Anne Murray facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anne Murray
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Murray in 1971
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Morna Anne Murray |
| Born | June 20, 1945 Springhill, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Origin | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Years active | 1967–2008 |
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Morna Anne Murray (born June 20, 1945) is a famous Canadian singer. She is known for her country, pop, and adult contemporary music. Anne Murray has sold over 55 million albums around the world. Her career lasted more than 40 years.
She won four Grammys, which are big music awards. One of these was for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1978. Anne Murray was the first Canadian female solo singer to reach number one on the U.S. music charts. She was also the first to get a Gold record in the U.S. for her song "Snowbird" (1970).
Many people say Anne Murray helped open doors for other Canadian singers. These include k.d. lang, Céline Dion, and Shania Twain. Her song "You Needed Me" was a number-one hit in many countries in 1978. In 1984, she became the first woman and first Canadian to win Album of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards. This was for her album A Little Good News.
Besides her Grammys, Anne Murray has won many other awards. She has 26 Juno Awards, three American Music Awards, and three Country Music Association Awards. She is in several Halls of Fame, like the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame. She also has stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Canada's Walk of Fame. In 2011, Billboard magazine ranked her among the top 10 Adult Contemporary Artists ever.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Growing Up in Springhill
Morna Anne Murray was born on June 20, 1945. She grew up in Springhill, Nova Scotia, a town known for coal mining. Her father, Dr. James Carson Murray, was the town's doctor. Her mother, Marion Margaret Murray, was a nurse who helped with community charity work. Anne has five brothers.
Discovering Her Musical Talent
Anne showed interest in music from a young age. She studied piano for six years. By age 15, she traveled every Saturday for singing lessons. One of her first public performances was singing "Ave Maria" at her high school graduation in 1962.
Becoming a Teacher
After high school, Anne studied at Mount Saint Vincent University for a year. Then, she studied Physical Education at the University of New Brunswick. After getting her degree in 1966, Murray taught physical education. She taught at a high school in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, for one year. Her brother, Bruce Murray, also released music and had songs on the charts.
Anne Murray's Music Career
Starting Out in Music
In 1965, Anne Murray sang two songs on a student record called "The Groove." Later, she tried out for a TV show called Singalong Jubilee. She didn't get a singing spot at first. After singing in local places for a summer, she became a physical education teacher.
After teaching for a year, she was chosen to be on Singalong Jubilee. She appeared on the show's soundtrack albums. The show's music director, Brian Ahern, told her to move to Toronto. He suggested she record her own album. Her first album, What About Me, came out in 1968.
Rising to Fame in the 1970s and 1980s
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The song "What About Me" was a big hit in Canada. Anne Murray then signed with Capitol Records in 1969. Her second album, This Way Is My Way, included the song "Snowbird". This song became a number-one hit in Canada. "Snowbird" also became a surprise hit in the U.S., reaching number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1970. It was her first of eight number-one Adult Contemporary hits. "Snowbird" was also the first Gold record given to a Canadian artist in the United States.
After "Snowbird" became popular, Anne Murray had many songs that were hits on both pop and country charts. In the 1970s and 1980s, her hits included "Danny's Song" (1972), "A Love Song" (1973), and "You Won't See Me" (1974). Her biggest hit on the Hot 100 was "You Needed Me" (1978). Other popular songs were "I Just Fall in Love Again" (1979), "Daydream Believer" (1980), and "Could I Have This Dance" (1980). She also had hits like "A Little Good News" (1983) and "Nobody Loves Me Like You Do" (1985).
Anne Murray sang "O Canada" at the first American League baseball game in Canada in 1977. She also sang it before a World Series game in Canada in 1992. She sang "The Maple Leaf Forever" at the closing ceremony of Maple Leaf Gardens. She was also a spokesperson for The Bay store and sang commercials for CIBC bank. Her last Hot 100 hit was "Now and Forever (You and Me)" in 1986.
Later Career: 1990s–2000s
In 1996, Anne Murray got a new manager, Bruce Allen. She recorded her first live album in 1997. In 1999, she released What a Wonderful World, an album with inspiring songs. This album reached number one on the Contemporary Christian charts.
In 1999, the movie South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut featured a song called "Blame Canada". Anne Murray was mentioned in the song. She said she was not offended by it.
She released Country Croonin' in 2002. In 2004, she released I'll Be Seeing You in Canada. The American version, All of Me, came out in 2005. This album was dedicated to her friend Cynthia McReynolds, who passed away from cancer.
In 2004, Anne Murray joined other Canadian stars for a telethon. This event raised money for tsunami relief. She sang a duet with Bryan Adams.
On October 10, 2007, Anne Murray announced her final big tour. She toured the U.S. and Canada in 2008. Her last public concert was on May 23, 2008, in Toronto.
Her album Anne Murray Duets: Friends & Legends was released in 2007 and 2008. This album featured 17 of her biggest hits re-recorded as duets. She sang with other famous female singers like Céline Dion, Shania Twain, k.d. lang, and Olivia Newton-John. Her daughter, Dawn Langstroth, also sang a duet with her. The album was very successful in Canada and the U.S. It reached number 2 on the Canadian pop album charts.
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Anne Murray's album What a Wonderful World was re-released in 2008. She also released a new Christmas album in October 2008. She sang a virtual duet of "Silver Bells" with Elvis Presley on his Christmas album.
Anne Murray retired from recording and performing after her last Christmas album in 2008. She explained that 40 years was long enough. She wanted to stop while she was still singing well. She has remained retired and has not regretted her decision. In June 2025, she announced a new album called Here You Are. It will have songs she recorded earlier but never released.
Television Appearances
Anne Murray had five popular TV specials in the U.S. and several in Canada. Her 2008 special, Family Christmas, was watched by 4.2 million people in Canada. She appeared on many famous TV shows. These include The Johnny Cash Show, Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, and Saturday Night Live. Her 2005 CBC special, Anne Murray: The Music of My Life, had over 7 million Canadian viewers. In 2008, she was a mentor on Canadian Idol. A documentary film about her, Anne Murray: Full Circle, was shown on CBC Television in 2021.
Personal Life
Autobiography and Family
In 2009, Anne Murray released her autobiography called All of Me. She went on a book signing tour across Canada and the U.S. She is Catholic. Her nephews, Paul Murray and Dale Murray, are also musicians.
In 1975, Anne Murray married Bill Langstroth. He was a music producer. They had two children, William (born 1976) and Dawn (born 1979). Dawn is a singer-songwriter. She has recorded songs with her mother, including "Let There Be Love" and "Nobody Loves Me Like You Do." Anne and Bill separated in 1997 and divorced in 1998. Bill Langstroth passed away in 2013.
In 1998, Anne and Dawn performed at a concert to help an eating disorder treatment center. Both have talked about Dawn's struggle with anorexia nervosa when she was young. Dawn has received treatment and continues her music career. Anne Murray lived in Thornhill, Ontario, for over 40 years. In 2019, she moved back to her home province of Nova Scotia, settling in Halifax.
Helping Others
Anne Murray has always stayed connected to her hometown, Springhill, Nova Scotia. The Anne Murray Centre opened there on July 28, 1989. It shows items from her life and career. The center is a charity that helps tourism and promotes music from Nova Scotia and Canada. The money it earns helps local people find jobs and keeps the center running.
Murray also helped build the Dr. Carson and Marion Murray Community Centre in Springhill. This center is named after her parents. It has an ice rink, a walking track, and rooms for community events. It opened in 2004 and is an important part of the Springhill community.
Anne Murray has supported many charities. She was the Honorary National Chairperson for the Canadian Save The Children Fund. She also spoke for Colon Cancer Canada. In 2009, the first Anne Murray Charity Golf Classic raised over C$150,000 for Colon Cancer Canada.
On February 12, 2010, Anne Murray was one of eight Canadians who carried the Olympic flag. This was during the opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. She also supported Canadian environmentalist David Suzuki's Nature Challenge.
Golf Enthusiast
Anne Murray loves golf. In 2003, she made history by being the first woman to get a hole in one at the Kaluhyat Golf Club in New York. In 2007, Golf For Women magazine named her the world's best female celebrity golfer.
Awards and Honours
Anne Murray has won many awards. She has four Grammys, three American Music Awards, and three CMA Awards. She also holds a record with 24 Juno Awards.
In 1995, she received a Governor General's Performing Arts Award. This is Canada's highest honor in performing arts. In 2002, Country Music Television ranked her number 24 on their list of the 40 Greatest Women of Country Music.
She was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1975. In 1984, she was promoted to Companion of the Order of Canada. This is the second highest honor for a Canadian civilian. She was also one of the first people to receive the Order of Nova Scotia in 2002.
In 2006, the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame gave her the Legacy Award. This was for her support of Canadian songwriters. On June 29, 2007, Canada Post released a special Anne Murray stamp. She was honored along with other Canadian artists like Paul Anka and Joni Mitchell. In 2016, she received an honorary degree from Mount Saint Vincent University.
See also
In Spanish: Anne Murray para niños
