Born 65 Years Ago Today in Canada, the Grammy-Winning Country Singer Who Duetted With Roy Orbison Before Becoming a Pop Sensation

Few artists get their start in country music before becoming a pop sensation. k.d. lang, one of Canada’s finest singer-songwriters, managed to do just that with a legendary duet with Roy Orbison in 1989. From there, she has enjoyed an incredible career, one that has earned her pop and country awards for her work. And she was born on this very day, November 2, 1961. Let’s celebrate her birthday by taking a look back at her life and career, shall we?

The Career and Legacy of k.d. lang

Katheryn Dawn Lang, known by her stage name k.d. lang, was born on November 2, 1961, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Her childhood was tough at times, as her father had abandoned her family when she was only 12. The inspiration for her vulnerable and stunning singer-songwriter works would come from her time in college, though, when she became interested in the life of country icon Patsy Cline. Lang pursued a musical career soon after. And within just a few years, she would find herself collaborating with none other than Roy Orbison.

Lang is perhaps best known for her breakthrough hit from 1989, a stellar duet with Roy Orbison titled “Crying”. She scored a Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Collaboration for the duet. That song kicked off a powerhouse career in country music. Lang would earn the Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for “Absolute Torch And Twang” just one year later.

From Canadian Country Icon to International Pop Sensation

Lang’s debut record Shadowland, released in 1988, was a smash Top 10 hit on both the US country charts and the Canadian mainstream charts. By the 1990s, Lang had become a pop success in both the US and Canada. She released Top 40 albums like Ingénue from 1992 and All You Can Eat from 1995. Her success in pop music continued through the 2000s. In total, Lang has earned four Grammy Awards and has been nominated for dozens of additional awards in both the US and Canada. Lang was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2013.

Nowadays, Lang is considered “semi-retired” from music. “I’m not feeling any particular urge to make music right now,” Lang said in an interview with BBC Radio 4 in 2019. “The muse is eluding me. I am completely at peace with the fact that I may be done.”

Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images

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