K.d. lang
The correct title of this article is k.d. lang. The initial letter is capitalized due to technical limitations.
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k.d. lang on the cover of her album Drag |
Kathryn Dawn Lang,
OC (born
November 2,
1961), best known by the stage name
k.d. lang (without capital letters), is a
Canadian singer and
songwriter.
Lang was born in the small farming town of
Consort, Alberta and grew up on the Canadian
prairies; she is of
German,
Sioux and
Icelandic descent on her father's side, and has a
Russian Jewish great grandmother on her mother's side. Singing at
country and western venues in Canada, she made several recordings that received good reviews and earned a 1985 Canadian
Juno Award for Most Promising Female Vocalist. She accepted the award wearing a wedding dress.
In 1986, she signed a contract with an
American record producer in
Nashville,
Tennessee and received critical acclaim for her 1987 album,
Angel with a Lariat. Her career received a huge boost when rock legend
Roy Orbison chose her to record a duet of his standard, "Crying". Instead of being overwhelmed by the power of Orbison's three-octave voice, the two blended their tremendous vocal ranges into a riveting collaboration that won them the
Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals. In 1988, she performed "Turn me Round" at the closing ceremonies of the XV Winter Olympiad in
Calgary.Later that same year she would sing background vocals with
Jennifer Warnes and
Bonnie Raitt for Orbison's acclaimed television special,
Roy Orbison and Friends, A Black and White Night.
k.d. lang won the
Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for her 1989 album,
Absolute Torch and Twang. The single "Full Moon of Love" that stemmed from that album became a modest hit in the United States in the summer of 1989.
In addition to her musical talents, k.d. lang, who came out as a
lesbian in a 1992 article of the gay news magazine
The Advocate, has actively championed
lesbian causes. She has peformed and supported many causes over the years, including HIV/AIDS care and research. She is sometimes known for utilizing an
androgynous physical appearance. Her animal rights
vegetarian stands including a "Meat Stinks" campaign created much controversy, particularly at her hometown in the middle of
Alberta's cattle ranching industry.
The album,
Ingenue, released in 1992, contained her most popular song, "Constant Craving", which brought her multi-million sales, much critical acclaim, and the
Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Another top ten single from the record was "Miss Chatelaine"; the salsa inspired track was ironic, as a "Chatelaine" is a respected mistress of a large, fashionable household and lang herself is known for keeping a stereotypically masculine appearance.
In 1993, she starred in the
Alaska-themed film
Salmonberries, to generally poor reviews. She contributed much of the music towards
Gus van Sant's soundtrack of the movie version of
Tom Robbins's
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, and also did a cover of "Skylark" for the movie version of the book
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. She also performed "Surrender" for the closing titles of the
James Bond film
Tomorrow Never Dies, having previously worked with Bond composer
David Arnold on his album
Shaken and Stirred: The David Arnold James Bond Project.
In 1996, she was made an Officer of the
Order of Canada.
In 2003, she won her fourth Grammy Award, this time for
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for her collaboration with
Tony Bennett,
A Wonderful World.
On subsequent tours critical acclaim continued to come her way. For example, in 2004
Stephen Holden of
The New York Times wrote: "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. She discreetly flaunted her technique, drawing out notes and shading them from sustained cries into softer, vibrato-laden murmurs. She balanced her commitment to the material with humor, projecting a twinkling merriment behind it all." (see [
1]).
On July 29th, 2006, Lang performed her hit "Constant Craving" at the
Outgames Opening Ceremonies in Montreal, Canada.
A Truly Western Experience (1984)
Angel with a Lariat (1987)
Shadowland (1988)
Absolute Torch and Twang (1989)
Ingenue (1992)
*
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues [soundtrack]
1993All You Can Eat (1995)
Drag (1997)
Invincible Summer (2000) inspired by her relationship with
Leisha HaileyLive by Request (2001)
A Wonderful World (2002) with
Tony BennettHymns of the 49th Parallel (2004)
Reintarnation (2006)
*
Are You Ready for the Country: Elvis, Dylan, Parsons and the Roots of Country Rock, Peter Dogget, Penguin Books, 2001. ISBN 0-140-26108-7
*
Dreaming Out Loud: Garth Brooks, Wynonna Judd, Wade Hayes and the changing face of Nashville, Bruce Feiler, Avon Books, 1998. ISBN 0-380-97578-5
*
Academy of Country Music*
List of country musicians*
Country Music Association*
List of number-one dance hits (United States)*
List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart*
Official website*
kdlang.com*
InnerVIEWS with Ernie Manouse: k.d. lang (TV Interview)
*
MoreThings Music analysis and photo gallery
*
k.d. lang's Lyrics*
k.d. lang's Sexuality*
k.d. lang Fansite
