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k.d. lang  

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k.d. Lang is a world respected Canadian country artist whose sound takes a more alternative approach than its commodified/radio-friendly counterpart. Her style references traditional acts like Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn, but acts as an intriguing reinvention (or a completely different foray) rather than a form of derivation.

Kathryn Dawn Lang was born 2 November 1961 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and grew up on a prairie with her brother and two sisters. While attending Red Deer College she developed a deep level of respect for the country artist Patsy Cline and decided to follow in her footsteps of becoming a professional entertainer.

In 1983 Lang took her love for the singer a step further and formed a Patsy Cline tribute band know as the Reclines. They released the album “Friday Dance Promenade” and toured at historically significant venues such as the Sidetrack Cafe. The next album they released, “A Truly Western Experience” was credited to k.d. Lang and the Reclines and is often considered Lang’s studio debut album. This release made her a national sensation and earned her a performance slot at the World Science Fair in Tsukuba, Japan.

Lang’s status as a Canadian cultural treasure continued to stratify with her 1985 acceptance of the Juno Award for “Most Promising Female Vocalist” and hints of her future international success became visible with her collaborations with producers from Cardiff, Wales and Nashville, Tennessee. Her 2nd studio album “Angel with a Lariat” (also her 1st release outside of Canada) branched out of the outlines of the country genre and introduced styles like rockabilly and even new wave into the mix. The album received very positive reactions, but it was not until her performance at the Winter Olympics and the issue of her Grammy award winning duet with Roy Orbison that she came into widespread international recognition.

In 1988 Lang released her breakthrough album “Shadowland”, a lush record highlighted by appearances such as Loretta Lynn , Kitty Wells, and Brenda Lee. It was produced by the legendary Owen Bradley and carried into soaring heights by Lang’s well-defined radiant voice. The album jumped to no.9 on the U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums as well as on the Canadian RPM Top Country Albums. The Canadian Country Music Association also named “Shadowland” album of the year.

Lang picked up the Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for her follow up album “Absolute Torch and Twang” and set new standards with her 1992 release “Ingenue”. Though “Ingenue” veered from the traditional backwoods country sound it still managed to echo many of the genres sentiments albeit in a more verbose and sophisticated style. “Ingenue” showcased Lang’s eclecticism as it incorporated elements of chamber pop, jazz, and even salsa. It also produced two of her biggest hits “Miss Chatelaine” and “Constant Craving” (the latter earning her a Grammy Award).

Lang’s presence in pop culture became even more prominent as she contributed several compositions to the movies. In 1993 she wrote the soundtrack for the Gus Van Sant film “Even Cowgirls Get the Blues” and also sung the song “Surrender”, which closed out the James Bond movie “Tomorrow Never Dies”.

She delved further into a pop/rock direction with her 1995 album “All You Can Eat”, which proved to be another critical achievement for Lang, even though it did not match the commercial success of her previous releases. 1997 welcomed the release of her album “Drag”, a homograph referring primarily to smoking, but also hinting at cross dressing. This album was composed entirely of covers and featured works such as Albert Hammond’s “The Air That I Breathe”, T-Bone Burnett’s “Till the Heart Caves In”, and David Barbe’s “Your Smoke Screen”.

Lang’s career stayed strong throughout the 2000s. She started off the decade with the release of “Invincible Summer” and followed it a year later with a duet album “A Wonderful World” with Tony Bennett. She put out her two proceeding albums “Hymns of the 49th Parallel” and “Watershed” through the label Nonsuch Records and achieved Platinum status in Canada with the former of the two. Her compilation album “Recollection” was also a hit as was her 13th studio album “Sing It Loud” (2011).

Aside from her career as a musician, Lang is actively involved in gay rights, animal rights and Tibetan human rights (she is an open practitioner of the old school philosophy of Tibetan Buddhism).

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KD Lang is one of the most interesting voices in country music and one of the few active performers lending credibility and originality to this commercially exploited genre. Her music touches on tangible and often fractured subject matter and at times is a reference point to traditional country music. After aIl she started her career out performing in a Patsy Cline cover band.

Unlike the modern mainstream country music you hear blasting on the radio her music defies the banality and cheap sensationalism echoed throughout this style, rather it reflects more ambiguous and sensitive tones. Her live performances mirror everything great about her studio recordings. Her voice is strong and unfaltering. It has an incredible rich mellow tone seeming never to fall out of key or lose pitch. It is always at the forefront of the mix, which in some respects seems like a challenging task considering the powerful and ear-catching sound of her backing band.

What is also amazing about her performance is her ability to adapt her voice so seamlessly to drastic changes in musical styles. She can skip from singing in an operatic tone when performing the Leonard Cohen cover "Hallelujah" to a rhythmically varied swing of a country jam. Her voice works well behind a suite of cellos and grand piano, but is equally on par when backed by distorted guitars and a booming drum set.

Her concerts can range from subdued theatre type seating to a rowdy bar atmosphere. In any case her shows are worth seeing in any form.

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A concert venue engineered to resonate with the distinct acoustics of a fine instrument is the necessary setting for an artist of the stature of k.d. lang. We were sat in the gods, and her voice reached out to us there, along with the whole audience, whom she held in the palm of her hand. The album, Ingenue is a landmark in my timeline, but seeing it performed with fun, reflection, and life experiences these years on, gives it another perspective. k.d. also sang of her influences, supported with expert and treasured musicians, young and old. The rousing the whole audience with Hallelujiah was inevitable, but a breathtaking, emotional flight of an accomplished performer, sharing the joy of using her voice to communicate her message to the soul of all there.

From the moment the curtain opened on kd Lang standing there in her bare feet and seeming to pull energy from the earth's core to the top of heaven's gate, her concert was a spiritual experience. I was captivated by the celestial purity of her voice, her impeccable phrasing and arrangements of the music she wrote and revised from her Ingenue album from 25 years ago. Her band was so in sync with her that I almost forgot those individuals are separate superb entities and could hold their own all by themselves. I was transported, in love, and entertained all within 2 plus hours kd Lang poured out her sweet soul to us all.

What a performance! I walked away from this concert dumbstruck at how AMAZINGLY POWERFUL K. D.’s voice is! I’m no Spring chicken...grew up listening to K. D. Lang & this particular album...spoke volumes to my soul...still does! Her vocals are untouched, as smooth as silk, and as wide as the Grand Canyon! If anyone is second-guessing wether to catch this show or not...my advice...DO NOT MISS IT!!! Truly this concert is one of the best I’ve ever witnessed.

LOVED case/lang/veirs at the Danforth Music Hall August 17th... what a night! This collaboration works so well, I hope its not a one-off :) It was a love-in from the first chord of every collaborative track. BONUS = hearing lang's cover of Helpless, case's Margaret vs. Pauline and veirs' sweet Can I call you mine? Everyone on stage seemed to be having such a good time, and the band kicked it! Two encores closing with Patti Smith's People Have the Power. Wow.

Excellent! Superb! The purity of k.d. lang's voice is unparalleled, and a fine indication / example of dedication, committment and hard work.

She loves to sing, and the smile on her face amid "Sing it Loud" was nothing short of beautiful.

k.d. lang's entourage included numerous talented individuals and the 25th anniversary tour of Ingenue is well worth attending.

This show was amazing. Her voice is just as sultry and beautiful as it was 25 years ago. She was witty and generous with the audience and her band mates. During the show she walked the stage barefoot and shared anecdotes about different songs. She ended the show with Cohen’s “Hallelujah” which had the entire audience on their feet with a standing ovation. Loved it!

The show was awesome....it was all that and a box of chocolates....I was a little apprehensive..knowing she had done so many before getting to our venue..the spark might be gone...it was NOT.I have to also say ..one of the best concerts I have been to in a long time.She is a true professional...And it reflected in her work last night.

The singularly BEST concert experience of my life. The perfect combination of otherworldly talent and soul and heartfelt expression along with a comfortable venue with terrific acoustics and staging brought me to tears more than once. Just beyond magical I wish it had been taped so I could experience it again at will. Thank you kd

Nobody sings with such truth as k.d. I've seen the best of the best, but nothing touches my soul like her singing. When she's done with a song, I feel like I'm in another space, like after a truly encompassing movie. Then another song and up or around or wherever she takes me again.

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• Calgary (27)
• New York (NYC) (16)
• Los Angeles (LA) (15)
• SF Bay Area (14)
• Toronto (12)

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• k.d lang & The Siss Boom Bang (109)
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• Laura Veirs (20)
• case/lang/veirs (18)
• The Belle Brigade (15)

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k.d. lang Announces Canadian Tour

On the 25th anniversary of her platinum selling Ingénue album and the huge hit “Constant Craving,” which launched her into stardom around the world, k.d. lang is about to hit the road solo across Canada. Fans in 17 cities coast to coast, fromVictoria, B.C. to St. John’s, NL, will have the pleasure of experiencing lang live as she brings her singular singing style to classics  from  her 30 year  repertoire.  These memorable evenings take place over 23 shows from August 12 to September 19,2017, in a tour presented by AEG Live.

After exploring different creative platforms in recent years, this unique and multi-talented performer is returning to the stage in celebration of her first love, promising to take her music to new heights on this brand new cross-Canada tour. Fans ofthe chanteuse won’t want to miss this opportunity to catch lang live, in a rare treat that seldom comes along.

Tickets go on sale Friday, March 3 at 10am local time. Fan club members can purchase tickets during the presale beginning  Thursday, March 2 at 10 am local time. Tickets are available at AEGLive.com. NAC subscribers and donors can purchase tickets to the NAC Gala during the NAC presale starting today (Thursday, February 23) at 3pm EST.

2017 is a landmark year for lang, as it represents the 25th anniversary of the release of her groundbreaking Ingénue album and the 150th anniversary of Canada. The convergence of these two anniversaries is momentous for the singer. Lang is  animportant part of the fabric of music in Canada, thanks to her original music, the music that’s inspired her and  the other artists that she has covered in her own unique renditions. As a result of her deep connection to Canadian music, she’s beeninvited to be one of Canada’s 150th Ambassadors.

Fans excited for the tour know she is renowned for her live shows, prompting the New York Times’ Stephen Holden to observe: “Few singers command such perfection of pitch. Her voice, at once beautiful and unadorned and softened with a veilof smoke, invariably hits the middle of a note and remains there.”

As part of this new tour lang will perform songs from Ingénue along with hits from her 2004 album  Hymns  of the  49th  Parallel,  which  featured  lang  singing  the  songs  that  define  her  country  by fellow Canadians, including: Joni Mitchell,Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, Jane Siberry, Ron Sexsmith, and Bruce Cockburn.

After first appearing on stage as the cowgirl with the golden voice, she went on to become the crooner who sang “Constant   Craving” and also achieved   much  success  interpreting   other  artists’  songs.  Pervading   all  her interpretations is a senseof melancholy that lang manages to render with nuance and grace.  Some of her most memorable recordings are the (now-iconic) rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,”  Roy Orbison’s “Crying,” and her collaboration with Tony Bennett ontheir 2002 Wonderful World duets album. She later joined Bennett for a successful co-headlining concert tour. He says of lang: “She’s the best singer of her generation.”

Branching  out  into  uncharted  territory  isn’t  foreign  to  lang.  In  2014,  she  guest-starred  in  the  hit  TV  show Portlandia, playing an exaggerated version of herself. In 2015, the Alberta Ballet staged an original performance piece calledBalletlujah!, based on the life and music of lang. The creative process and dance numbers were also turned into a film of the same name, featuring lang’s participation, which aired on the CBC.

lang has recently been working with new collaborators:  indie icon Neko Case and respected singer/songwriter

Laura Veirs. The three joined forces to write and record the album case/lang/veirs, which was released in June

lang has won four GRAMMY® awards, eight Juno Awards, a BRIT, an AMA, a VMA, and four awards from GLAAD. Some other noteworthy accomplishments:

•    In 1996, she received Canada’s highest civilian honor, the Order of Canada.

•    In 2013, she was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at the Juno Awards.

•    In 2014, she was honoured with a Canada Post stamp.

•    She received an honourary Doctorate of Fine Arts from the University of Regina (2013) and an honourary Doctorate of Laws degree from the University of Alberta (2008).

•    In 2016, she was honoured by the Royal Conservatory of Music

She has appeared alongside such musical luminaries as Roy Orbison, Bonnie Raitt, Elton John, Loretta

Lynn, and toured with Tony Bennett.

Here are the 2017 tour dates:

Saturday August 12 – Victoria, BC, Royal Theatre

Sunday, August 13 – Victoria, BC, Royal Theatre

Wednesday August 16 – Vancouver, BC, Orpheum Theatre

Thursday August 17 – Vancouver, BC, Orpheum Theatre

Saturday August 19 – Edmonton, AB, Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium

Sunday August 20 – Edmonton, AB, Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium

Tuesday August 22 – Saskatoon, SK, TCU Place

Wednesday August 23 – Calgary, AB, Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium

Thursday August 24 – Calgary, AB, Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium

Saturday August 26 – Regina, SK, Conexus Arts Centre

Sunday August 27 – Winnipeg, MB, Burton Cummings Theatre

Wednesday August 30 – Toronto, ON, Sony Centre for the Performing Arts

Thursday August 31 – Toronto, ON, Sony Centre for the Performing Arts

Saturday September 2 – Montreal, QC, Place des Arts – Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier

Sunday September 3 – Quebec, QC, Grand Théâtre de Québec

Thursday September 7 – Moncton, NB, Casino New Brunswick

Friday September 8 – Charlottetown, PEI, Eastlink Centre Charlottetown

Saturday September 9 – Halifax, NS, Scotiabank Centre

Monday September 11 – Sydney, NS, Centre 200

Thursday September 14 – St. John’s, NL, Mile One Centre

Saturday September 16 – Ottawa, ON, National Arts Centre Fundraising Gala **

Sunday September 17 – Ottawa, ON, National Arts Centre

Tuesday September 19 – Hamilton, ON, FirstOntario Concert Hall (formerly Hamilton Place)

** The National Arts Centre Gala includes a performance by the NAC orchestra, as well as a concert by

k.d. lang. This is the only tour date to include the addition of an orchestra performance to the program.

Tickets on sale at each venue and at all usual outlets. Fan Club pre-sale begins Thursday, March 2 at 10 am.

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k.d. lang returns to Canadian roots with new tour

k.d. lang kicks off her first tour of Canada in well over a decade in Vancouver.

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Aug. 16-17 |  Orpheum Theatre

k.d. lang returns to Canadian roots with new tour Back to video

Tickets: $361 at ticketmaster.ca

k.d. lang laughs when you ask her about touring Canada in winter.

“Oh my God, yes. I was in a van, we took out the back seat and put some foam down so people could sleep,” said lang about the early days when she was just a 23-year-old cow punk. “We went across Canada. I don’t know if it was the first time, but one of the times we were in Sudbury (Ont.) and there was an ice storm and we parked to get gas. The grade of the gas station and the icy road was so that the van started sliding towards the pump. I was like, ‘Oh Lord, we’re going to be toast.’ I thought there was going to be a huge explosion.”

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Sure, now the famous singer who calls both Calgary and Portland, Ore., home these days can see the humour in thousands of bumpy kilometres holed up in a crummy, cold van. Time indeed heals all wounds and offers, if you’re lucky, some perspective.

“I was ready to deal with whatever came my way after that — including trying to eat vegetarian back in the early ’80s in winter in Canada. It was a lot of peanuts and bananas. Yup, that’s what I got,” said lang over the phone from her Portland home.

Talk of touring Canada is front and centre with the Grammy Award-winning singer as she is on the eve of her first tour of her homeland in 13 years. The Ingénue Redux Canadian Tour begins in Victoria on Aug. 12, then hits Vancouver’s Orpheum Theatre for two nights on Aug. 16 and 17. It then makes its way across the country before wrapping in Hamilton, Ont., on Sept. 19.

“It’s been a long time since I have gone coast-to-coast, which I am super-excited about,” said lang. “I can’t think of a better place to tour at this time in the world. I called my manager and said: ‘I really want to tour this year, but I only want to tour Australia and Canada.’ ”

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Those choices have a lot to do with the state of the world these days. She lives half of her life in the U.S. and says her friends and acquaintances are fearful that their rights are in danger as a Trump government has threatened huge rollbacks in LGBTQ rights.

“It’s a very chaotic, confusing time for people,” said lang.

So that Trumpian reality has really readied lang for a good dose of Canada.

“To me, I think there is an openness here both geographically and morally, and heart (wise) and emotionally,” said lang, who is a member of the Order of Canada. “I think we are a pretty open people, even though we tend to be kind of self-effacing and insular … To me it’s really great for an entire culture to have that sort of essence. It is astonishing.”

Aside from the obvious logistical merits, starting a cross-Canada tour in B.C. makes even more sense for the  Consort, Alta., native as Vancouver, in particular, was a catalyst in her career trajectory.

“My goodness, between the Savoy and the Railway, wow,” said lang, when asked about the Railway Club back in the day. “The Railway, that was really such a launching pad for me. That really was such a great club. I was there maybe for a week at a time, so it really allowed me to get in there and really work out with the band and try different things. I can remember hanging off that crazy plastic horse and trying different styles from punk to country and, of course, Janet Forsyth, who ran both of the clubs, became one of my best friends to this day, so it has a great amount of memory and such a high place in my heart.”

Speaking of memories, what about a lang memoir? All the cool pop stars are doing them these days.

“They asked me to, but, nah, somebody can do it posthumously. My life is not that interesting,” said lang.

The new tour is designed around the 25th anniversary of lang’s huge second album, Ingénue. The multi-platinum 1992 album included the massive hits Constant Cravings and Miss Chatelaine. The album was remastered and reissued on vinyl and in a box set in July.

“My mom always says to me, ‘It goes faster as you get older,’ and it seems to be true,” said lang. “Yeah 25 years. It’s going to be interesting. We are going to do the record in its entirety in sequence at the beginning of the show. I don’t know what to expect from myself. I don’t know if I am going to feel transported back to the emotions of those songs or if I’m going to have a new relationship or a little bit of both.

“I’m really excited and I think and I’m hoping that some of the audience will have a relationship with that record. From what I hear from people they do. It’s a marker in their lives as well. I hope it’s enjoyable for everyone.”

While Ingénue is the centrepiece of the show, lang fans will get other favourites as well. One of those songs is Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. That song and lang became synonymous after lang delivered an awe-inspiring version of it live at the Juno Awards at Winnipeg in 2005. Cohen died in November 2016 and lang has only sung the song once since his passing.

“It’s certainly going to be different in Canada to sing that song now,” said lang. “I think everyone who has sung it and I think Leonard, from what I understood from what he said over the years, felt the song really had transcended anyone’s involvement. It really belongs to the pop cultural consciousness of the last 20 years and it’s not Leonard’s song, it’s not my song. It belongs to all of us. So that makes it easier because it belongs to everybody.”

A hit with a cover is familiar territory for lang. She unleashed her powerful vocals on Roy Orbison’s and Joe Melson’s Crying years earlier and brought new life to the song Orbison first released as a single in 1961.

“First I have to be totally enamoured with the song,” said lang about song choice. “I have to really love the song and it has to make sense if I am doing it for a record. I always like to have some conceptual parameters. But with hymns of the 49th Parallel it was obviously the Canadian thing, but it was also songs that had really had an impact on me.”

She also is memorable for great duet performances, including Orbison and Tony Bennett. Today, lang looks back on those collaborations with gratitude and a little bit of awe.

“I’ve had a lot of good luck with great teachers,” said lang. “There are moments you are so absorbed in the way he (Tony) phrases. The way he smiles at the audience. I just try to soak it up, because I know this is a great master of the American songbook and I just try to absorb as much as possible. You have to be a good student and pay attention.”

People have been paying attention to lang for over 30 years.

“I’m getting less and less antsy,” said lang. “The older I get the less I need to work, but I think there is something to having an occupation. You now, use it our lose it. Having a voice and not using it seems kind of sad to me or kind of irresponsible to not go exercise it.”

With over three decades in the business behind her and numerous awards collected and some controversies managed, does the singer look back often or spend time thinking about the what ifs in life?

“I’m definitely happy with my choices. I have no regrets,” said lang. “I was living my life and giving it my everything. You can’t really complain about that.”

In fact, lang doesn’t have any complaints right now. She says her voice is strong and ready and she’s going to have a great time coming home for the summer. She’s seen this Canadian road movie before and knows what to expect and how to navigate the journey. With that in mind, does she have any advice for a young artist who might be busy stuffing a big piece of foam into the back of van as we speak?

“Just enjoy your adventures,” said lang. “Try to stay healthy and take care of yourself. I think one of the most important things I ever learned was all the travel, all the exhaustion, all the sh—y hotel rooms, all the sh—y food, it better be worth it when you walk on stage. You better be present and you better give everything you can for that hour-and-a-half or two hours or three hours, whatever you are performing, because that’s what it is all about.”

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'It's all performance art': k.d. lang looks back on her storied career

The singer-songwriter is one of this year’s recipients of a governor general's award for lifetime achievement.

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This is part of a series of articles about  the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards laureates . 

When k.d. lang was growing up in Alberta, she used to sign her name in her notebooks with a star — a sign of what was to come, perhaps.

When she started recording music in the '80s, lang became one of the most exciting artists on country radio, challenging expectations with her androgynous look and cat's-eye glasses.

From there, she continued to surprise the world by coming out as gay and making a pop crossover record that no one saw coming.

But that doesn't even begin to capture the gutsiness, tough decisions and wild stories lang has collected over the years. In an interview on Q with Tom Power , which has been edited for length and clarity, she shared some anecdotes from her remarkable career as she prepares to receive the highest honour in Canadian arts — the Governor General's Performing Arts Award for lifetime artistic achievement.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Listen to the full conversation on  our podcast, Q with Tom Power .

How are you?

I'm good, my friend. How are you?

I'm good. Nice to talk to you, as always. Congratulations!

What do you make of it?

It's wonderful. I mean, first of all, it's just an incredible honour. There's so many incredible Canadian artists, and the list of people who have received the honour in the past — it's very surreal and makes me feel old.

Why is it surreal?

Just because I think it's very, very hard to have actual perspective on your own life. It's like asking an apple how it tastes. An apple has no idea how it tastes!

Do you have a first memory of knowing that you had a voice that might be a bit special?

I remember — of course, I had a guitar when I was really, really young, and we had this mirror, this full-length mirror, at the end of the hallway in our house. And I was playing the guitar in front of the mirror and I just kind of knew — I just instinctively, innately knew that this was it, that this is what my path was. And I think it was more about being famous than it was being a singer [laughs].

You were in a Patsy Cline tribute band called the Reclines. Why was Patsy Cline important to you?

Something happened when I listened to Patsy Cline that unlocked all these portals in my mind about how I could approach country music. Humour and the costumes and performance art and sincerity and, I don't know, there was something about Patsy that just took my soul and my brain and went this way. She just was the impetus for all of it, really.

I want to skip ahead a little bit to 1985, and you win the Juno Award for most promising female vocalist. You wear this big, fluffy wedding dress and you're whipping around the stage and you're doing a jig. What do you remember about that?

The recent history of myself at that time, I was very immersed in performance art and hanging around artists. So you know, it was performance art-based, but it did have sincerity in it.

• 'I feel proud': k.d. lang looks back at her iconic 1985 Juno win

I was very happy to win that Juno — it meant a lot to me. I remember saying that I promise to sing for all the right reasons, which was, you know, authenticity and truth and try not to sell out and try to retain a deep connection to pure inspiration, which is very difficult sometimes. 

Your duet with Roy Orbison won you a Grammy for best country vocal collaboration in 1989. You also won for female country vocal performance. My guess is you don't listen to your own music very often. What did you feel when you heard that just then?

I was remembering Roy, you know? Ooh, that boy was full of emotion. When he sang, you couldn't stop the hairs on your arm from standing. He was just so ethereal and mysterious. Very, very quiet, but warm and open. Very elusive.

I've told this many times: when we were recording that in Vancouver, we leaned in when we were rehearsing — or maybe we were taking an actual track, I don't know — but we leaned in to share a microphone, and our cheeks touched, and it was so electric. And his skin was so soft, and his voice was so powerful. There were all these, like, contrasting emotions. It was incredible.

Do you remember a moment where the fame started to sink in — the moment you realized that your music was reaching people all around the world?

When you were asking me that question, this moment popped in my mind when we were making [ Roy Orbison and Friends: A Black and White Night ], and I was a part of the backup singers with Bonnie Raitt and Jennifer Warnes, J.D. Souther, Jackson Browne — I'm forgetting one person. But anyway, we were onstage, and I look out into the audience, and there's all these people.

I had the high part in In Dreams — it's a really, really high soprano part — and so at the end, I look out and … Billy Idol was looking at me. And I just kind of like gave him his own snarl back and was like, "Yeah, OK, there it is." And there's Bruce Springsteen and Elvis Costello onstage, and Tom Waits — oh my God! — playing keyboard.

I think when I look back at my music, even Ingénue, it's all performance art. - k.d. lang

I had the DVD of that when I was growing up and I watched it over and over again. You didn't look out of place to me. Like, you looked like you belonged there.

Oh, I definitely belonged there. I was in it. I was fully, fully present for that. That was just an incredible experience.

You did something that surprised a lot of your fans in 1992. You come out with Ingénue , and I think a lot of people were expecting more country music from you. What do you remember about the decision to veer away from that on Ingénue ?

I knew it was just a temporary residence in country music because I never listened to country music as a kid.… I kind of shunned country music as a kid, you know. It wasn't cool. And I was listening to Cream and Maria Muldaur and Delaney & Bonnie Bramlett.

Country music was just a piece of performance art for me, ultimately. Although, the music I sang with the utmost respect and homage because there's so much truth in the music, emotionally. But you know, I think when I look back at my music, even Ingénue , it's all performance art. Not one record could ever completely encapsulate who I am or who I want to be or what my musical taste is. It's very, very small increments or refractions of what I am.

I understand that Ingénue came with this backlash from the country music establishment from people who were kind of like "I thought she was one of ours."

Yes, I remember that part. It was kind of this weird user-friendly relationship with country music. I don't think they wanted to fully embrace me, and I certainly didn't want to be fully embraced by them. I was creating a buzz for a new, younger audience for country music. But at the same time, I don't think they really wanted to embrace my lesbianism or my vegetarianism or, you know, my short hair, my crazy cowboy boots. And they were sort of disappointed, but I think they were kind of relieved when I moved on [laughs].

It was around then that you came out publicly.

I came out in 1991, just before Ingénue came out — in press for Ingénue . Well, officially. I mean, I don't think I was ever in the closet. I don't think that I ever pretended to be anyone except who I was.

What do you remember from the public part of that?

Well, it was on the heels of the PETA thing, you know, the Meat Stinks campaign I did with PETA, which was extremely volatile and hard on everybody — hard on my mom, hard on my friends and people in Canada here.

[There were] bomb threats at the record company and so forth. That was the hard part. So coming out was a piece of cake, actually.

I've heard you reflect back on that time in your life, and you said something like you felt like you became public property. What did you mean by that?

I think more so with my sexuality because at that time, the AIDS crisis was in full blast. I mean, you know, a lot of people were dying. And so I came out because I thought it was an important, responsible thing to do to open myself up to having people have a connection to what gay culture is. So I came out so people would have some relatability to it. And I also didn't want to be outed by Queer Nation, I just thought it would be more graceful if I just stood up and took my accountability.

The muse is definitely not flying around in my space right now. - k.d. lang

You've worked with all these incredible people. I wonder if I could get a memory from you about one special collaboration you've done that still kind of blows your mind.

It doesn't mean it's the top one, but the one that popped in my mind when you asked me that question was this big concert I did in Wembley Stadium with all these people. And I sang with Chaka Khan. And we sang a Sting song: Every Breath You Take .

Oh my God, she was so incredible. She is such a great singer.… Just her freedom and the tone and the ease. I don't know, I think maybe it was my first, you know, real proxy to a great R&B singer. But, man, she just blew me away. That moment blew me away.

Are you going to make more music?

I don't know. Right now, there's nothing. The vault is empty. You know, there are things that come up. Like, for example, there may be a new case/lang/veirs song — not an album or anything, but a new song. There may be a collaboration here and there. But in terms of me touring, in terms of me making another record, it's an empty vault. I don't know what to say. The muse is definitely not flying around in my space right now.

Are you comfortable with that — that the muse isn't flying around?

Yes, I am because I think if you rely on a muse in the first place, you have to trust when they're not there. I mean, I think that's where faith lies, right? When it's empty and when it's not the way you want it to be necessarily? That's faith.… I think, you know, you got to remember that the other part of music is silence.

The full interview with k.d. lang is available on our podcast, Q with Tom Power . Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Written by Vivian Rashotte. Interview produced by Vanessa Greco.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vivian Rashotte is a digital producer, writer and photographer for Q with Tom Power. She's also a visual artist. You can reach her at [email protected].

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k.d. lang's Incredible Cross-Canada Tour Revealed

Updated on Dec 13,2023

k.d. lang's Incredible Cross-Canada Tour Revealed

Table of contents.

Introduction

KD Lang's 25th Anniversary of "Ingenue"

The Impact of "Ingenue" in the Music Industry

KD Lang's Cross-Canada Tour

KD Lang's Growth and Changes in Music

KD Lang's Ventures in Acting

KD Lang's Activism and Use of Platform

KD Lang's Cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah"

The Immense Impact of Leonard Cohen

KD Lang: Celebrating 25 Years of "Ingenue"

KD Lang, a Canadian music icon and passionate advocate, has made a name for herself in the music industry. This year marks a significant milestone for her as it is the 25th anniversary of her breakthrough album, "Ingenue." In celebration of this achievement, she is embarking on a cross-Canada tour. In this article, we will Delve into the impact of "Ingenue," explore KD Lang's growth and ventures, discuss her activism, and highlight her cover of Leonard Cohen's iconic song, "Hallelujah."

"Ingenue" holds a special place in KD Lang's career. Released 25 years ago, this album showcased her unique talent and propelled her into the spotlight. With notable hits like "Constant Craving," "Season of Hollow Soul," and "The Mind of Love," "Ingenue" captured the hearts of listeners worldwide. It explored themes of love, self-discovery, and vulnerability, resonating with a diverse audience. The album's Timeless sound and profound lyrics have stood the test of time, solidifying KD Lang's place in music history.

"Ingenue" shattered boundaries in the music industry, blending genres and opening new doors for KD Lang's career. It defied categorization and expanded the possibilities of contemporary music. The album's Fusion of country, pop, and alternative rock garnered critical acclaim and established KD Lang as a versatile artist. The success of "Ingenue" also paved the way for more experimental and genre-crossing albums in the industry, inspiring future generations of musicians to take risks and explore their artistic boundaries.

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of "Ingenue," KD Lang is embarking on a highly anticipated cross-Canada tour. This tour will bring her iconic songs to fans across the country, creating a magical experience for both long-time supporters and new listeners. The tour combines nostalgia, celebration, and the raw talent that has made KD Lang a beloved figure in Canadian music. Fans can expect to hear the entire "Ingenue" album performed in sequence, taking them on a Journey through time and music.

Over the years, KD Lang has evolved as an artist, consistently pushing the boundaries of her craft. While her early works had a profound impact on the country music scene, "Ingenue" marked a departure from her roots and a return to the influences that Shaped her artistic identity. The album, influenced by artists like Joni Mitchell, European music, and Peggy Lee, showcased KD Lang's versatility and ability to explore different genres. It opened doors for her to collaborate with renowned musicians like Tony Bennett, tapping into her crooner side and broadening her artistic horizons.

In addition to her music career, KD Lang has delved into the world of acting, showcasing her versatility and talent on screen. From Memorable appearances in popular TV shows like "How I Met Your Mother" to her acclaimed role in "Portlandia," KD Lang has proven her ability to captivate audiences in different mediums. Despite her success in acting, KD Lang remains humble and describes herself as an introvert. While she enjoys these experiences, she reaffirms that performing music remains her true passion.

KD Lang is not just an incredible artist; she is also an ardent activist. She uses her platform to advocate for various causes close to her heart. Whether it is attending the Women's March in Calgary or raising her voice on social media, KD Lang is unafraid to speak out and stand up for what she believes in. She recognizes that artists have historically played a crucial role as Town Criers, reflecting the sentiments of the people and highlighting important issues. KD Lang firmly believes it is their responsibility to use their artistry as a means of political expression and activism.

One of the most memorable moments in KD Lang's career is her cover of Leonard Cohen's timeless song, "Hallelujah." This rendition has been hailed as one of the greatest covers of all time, touching the souls of listeners with its emotional depth and haunting beauty. KD Lang's interpretation of the song showcases her incredible vocal range and ability to convey raw emotions. Each time she performs "Hallelujah," she continues to discover new depths in the lyrics, making it a constant source of inspiration and connection with her audience.

Leonard Cohen, a legendary Canadian singer-songwriter, holds a special place in KD Lang's heart. She describes Leonard as a translator between the divine and mortals. His profound understanding of human nature, poetry, and songwriting left an indelible mark on her as an artist. Leonard Cohen's legacy lives on through his timeless compositions, and KD Lang's cover of "Hallelujah" pays homage to his immense talent and his ability to touch souls with his words.

As KD Lang celebrates the 25th anniversary of "Ingenue," her journey as an artist continues to inspire and captivate audiences. From her groundbreaking album to her activism and ventures in acting, KD Lang's impact on the music industry goes beyond her extraordinary talent. She remains a Canadian icon, using her platform to make a difference and Create a lasting legacy. With her upcoming cross-Canada tour and her indomitable spirit, KD Lang solidifies her status as one of the most influential artists of our time.

Highlights:

• KD Lang celebrates the 25th anniversary of her breakthrough album, "Ingenue."
• "Ingenue" broke barriers in the music industry, blending genres and expanding the possibilities of contemporary music.
• KD Lang's cross-Canada tour will bring the magic of "Ingenue" to fans across the country.
• KD Lang's ventures in acting have showcased her versatility as an artist.
• KD Lang uses her platform to advocate for various causes and believes artists have a responsibility to be political and activist.
• Her cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" is hailed as one of the greatest covers of all time.
• Leonard Cohen's immense impact on KD Lang and the world of music continues to inspire.

Q: What is KD Lang celebrating with her upcoming tour? A: KD Lang is celebrating the 25th anniversary of her breakthrough album, "Ingenue."

Q: What genre did "Ingenue" explore? A: "Ingenue" blended country, pop, and alternative rock, defying categorization and expanding the possibilities of contemporary music.

Q: Has KD Lang ventured into acting? A: Yes, KD Lang has appeared in various TV shows and showcased her talent in acting.

Q: How does KD Lang use her platform for activism? A: KD Lang uses her platform to Raise awareness and advocate for various causes, speaking out on social issues and attending events like the Women's March.

Q: What is KD Lang's most famous cover? A: KD Lang's cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" is highly acclaimed and considered one of the greatest covers of all time.

The above is a brief introduction to k.d. lang's Incredible Cross-Canada Tour Revealed

Let's move on to the first section of k.d. lang's Incredible Cross-Canada Tour Revealed

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k.d. lang Tour Dates and Upcoming Concerts

Frequently asked questions about k.d. lang, is k.d. lang on tour.

k.d. lang announced as 2023 Governor General laureate

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Edmonton-born singer k.d. lang, also known as The Alberta Rose, is adding the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards to her long list of accolades.

k.d. lang announced as 2023 Governor General laureate Back to video

Lang is one of seven national artists being recognized with Canada’s highest honour in the performing arts.

Her family moved to Corsort, a small town in Southern Alberta when she was a baby but she returned to Edmonton after graduation in 1982 and formed The Reclines, a Patsy Cline tribute band that regularly performed at the now-shuttered Sidetrack Café and was featured on Austin City Limits in 1988. That same year, the world took notice of lang’s talent when she performed during the closing ceremonies for the Winter Olympics in Calgary.

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Along with 12 studio albums, lang’s collaborated with renowned artists such as Tony Bennett and Roy Orbison, with those projects winning her two of her four Grammy Awards. With numerous nominations, lang’s also won six Junos throughout her career. She provided the soundtrack for the 1993 film Even Cowgirls Get the Blues and even has her own acting credits starting with the lead role in 1991’s Salmonberries.

Along with her art, lang is also known for her activism as a vegetarian and member of the LGBTQ+ community. This is just one of many honours lang’s received through the years, which include a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame on Toronto in 2008, induction into Canada’s Hall of Fame at the 2013 Juno Awards and the Alberta Order of Excellence in 2018.

While all seven recipients will receive their awards at a gala at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa on May 27, each is receiving a cinematic tribute created by accomplished Canadian filmmakers for the National Film Board. Calgary’s Laura O’Grady, named a director to watch by the 2022 Jean-Marc Vallée DGC Discovery Award, is creating lang’s portrait film. The films will premiere at the awards ceremony and then be free to stream at nfb.ca .

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She is renowned for her live shows, prompting the  New York Times’  Stephen Holden to observe: “Few singers command such perfection of pitch. Her voice, at once beautiful and unadorned and softened with a veil of smoke, invariably hits the middle of a note and remains there.”

Band Members

Daniel clarke.

Birthday: October 3, 1979 Hometown: Richmond, VA Artists you’ve played with: Ryan Adams, Dan Wilson, Mike Viola, Mandy Moore, Dixie Chicks, Courtyard Hounds, Butch Walker, Rachael Yamagata, Jason Mraz, KD Lang, Teddy Thompson , Kelly Jones Favorite venue: Red Rocks Instruments played: a bunch! Hidden talents: a bunch! 🙂 Favorite song lyric: Smoking I once quit, Now I got one lit, I just fell back into it, Along with my pride, Lately I’ve let things slide Nick Lowe “Lately I’ve Let Things Slide”

David Piltch

Birthday : January 29 1960 Hometown : Toronto, Canada Artists you’ve played with: Randy Newman, Elton John, Robben Ford, Bill Frisell, Bonnie Raitt, Don Henley, Alan Toussaint, kd lang, Hugh Laurie, JD Souther, Richard Thompson, Rambling Jack Elliott, Mose Allison, Salif Keita, Soloman Burke, John Legend, Madeleine Peyroux , Art Pepper, Aaron Neville, Gil Evans, Holly Cole, Luciana Souza,T Bone Burnett, Rodney Crowell, Loudon Wainwright, Bruce Cockburn, Hal Wilner, Liz Wright, Tracy Chapman, Billy Bragg, Betty Buckley and Joe Henry. Links : http://www.davidpiltch.com Favorite venue: The Little Room @ Largo in the Coronet Theater Instruments played: Bass Violin, Bass Guitar, Percussion Hidden talents: Handy Man, Jazz Drummer Favorite song lyric: Guess who I saw today, my dear I’ve never been so shocked before I headed blindly through the door They didn’t see me passing through Guess who I saw today? Guess who I saw today? Guess who I saw today?
 I saw you.

Grecco Burrato

Birthday : May 12th 1976 Hometown : Taquara, Brazil Artists you’ve played with : KD Lang, Sergio Mendes, George Duke, Airto Moreira, Earth Wind and Fire, P!nk, Shakira, Leehom Wang, Gwen Stefani, Roberto Carlos, Gustavo Santaolalla. Website : http://www.greccoburatto.com Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/GreccoBurattoOfficial Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/user/GreccoBuratto Instagram : https://instagram.com/GreccoBuratto Twitter : https://twitter.com/Greccoburatto Favorite venue : “ The Enormo-Dome … It’s terrific !” Instruments played : Acoustic, Electric Guitars and Background Vocals Hidden talents : But then they wouldn’t be hidden … speak 5 languages, teach yoga, great cook (I’m told)… Favorite Song Lyric : “ When the days go dark with confusion, you can always give your burdens to the music” or “Love is everything”

Rich Hinman

Birthday : December 18, 1978 Hometown : Sleepy Hollow, NY Artists you’ve performed with: Rosanne Cash, Sara Bareilles, Ben Kweller, Brett Dennen, Marc Cohn, my band is Rich Hinman vs. Adam Levy Links : http://richhinman.com https://richhinman.bandcamp.com https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCveMCnynTaUXcEYOm6-8BOw Favorite venue : Radio City Music Hall Instruments played and/or favorite melody to sing: Pedal Steel, Guitar, Lap Steel, Mandolin Hidden talents: I ran the LA Marathon in 2015 (not really a talent but it was really really hard so I’m putting here). Also I know a lot about NBA basketball. Favorite song lyric: So many, but I just listened to Joni Mitchell’s Hejira the other day, and this part of “Amelia” keeps bouncing around in my head: I pulled into the Cactus Tree Motel To shower off the dust And I slept on the strange pillows of my wanderlust I dreamed of 747’s Over geometric farms Dreams, Amelia, dreams and false alarms Also, literally anything at all off of Anais Mitchell’s “Young Man In America” Photo Credit: Robbie Jeffers

Andrew Borger

Birthday : January 22, 1970 Hometown : Littleton, CO A rtists you’ve performed with : Tom Waits, Norah Jones, Ani DiFranco, Marco Benevento, Sean Hayes, Anais Mitchell Favorite venue : Red Rocks Instruments played and/or favorite melody to sing : Drums and Percussion Hidden talents: I am weirdly good at the video game “Joust” Favorite song lyric: Though I dream in vain In my heart, it will remain My stardust melody The memory of love’s refrain

Tahirah Memory

Birthdate : June 30, 1979 Hometown : Portland, Or. Resume : Recording/Touring Solo artist 2008-present *Self released album titled “PRIDE” Jarrod Lawson- Background vocals 2015-present Shared stage, studio, or writing credits: Esperanza Spalding, Shae Fiol, Soulpersona, Eddie Martinez, Andy Stokes, Lyfe Jennings, Lifesavas, Thara Memory, Bobby Torres. Fave venue : North Sea Jazz No instruments/I’ll always sing ANYTHING Whitney Houston Hidden talents : basketball, whistling Fave lyric: “It’s a beautiful, beautiful thing, to be with someone, unconditional, always knowing that they’ll never leave you. What nobody ever says, is we stand in our own way, resisting the urge to feel, relenting to our own fears, hardly showing up to play the game.” from ‘Pride’ by Tahirah

Moorea Masa

Birthday : 5/10/1992 (I’m about the same age as this album! :O ) Hometown : Portland, Oregon Bands I’ve performed with/sang back up with: Allen Stone, The Motet, Nick Waterhouse, El Vy, The Decemberists, Nu Shooz, Rachael Price (Lake Street Dive), Ural Thomas & The Pain, Y La Bamba. My own band, Moorea Masa & The Mood! Links : mooreamasa.com facebook.com/mooreamasamusic https://www.youtube.com/mooreamasa https://www.instagram.com/mooreamasa

Favorite venue: My favorite venue I’ve ever played is a cave! It’s a venue called the Cumberland Caverns in Tennessee and it’s just gorgeous. And a giant cave! Also, Red Rocks! Just pure magic Instruments played and/or favorite melody to sing: Guitar and Piano.. used to play recorder…:) Also, I always have Solange melodies in my head, they are so good to sing. Hidden talents: Cook a mean rissotto, speak italian fluently, love to craft and make homemade cards for people! Favorite song lyric: These lyrics have always been some of my favorite. It’s from a Blind Pilot song, Oviedo. “Make music with the chatter in here And whisper all the notes in my ears.”

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To mark ‘Makeover,’ 5 iconic moments from k.d. lang’s career

The Canadian icon’s new album “Makeover” is a recollection of some of their greatest remixes. It’s also a career sunset

k.d. lang through the years. Credit: CP Images, k.d. lang, CP Images

When the clubs reopen, I’ll be getting down to k.d. lang.

The Grammy award-winning icon of lesbianism dropped their latest album last week, and it’s as close to club bangers as you can expect from the Canadian crooner. The aptly titled Makeover brings together various remixes of lang’s most popular songs of the 1990s—as well as a few deep cuts—for the first time.

But it may also be a farewell. 

“I think I might be done,” lang said in an interview last week . “I’m not 100 percent sure, but it kind of feels like I may have exhausted my interest in the music business. I don’t think I would tour again. I mean, this is subject to change. But it’s been a while. It’s been a few years that I’ve been feeling this.”

If lang (who recently started using she/they pronouns on social media) really is done, she leaves behind a legacy worth noting. From literally creating the soundtrack for the beating heart of lesbian yearning to producing groundbreaking cultural coming-outs, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a limit to their impact. 

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Here are five iconic moments to reflect on. 

1988: The year it all changed

Born in Edmonton and raised in Consort, Alberta, lang’s career started to take off in the mid-1980s. In 1985, they won “Most Promising Female Vocalist” at the Juno awards—a prize they accepted in an iconic wedding dress ensemble. In 1988, she was selected to perform at the Winter Olympics in Calgary. That same year—and arguably most important—lang was named Chatelaine ’s  “Woman of the Year.” 

With the headline “Yippee-I-O k.d.!” the magazine introduced lang as a “country crooner” with a “don’t-mess-with-me tomboy alto.” Lang’s gender-bending style, pushing back against the sparkly skirts of country singers of that moment and foreshadowing their coming out, was on full display. (A year later, they would win both “Female Vocalist of the Year” and “Country Female Vocalist of the Year” at the Junos.) 

Chatelaine ’s recognition would inspire one of lang’s most famous hits, “Miss Chatelaine.” In the song, lang contemplates how someone like her could be bestowed such an honour, and constructs a character of the hyper-feminine Chatelaine cover girl. They even donned full drag for the video, giving a wink and a nod to the gendered expectations set out for her.

1992: Coming out and Ingenue

Lang came out as a lesbian in June 1992 in an interview with The Advocate magazine. The move predated Ellen Degeneres’s infamous “Yep, I’m gay!” Time magazine cover by six years, and skyrocketed lang into being the world’s most visible lesbian. 

The confirmation came on the tail of their release of Ingénue , which would go on to be nominated for a slew of Grammy Awards and give us the quintessential anthem of lesbian pining, “Constant Craving.” The entire album captures lang’s unrequited love of a married woman—a trope now, but groundbreaking back then. 

When asked in a 2019 interview if they recognized that their coming out had opened the doors for other celebrities to come out, lang said she did, “although I try not to take huge credit for that because it’s not a competition.

“It’s something bigger than all of us. I am certainly proud, but at the same time, I’m just one of many. Gay culture isn’t just one sliver of humanity—it’s a huge cross-section of people.”

1993: The Vanity Fair cover

In 1993, lang appeared on another magazine cover, this time for Vanity Fair . The image shows lang seated in a barber’s chair, butch and dressed to the nines, with supermodel Cindy Crawford sensually shaving their face. 

“She bends gender clichés, seducing audiences with each breathtaking performance. k.d. lang—born on the Canadian Prairie, exiled from Nashville’s country-music clique—has skyrocketed to pop stardom with her sensuous platinum album, Ingénue ,” the article’s introduction reads. 

The cover pushed lang and her transgressive butchness even further into the mainstream. It’s a moment captured in lesbian history forever. On a personal note, I will point out that my girlfriend does have a tattoo of the cover, proving that us millennial gays definitely respect our elders. 

2008: The last new material

Following their heyday in the ’90s, which saw collaborations, movie soundtracks and wide-ranging success, lang’s career quieted down in the aughts. Their last new material came in the form of collaborations, including, in 2002, an album of Grammy-lauded duets with Tony Bennett, and the 2016 album case/lang/veirs with Neko Case and Laura Veirs. Lang’s last original studio album, Watershed, was released in 2008. 

Watershed was quiet and reflective, drawing on lang’s growing relationship with Buddhism and their understanding she might be in the twilight of their career. Fittingly, a long period of silence followed with only a few collaborations and commemorations for Ingénue ’s 25th anniversary in between. 

“I love to sing, and I love people respecting my art, but in terms of pursuing more fame, that definitely does not hold interest for me,” lang said in the 2019 interview . “I’ve experienced it, and I’ve reached certain pinnacles that for me are very satisfying, so I don’t feel in want, that’s for sure.”

2021: k.d. lang’s Makeover and their sunset

On what they suggest could be a final turn in Makeover , lang shows off the breadth of her cultural influence, remixed for both new fans and old. The album veritably slaps, showing off unfamiliar versions of some of lang’s greatest hits, and brings the tempo up to perfect dancing levels. A swoony slow jam like “Miss Chatelaine” becomes a rhythm-driven dance track; a DJ Krush remix of “Sexuality” turns the song into a throbbing soundtrack for a night of deviance. 

The cover art features a previously unseen 1995 portrait of lang by photographer David LaChapelle, adorned in a blue gown and seated at a drum kit. It’s a moment caught in time, 26 years ago, where lang was at the height of their popularity. 

A lot has changed since she first burst onto the scene: the queers of today ask about sexuality by seeing if “she listens to Girl in Red,” and former child stars like JoJo Siwa are pioneering a new brand of coming out. Demi Lovato, one of the biggest pop stars in the world, is non-binary. Bisexuality, pansexuality and non-binary genders are finally being talked about and supported in ways they weren’t way back when lang came out as a lesbian in the early ’90s. 

lang may be riding off into the sunset, but she leaves behind a legacy worth celebrating. We don’t need to make them over—Miss Chatelaine’s legacy is here to stay.

Senior editor Mel Woods is an English-speaking Vancouver-based writer and audio producer and a former associate editor with HuffPost Canada . A proud prairie queer and ranch dressing expert, their work has also appeared in Vice , Slate , the Tyee , the CBC , the Globe and Mail and the Walrus .

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k.d. (Kathryn Dawn) lang. Singer, songwriter, born Edmonton 2 Nov 1961; hon LLD (Alberta) 2008. Raised in Consort, Alta, the youngest of four children of a druggist and a primary school teacher, k.d. lang began singing and tap-dancing at five, and as a teenager entertained at weddings and sang folk and country music locally.

After studying music at Red Deer College, she began her career in Edmonton, appearing in a musical, Country Chorale , in 1981, and subsequently performing under her own name at the Sidetrack Café. In 1984, the second of two recordings she made for the independent Bumstead label formed the basis for a raucous live show featuring lang's band, The Reclines, that was equal parts performance art and rockabilly. Claiming to be the reincarnation of US country star Patsy Cline, k.d. lang adopted punk elements to create a persona that was both attractive and baffling. In Canada, she drew attention by appearing at the 1985 Juno awards in a wedding dress, while US appearances at the influential Bottom Line club in New York City and on television talk shows attracted positive reviews in major media. She toned down her eccentricities to record in Nashville in the late 1980s, and won mainstream success in 1988 for a duet recording with Roy Orbison.

In the 1990s, lang became the centre of controversy for her stance against the beef industry and for announcing her lesbianism in 1992. A natural iconoclast, she has for years eschewed the use of capital letters in her name.

She took up acting briefly, appearing in the films Salmonberries and Eye of the Beholder . By the late 1990s she was confounding fans and journalists yet again, by disappearing from music for several years and endorsing MAC cosmetics in contradiction to her earlier stance against makeup. By 2004, k.d. lang had settled into an unclassifiable niche, living in Los Angeles, recording for the specialty label Nonesuch, and keeping the focus squarely on her unique voice.

Launching her career at the peak of the 1980s' independence-minded post-punk era, lang recorded "Friday Dance Promenade"(1983) and A Truly Western Experience (1984) for the Bumstead label. The latter recording, which was re-released by WEA International in 1999, included rockabilly tunes like "Bopalena," a Cline song, "Stop, Look and Listen," and originals by k.d. lang and her bandmates. In 1985, lang signed with Sire Records, which released Angel with a Lariat in 1987. The album continued the rootsy rockabilly feel of her early recordings and introduced lang's new collaborator, violinist Ben Mink . In 1987, two projects with Nashville veterans Orbison and producer Owen Bradley set the stage for lang's international breakthrough. Released in 1988, the duet "Cryin'" revealed the power and purity of lang's voice, allowing her to match Orbison's tenor to great effect. Shadowland: The Owen Bradley Sessions (1988) established lang's country bona fides, bringing her together with Cline's producer as well as Nashville legends Loretta Lynn, Kitty Wells and Brenda Lee. The album stayed on the country charts for 121 weeks and sold more than 100,000 copies in Canada. Her follow-up, Absolute Torch and Twang (1989), bridged her country roots and her future in pop music and represented the full flowering of her collaboration with Mink, with whom she co-wrote eight of 12 songs. Three singles from the album ("Full Moon of Love," "Three Days," and "Luck in My Eyes") hit the charts.

In 1992, k.d. lang released Ingenue , her first true pop recording, which spawned the international hit "Constant Craving." Her next recording, released in 1993, was a soundtrack for a film adaptation of Tom Robbins's novel Even Cowgirls Get the Blues ; it failed to find commercial success. All You Can Eat (1995) was another disappointment, drawing savage reviews. Switching to Warner Brothers Records, lang released the concept album Drag in 1997, playing up her androgynous sexuality on the cover and performing a dozen songs related to smoking. Invincible Summer (2000) showed a new, upbeat side of her songwriting, buoyed by dreamy, string-heavy production. Although a live recording was released in 2001, it was four years before lang released another studio album, Hymns of the 49th Parallel (2004), a showcase for Canadian songwriters from Leonard Cohen to Ron Sexsmith . While the record was a hit in Canada, it failed to crack the top 50 in the US. In 2008, lang released Watershed , a collection of previously unreleased demos. A retrospective album, Recollection , followed in 2010.

Performances

k.d. lang's early shows in support of her first independent recordings established her as an unpredictable performer with a well-developed sense of theatricality. Showcases in New York City and on live television were important in establishing her in the US, and led directly to her signing with an international label. Later tours in the mid-1980s toned down her manic energy in favour of an increased focus on her voice, helping her to win over a more sophisticated audience. As her career moved closer to the mainstream, so did her venues, including high-profile concert halls in major cities around the world, sometimes backed by symphony orchestras. Her touring schedule grew lighter in the 1990s, and included a three-year hiatus. While the popularity of her recordings flagged after the success of Ingenue , she has remained a compelling concert draw, and in 2002 launched a successful tour with singer Tony Bennett. Lang's memorable rendition of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," performed at the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, won a Juno nomination for single of the year in 2011.

Awards and Recognition

Lang has won numerous Juno awards since being named the most promising female vocalist in 1985, along with four Grammy awards. In 1996, she was named an Officer of the Order of Canada . She was honoured with the Governor General's National Arts Centre Award in 2005 and was inducted into the Canadian Walk of Fame in 2008. In 2013, lang was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

A musical chameleon with exceptional vocal range and clarity, k.d. lang is one of several singers who have made Canadian women a force in popular music around the world.

Discography

For a complete list of recordings, please visit k.d. lang's official website linked in the Links to Other Sites below.

Music of k.d. lang

Further Reading

Lacey, Liam. "Country's punk queen," Toronto Globe and Mail , 1 Nov 1984

Stern, Perry. "Sustaining the edge," Canadian Musician , vol 9, Apr 1987

Jennings, Nicholas. "A bracing breeze from Western Canada," Maclean's , 30 May 1988

Lacey, Liam. "'I enjoy an odd kind of stardom,'" Toronto Globe and Mail , 3 Jun 1989

Druckman, Howard. "Hot dawg," Toronto Metropolis , 19 Oct 1989

Jones, Christopher. "Canada's country sensation leaves cartoon caricature behind for musical maturity," Toronto Now , 26 Oct-1 Nov 1989

"The k.d. lang interview," Toronto StarWeek , 11-18 Nov 1989

Gillmor, Don. "The reincarnation of Kathryn Dawn," Saturday Night , Jun 1990

Robertson, William. k. d. lang: Carrying the Torch (Toronto 1992)

Starr, Victoria. k. d. lang: All You Get is Me (Toronto 1994)

Pareles, Jon. "k.d. lang leaves metaphor behind," New York Times , 8 Oct 1995

Lang, Robert, ed. Contemporary Canadian Musicians (Toronto 1997)

Collis, Rose. k. d. lang (Bath 1999)

Teel, Gina. "Disappearance of k.d. lang: Millions of fans want to know: Has Consort's famous singer run out of breath?" BC Report , 27 Sep 1999

Hajdu, David. "Queer as folk," New York Times , 18 Aug 2002

Shorto, Russell. "The next cultural establishment," New York Times Magazine , 3 Oct 2004

External Links

k.d. Lang Listen to k.d. Lang on iTunes.

k.d. Lang Écoutez des albums de k.d. Lang sur iTunes.

Canadian Music Hall of Fame The website for the Canadian Music Hall of Fame from the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS).

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