There is no mistaking the purity of k.d. lang’s voice – she has been called “the best singer on the planet.” Her voice has been lauded as strong, pure, honest and free, and reflects the spirituality, honesty and freedom of the woman – the artist – and the activist.
Born in a Canadian prairie town, Lang knew her future was in music when she won a singing contest as a child. She all but gave up on school and began singing in country western venues.
In 1985, she earned a Juno for Most Promising Female Vocalist. That Juno led to a collaboration with Dave Edmunds, and the release of Angel with a Lariat (1987). Roy Orbison chose her to record a duet of his standard “Crying,” which won them a Grammy for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals in 1988.
Lang has worked with a wide range of producers in an equally broad range of genres. She has co-produced such discs as the 1992 Ingenue, which included the Grammy Award-winning “Constant Craving.” The self-described musical nomad’s early work could best be called postmodern country. She has eased comfortably from traditional country to mainstream pop and dance rock, landing solidly as an interpreter of standards.
After 18 long months of touring for Ingenue, Lang was not only exhausted from being on the road but had also begun to become disillusioned by the trappings of fame. She retreated to her home and her dogs and began to explore Buddhism.
What followed was a celebration of songs by Canadian artists; Hymns of the 49th Parallel included songs by Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell and Neil Young. With the release of Watershed, Lang added another dimension to her list of accomplishments as a singer, multi-instrumentalist, composer and actor – the role of producer.
