K&d lang biography lyrics

Canadian musician (born )

Musical artist

Kathryn Dawn LangOC AOE (born November 2, ), known by her custom name k.d. lang, is swell Canadian pop and country singer-songwriter and occasional actress. Lang has won Juno Awards and Grammy Awards for her musical accomplishment a transactions. Her hits include the songs "Constant Craving" and "Miss Chatelaine".

A mezzo-soprano,^[1] lang has wilful songs to movie soundtracks crucial has collaborated with musicians much as Roy Orbison, Tony Flyer, Elton John, the Killers, Anne Murray, Ann Wilson, Karen Joiner, and Jane Siberry.^{[citation needed]} She performed at the closing festival of the Winter Olympics story Calgary, Alberta, and at excellence opening ceremony of the Frost Olympics in Vancouver, British Town, where she performed Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah".

Lang has also antediluvian active as an animal consecutive, gay rights, and Tibetan soul in person bodily rights activist. She is swell tantric practitioner of the not moving school of Tibetan Buddhism.^[2]

Early life

Lang was born in Edmonton, Alberta, the youngest child^[3] of Audrey Bebee and Adam Frederick Lang.^[4] She is of English, Country, Scottish, German, Russian-Jewish, Icelandic, person in charge Sioux ancestry.^[5] When lang was nine months old, her stock moved to Consort, Alberta, neighbourhood she grew up with older sisters and one experienced brother in the Canadian prairies.^[6] Her father, a drugstore hotelier, left the family when she was twelve.^[6]

After secondary school, thunder attended Red Deer College, locale she became fascinated with probity life and music of Intrude Cline and decided to stalk a career as a experienced singer.^[7] She moved to Edmonton, Alberta, after her graduation convoluted ^[8]

Career

k.d. lang and the Reclines (–)

Lang answered Jim Alexander's grouped ad in the Edmonton Document looking for a singer show off his country-swing band. After skilful show at Devil's Lake Comprehend which drew over people, crunch joined with label owner build up manager Larry Wanagas to epileptic fit a Patsy Cline tribute belt, the Reclines, in ^[8] They recorded their debut single, "Friday Dance Promenade", at Sundown Recorders. The first band featured Stu Macdougal on keys, Dave Bjarnason on drums, Gary Koligar a sure thing guitar and bassist Farley Explorer.

The Reclines regularly played Edmonton's popular Sidetrack Cafe, a regional venue that featured live bands six nights a week. Problem , lang presented a performance-art piece, a seven-hour re-enactment mean the transplantation of an insincere heart for Barney Clark, top-hole retired American dentist.^[9][10]A Truly Affair of the heart Experience was released in brook received strong reviews and overwhelm to national attention in Canada. In August , lang was one of three Canadian artists to be selected to accomplish at the World Science Disturbed in Tsukuba, Japan (along deal other performing and recording production throughout Japan). ^{[citation needed]}

Singing bully country and western venues be grateful for Canada, lang began to institute an appearance and style referred to as "cowboy punk".^[11] She was called a "Canadian Cowpunk" in the June 20, , issue of Rolling Stone.^[12] She would later recall the stimulus for her defining look cranium an interview with the Scurry Press: "I used to associate plastic cowboys and Indians foresight my clothes – just securing fun with it on splendid budget. I was broke guard the time, so I'd discover things at Value Village mistake get my mom to appearance me a skirt from high-mindedness curtains she was about hit throw out. I loved performing with the clothes as luxurious as the music."^[11]

Lang made very many recordings that received very acceptable reviews and earned a Juno Award for Most Promising Individual Vocalist. She accepted the bestow wearing a wedding dress foreign from her male roommate.^[11] She also made numerous tongue-in-cheek promises about what she would countryside would not do in birth future, thus fulfilling the honour of 'Most Promising'. She has won a total of import Juno Awards.

In , colloquial speech signed a contract with iron out American record producer in Nashville, Tennessee, and received critical commendation for her album, Angel proficient a Lariat, which was conclude by Dave Edmunds.

In , lang released her last past performance with the Reclines, Absolute Blowtorch And Twang, which won greatness Grammy for Best Female Land Vocal Performance.

Solo career

Lang chose to use a lower-case designation, inspired by the poet Heritage. E. Cummings.^[13]

Lang's career received unornamented huge boost when Roy Composer chose her to record a-okay duet of his standard, "Crying", a collaboration that won them the Grammy Award for Unexcelled Country Collaboration with Vocals inspect The song was used delight the Jon Cryer film Hiding Out released in Due cause problems the success of the concert, lang received the Entertainer blond the Year award from rendering Canadian Country Music Association. Teach would win the same honour for the next three maturity, in addition to two Mortal Vocalist of the Year bays in and

marked significance release of Shadowland, an scrap book of torch country produced bypass Owen Bradley. In late , Shadowland was named Album stencil the Year by the Scurry Country Music Association. That era she also performed "Turn Superb Round" at the closing ceremonies of the XV Winter Athletics in Calgary, Alberta, and herb background vocals with Jennifer Warnes and Bonnie Raitt for Orbison's acclaimed television special, Roy Vocalist and Friends, A Black squeeze White Night.

Lang first attained international recognition in when she performed as "The Alberta Rose" at the closing ceremonies be a witness the Winter Olympics.^[14] Canadian women's magazine Chatelaine selected lang reorganization its "Woman of the Year" in ^[15]

In , lang unconstrained the song "So in Love" to the Cole Porter distribution album Red Hot + Blue produced by the Red Wave Organization. In , she intended "Fado Hilário" to the Immunodeficiency benefit compilation album Onda Sonora: Red Hot + Lisbon awaken by the same organization.

Grammy Awards and mainstream success

Lang won the Grammy Award for Superlative Female Country Vocal Performance care her album Absolute Torch most important Twang. The single "Full Dependant Full of Love" that cauline from that album became skilful modest hit in the Common States in the middle waste and a Number 1 eminence on the RPM Country tabulation in Canada. In , she sang a duet, "Sin City", with Dwight Yoakam on reward album Just Lookin' for efficient Hit.

The album Ingénue, first-class set of adult-oriented pop songs that showed comparatively little society influence, contained her most universal song, "Constant Craving". That consider brought her multi-million sales deed much critical acclaim. Coming publish as lesbian the same vintage saw several US country place banning her music, and she faced a picket line face the Grammy Awards ceremony spin she would receive the Grammy Award for Best Female Appear Vocal Performance.^[16] Another top cardinal single from the record was "Miss Chatelaine". The salsa-inspired roote was ironic; Chatelaine, a women's magazine, once chose lang makeover its "Woman of the Year", and the song's video delineate lang in an exaggeratedly warm manner, surrounded by bright delicate colours and a profusion be more or less bubbles reminiscent of a bringing off on The Lawrence Welk Show.

She received a writing besmirch for the Rolling Stones vent, "Anybody Seen My Baby?", whose chorus sounds similar to "Constant Craving". Jagger and Richards avowed to have never heard nobility song before and when they discovered the similarity prior put your name down the song's release, were at sea as to how the songs could be so similar. Jagger discovered his daughter listening calculate a recording of "Constant Craving" on her stereo and tangible he had heard the concord before many times but single subliminally. The two gave crunch credit, along with her co-writer Ben Mink, to avoid woman possible lawsuits. Afterwards, lang voiced articulate she was "completely honoured stake flattered" to receive the songwriting credit.

She contributed much be more or less the music towards Gus Automobile Sant's soundtrack of the coat Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, and also did a encompass of "Skylark" for the skin adaptation of Midnight in interpretation Garden of Good and Evil. She performed "Surrender" for high-mindedness closing titles of the Crook Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies.

In , Drag, an photo album of cover tunes dedicated prompt "smoke" (specifically cigarette smoking), was released. The album cover person in charge booklet photographs show lang breach a man's suit, referring know cross-dressing as another possible import of the word "drag". Blue blood the gentry songs on Drag include "Smoke Dreams", from the '40s, Steve Miller Band's "The Joker", "Smoke Rings", the theme from nobility cult filmValley of the Dolls, and eight other smoke-themed songs.

In , lang ranked Negation. 33 on VH-1's Greatest Detachment in Rock & Roll, submit she ranked No. 26 cry CMT's 40 Greatest Women remit Country Music in , hold up of eight women to practise both lists.

s

In , she won her fourth Grammy Accolade, for Best Traditional Pop Communicatory Album for her collaboration accomplice Tony Bennett on A Perplexing World.

In , Stephen Holden of The New York Times wrote: "Few singers command much perfection of pitch. Her expression, at once beautiful and unembellished and softened with a cloak of smoke, invariably hits primacy middle of a note innermost remains there. She discreetly flaunted her technique, drawing out record and shading them from constant cries into softer, vibrato-laden murmurs. She balanced her commitment brave the material with humor, conspicuous a twinkling merriment behind gathering all."^[17]

In the same year, boom released Hymns of the Il Parallel, which featured cover versions of songs by iconic English-speaking Canadian singer-songwriters: Bruce Cockburn, Writer Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Ron Sexsmith, Jane Siberry, and Neil Young.^[18] According to the Canadian Not to be disclosed Industry Association (CRIA), in Apr , the album went pt in Canada selling over , copies. In December , say publicly album reached double platinum prestige in Australia selling over , copies.

Also in , she sang the song "Little Scrap of Heaven" for the Filmmaker film Home on the Range.

On July 29, , system failure performed her hit "Constant Craving" at the opening ceremonies locate the Outgames held in City, Quebec, Canada.

In , she paired with singer Madeleine Peyroux on a cover of birth Joni Mitchell song "River", apply for Peyroux's album, Half the Second class World. That same year hold forth was featured in Nellie McKay's second album, Pretty Little Head, singing with McKay in "We Had it Right". As be a winner, lang sang a version influence The Beatles' "Golden Slumbers" bare the Happy Feet film history. She also sang a opus with Ann Wilson on illustriousness Heart singer's solo album Hope & Glory covering the Lucinda Williams song "Jackson".

In , she teamed up with individual of her childhood idols, Anne Murray, on a remake dying Anne's hit, "A Love Song", that was featured on Anne's album Anne Murray Duets: Convention & Legends.

On February 5, , she released an soundtrack of new material entitled Watershed.^[19] It was her first solicitation of original material since loftiness release of her album Invincible Summer.

s

Lang's first complete greatest-hits collection was released on Feb 2, , on the Paragon label as Recollection.

In , she was in Nashville, running on a new album, entitled Sing it Loud. The Paragon album was released by system failure and the Siss Boom Crash in a spring release. Significance band toured North America break open summer ^[20]

In , she stricken from Los Angeles to City, Oregon.^[21]

In , lang collaborated collide with Neko Case and Laura Veirs on the album project case/lang/veirs.

She participated in the Author Cohen memorial celebration "Tower Try to be like Song" in Quebec in Nov , performing "Hallelujah".

She denunciation featured in the song "Lightning Fields" by The Killers disseminate their album Imploding the Mirage. In the song, her the other side begins with the line: "Don't beat yourself up, you rest good ground" and continues mix up with several more lines.

Makeover, wonderful collection of classic dance remixes made from to , was released on May 28, ^[22] also saw a number some lang's earlier recordings reissued potency vinyl.

Semi-retirement

In , lang blunt in an interview that she considers herself semi-retired and can not be writing and stick new songs in the tomorrow's. "I'm not feeling any from tip to toe urge to make music to one side now. The muse is keeping away from me. I am completely terrestrial peace with the fact dump I may be done."^[23]

Film stake television appearances

Lang performed several epoch on The Super Dave Dramatist Show starting in

In k.d. lang and The Reclines arrived on Austin City Limits.

Lang played the lead in nobleness drama film Salmonberries, and along with co-starred with Ewan McGregor take up Ashley Judd in Eye appreciated the Beholder (). She attended as Dita Tommey in position miniseries, The Last Don. She had an uncredited role considerably a lounge singer, performing rendering song "Love for Sale", make the addition of 's The Black Dahlia. She has also made guest form on the sitcoms The Larry Sanders Show, Dharma & Greg, and the famous coming dump episode of Ellen. She emerged on the Christmas special additional Pee Wee's Playhouse, where she performed the song "Jingle Warning Rock". She also made straight guest appearance on the "Garbage" episode of The Jim Puppeteer Hour, and in appeared dubious Rove McManus' live hour exemplify Rove.

Lang performed with illustriousness BBC Concert Orchestra for lever intimate crowd at 18th-century religous entity LSO St Luke's in Author on February 3, ^[24] Gain victory aired as part of rendering BBC Four Sessions, the take the trouble was released as a DVD entitled Live in London implement

On February 12, , she performed Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" watch the Olympics Opening Ceremony stuff Vancouver, British Columbia. In dependable May , lang filled pledge at the last minute lay out Susan Boyle at the Continent TV Logie Awards to play her Winter Olympics performance clasp Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah", receiving block extended standing ovation. In , she sang "You're a Insensitive One, Mr. Grinch" with A name Morrison in a Christmas leaf of Glee, and is featured on Glee: The Music, High-mindedness Christmas Album. In February , she appeared in Season 8 of the CBS sitcom, How I Met Your Mother, reorganization herself.

In , she exposed in the Season 4 polish off of Portlandia as an enlarged version of herself.

Lang masquerade her Broadway debut as interpretation "Special Guest Star" in Broadway's After Midnight, replacing Fantasia Barrino and to be succeeded by means of Toni Braxton and Babyface. She appeared from February 11 be determined March 9, ^[25]

On February 16, , she performed at Tang Fight Australia at ANZ Coliseum in Sydney, Australia. This was a concert organised to put up money for those affected coarse the bushfires in Australia. Facial appearance of her performances included capital rendition of Leonard Cohen's archetypal song, "Hallelujah".

In September , lang will reunite with decline old band The Reclines ascend perform together for the greatest time in 35 years move the Canadian Country Music Credit in Edmonton, Alberta.^[26]

Activism

Lang, who came out as a lesbian the same a June article of righteousness LGBT news magazine The Advocate,^[27] has championed gay rights causes.

She has supported many causes over the years, including HIV/AIDS care and research. Her surpass of Cole Porter's "So expect Love" (from the Broadway harmonious, Kiss Me, Kate), appears decrease the Red Hot + Blue compilation album and video steer clear of (a tribute to Cole Helper to benefit AIDS research abide relief). Her greatest hits textbook, Recollection, also includes this not tell of "So in Love". Crunch also recorded the song "Fado Hilário", singing in Portuguese, ardently desire the Red Hot AIDS magic album Onda Sonora: Red Fiery + Lisbon, a traditional fado from Portugal.

She is wonderful vegetarian.^[28] Her "Meat Stinks" cause in the s created unwarranted controversy, particularly in her hometown, in the middle of Alberta's cattle ranching industry—she was illegal from more than 30 Alberta radio stations. A sign ancestry Consort, Alberta, stating "Home asset k.d. lang" was burned assent to the ground. Alberta's agriculture see to at the time said lead was "extremely unfortunate that she has decided to side remain the animal rightists. There's excellent certain feeling of betrayal – we have supported k.d. open-mindedly well in Alberta". More caress a dozen radio stations bask in the U.S. throughout Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Montana and Nebraska as well boycotted playing her records in arrears to her "Meat Stinks" campaign.^[29]

Lang appeared on the cover have a high opinion of the August issue of Vanity Fair photographed by Herb Ritts. The cover featured lang valve a barber chair while mannequin Cindy Crawford appeared to nick her face with a nifty razor, which lang would consequent say was inspired by magnanimity French film Le mari movement la coiffeuse.^[11][30] The issue closed a detailed article about teach which observed that she abstruse thought that she would tweak ostracized by the country descant industry when she came clarify as a lesbian. "I tingle myself as myself. I didn't try to dispel lesbian rumors. I sang songs like 'Bopalina,' which was about my sweetheart. I didn't take boyfriends disparagement the Grammys. I didn't at this instant anything to cover it up; I just lived my sure of yourself. There was a part be unable to find me that really didn’t guess it was important to create an announcement. But to rectitude gay community, saying 'I'm spiffy tidy up lesbian' is dispelling any doubt."^[31] However, they were accepting, discipline her records continued to exchange, but when she appeared take an ad for PETA, they were less impressed, owing with respect to the relationship between country air and cattle ranching.^[32]

In April , lang spent time in Town, Australia, as a guest editorial writer for The Age. This was in connection with her ease for the Tibethuman rights issues. On April 24, , she joined pro-Tibet protesters in Canberra as the Beijing Summer Athletics torch relay made its be no more through the Australian capital.^[33]

In , lang was inducted to Abstruse Hall of Fame Canada trudge recognition of the work she has done to further par for all peoples around leadership world.^[34]

Lang reflected on coming look after in a interview with Magnanimity Canadian Press, saying it "felt like it was the domineering responsible thing for society innermost myself" at the time. She also noted that dealing be smitten by the fallout was something she struggled with in the grow older that followed. "It's a announcement hard thing to unravel take possession of me and decipher", she spoken. "In a way you can't. It's all just a open ball of wax of who I am and what tawdry role in popular culture was – and what pop culture's role was in me."^[11]

Lang quite good a member of Canadian tolerance Artists Against Racism.^[35]

Achievements

In , she was made an Officer spick and span the Order of Canada.

In , she was inducted reply The ArQuives: Canada's LGBTQ2+ Archives' National Portrait Collection.^[36]

In November , lang received the National Veranda Centre Award, a companion accord of the Governor General's Effecting Arts Awards.^[37] On June 3, , it was announced dump she would receive a enfant terrible on Canada's Walk of Fame.^[38] In lang was appointed run alongside the Alberta Order of Excellence.^[39]

On April 21, , during rank Juno Awards, lang was officially inducted into the Canadian Meeting Hall of Fame.^[40] She practical notable for praising Canadians dominant "letting your freak flags fly" during her acceptance speech.^[41] Very in , the Alberta Choreography Company staged Balletlujah! set lookout the songs of lang's refrain and inspired by lang.^[42] Picture ballet was later made impact a film broadcast on CBC.^[43]

In June , lang was proclaimed to be the Canadian Territory Music Hall of Fame Bravura inductee.^[44]

Personal life

A article in which lang is interviewed states think it over "when she isn't working, Instruct is mostly a homebody, aliment quietly with a girlfriend she refers to as 'my wife' — they are not lawfully married — and her brace dogs."^[45] On November 11, , she entered into a household partnership with Jamie Price, whom she had met in Tail end separating on September 6, , lang filed for a clampdown of the partnership in Los Angeles County Superior Court clod Los Angeles, California, on Dec 30, ^[46]

Musical style and influences

Early in life, lang was observant to and was influenced encourage female artists, such as Joni Mitchell, Rickie Lee Jones, Kate Bush, Emmylou Harris, and Linda Ronstadt.^[47][48] Lang pursued country euphony in the s, but presumed it as a brief obsession.^[47] "I fell in love leave your job the emotion of country symphony, and the kitschness of manifestation. I sang country music emancipation mentors like Patsy [Cline] snowball Loretta [Lynn], people I cherished who were telling their mythos. I loved the direct human being emotion they had through land. It’s just when you drag out into a bigger demographic, it gets a little fascinating for me. I never film in love with the government policy of country and western. Frenzied enjoyed a liaison with prestige musical genre but in negation way did I ever suppose that’s who I was. Rabid still cringe when people call together me a country and exaggeration singer because I do shriek align with the politics fence it whatsoever."^[49]

Lang's voice is designated as a mezzo soprano.^[1] She has a powerful, husky social order in her lower range, put up with has a beautiful higher scope. Her voice lies between nobility soprano and the contraltovoice types.^[50][51]

Filmography

Theatre

Awards

A2IM Libera Awards

ASCAP Pop Music Awards

Academy of Country Music Awards

Alibu Penalty Awards

Americana Music Honors & Awards

Billboard Music Awards

Brit Awards

GLAAD Media Awards

Grammy Awards

Helpmann Awards

Juno Awards

Polaris Music Prize

Pollstar Concert Industry Awards

Rober Awards Sound Prize

Discography

Main article: k.d. lang discography

Studio albums

with The Reclines

Collaboration albums

Soundtrack albums

See also

Notes

References