circles, it’s virtually unheard of. Very few new and independent acts break through on star-powered airwaves where the Whitney Houstons, Celine Dions, Phil Collinses and Barbra Streisands rule.

Laguna Beach’s Suzy K is shaping up to be one of the rare exceptions. The singer’s latest album, “As I Am,” released through Manhattan Beach-based Vellum Entertainment, has produced a top-25 single with “Now I Know,” a ballad featuring Donny Osmond and saxophonist Dave Koz.

And her just-released holiday single, a cover of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s “Happy X-Mas (War Is Over),” is currently the No.-1 most-added song on adult-contemporary radio.

So who exactly is Suzy K?

Suzy Elghanayan (her married name) lives in the upscale, seaside community of Irvine Cove with her husband, Jeff, a real-estate developer/architect, and their two young sons. Though she has devoted herself to raising Nicolai, 6 1/2, and Bryson, 3, the so-called “singing soccer mom” is causing an unanticipated stir as a recording artist.

Suzy K’s success story began to unfold about six years ago, when she gave a two-song demo to her brother, a Beverly Hills dentist. He played it for a high-powered entertainment attorney--a captive audience in the middle of a dental procedure. Shortly thereafter, the lawyer introduced Suzy K to Tom Callahan, a record executive with the independent Coyote label. Within two years, her debut album, “Close to Paradise,” was released.

That promising but inconsistent album went largely unnoticed. But when Callahan started his own company, Vellum Entertainment, Suzy K got a second shot, and now she’s making the most of.

“I’m very committed to realizing my dream, which is to transform people’s hearts through my music . . . to be a mouthpiece of hope to the world,” Suzy K said during an interview on the patio of her home. “I think everyone has that responsibility. We may go about it differently because our talents are different, but for me, I believe it is through song.”

Though some of her statements--she says, for example, “I want to hug everyone with my music”--sound excessively warm and fuzzy, it’s hard to doubt her earnest intentions.

“I am a happy person. My husband says I even sleep with a smile on my face,” said Suzy K, who moved from New York to Southern California when she was 11. “I’m really fortunate. Both my parents and grandparents have never divorced, and that’s brought a lot of security and self-confidence to my life. So I can’t sit here and tell you what a tortured, dark existence I’ve had. But my heart still hurts when I see others suffering or in need. I can’t shrug it off. I have to be a part of the healing process.”

The daughter of a Russian opera singer and an Iranian businessman, Suzy K is a follower of the Baha’i faith, founded in Iran in the late 1800s to promote spiritual harmony throughout the world.

“When I was 15 or 16, I realized that the elimination of all prejudice is the key to oneness,” said Suzy K, who shortened her maiden name, Khalili, for her professional moniker. “I’m convinced we can achieve wholeness without sameness, unity through diversity.”

Through her singing--particularly with such lavishly produced, life-affirming anthems as “Harmony,” “Paint My World,” “Power of Love” and “As I Am”--she seeks to inspire tolerance and understanding of cultural differences.

One song the former Miss America contestant had initial reservations about recording, though, was “Happy X-Mas (War Is Over).”

“I have so much respect for John Lennon, but I thought the tone of the song was like, ‘Well, the world is so wrong, but have a good Christmas anyway--so there,’ ” she said. “I think maybe, in his era, it was a time to acknowledge the pain . . . to make us confront it.

“But today, I believe the time is right to use our healing powers rather than anger and bitterness. So I figured if I sang it warmly, from deep in my soul, I could bring a bit more sweetness.”

Suzy K is confident she will reach an ever-wider audience next month when her next single--a world-music-tinged version of “Broken Wings,” the 1985 No.-1 hit for Mr. Mister--goes to radio.

She cites the combination of aggressive self-promotion and material that resonates as key factors in her ability to garner airplay.

“I’ve gone out and met so many programmers who gave my record [‘As I Am’] a chance. That, no doubt, has helped get my foot in the door,” said Suzy K, who earned a bachelor’s degree in music theater from UC Irvine in 1989. “But compared to my first album, these newer songs are easier to relate to, for both myself and the listeners. Plus, I’m singing with the confidence and experience I just didn’t have before.”

She’s also earned the respect of some other pop musicians.

“I met Michael McDonald not too long ago,” she said, “and he told me, ‘I’ve been around awhile, and I’m knocking myself out trying to get my new record out there. It’s amazing what you’ve done.’ ”

She admits she’d be disappointed if the momentum she’s built should fizzle out. But forget about her signature grin turning to a frown--at least for very long.

“If my career doesn’t go any further, I’m still extremely happy with where my life is at,” she said. “My husband’s been so supportive of this dream of mine. But I’m just not one of those moms who can spend much time away from her kids just to keep a career going. My family’s far more important than that.

“To this point, I am so proud of my product, label and management,” she continued. “We’re the underdog, we’re considered outsiders by the industry establishment. It’s fairly unique to get the attention we have as independents.”