k.d. lang facts for kids

k.d. lang OC AOE
lang in 2006
Background information
Birth name	Kathryn Dawn Lang
Born	(1961-11-02) November 2, 1961 (age 63) Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Genres	Country pop folk
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter record producer actress
Instruments	Vocals guitar
Years active	1981–present
Labels	Bumstead Sire Warner Bros. Nonesuch Elektra
Signature

Kathryn Dawn Lang (born November 2, 1961), known by her stage name k.d. lang, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and occasional actress. She is famous for her pop and country music.

Lang has won many awards, including Juno Awards and Grammy Awards, for her amazing singing. Some of her well-known songs are "Constant Craving" and "Miss Chatelaine".

She has sung for movie soundtracks and worked with famous musicians like Roy Orbison and Tony Bennett. Lang performed at the closing ceremony of the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary and the opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. There, she sang Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah".

Lang is also known for being an activist. She supports animal rights and human rights. She practices a type of Tibetan Buddhism.

Early Life and Musical Start

Lang was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on November 2, 1961. She was the youngest of four children. When she was nine months old, her family moved to Consort, where she grew up. Her father left the family when she was twelve.

After high school, Lang went to Red Deer College. There, she became very interested in the life and music of Patsy Cline. This inspired her to become a professional singer. In 1982, after college, she moved back to Edmonton.

Music Career

Early Bands and "Cowboy Punk"

In 1983, Lang joined a country-swing band called the Reclines. They became known as a Patsy Cline tribute band. Their first single was "Friday Dance Promenade." The Reclines often played at a popular venue in Edmonton called the Sidetrack Cafe.

In 1984, the band released their first album, A Truly Western Experience. It received great reviews and brought them national attention in Canada. Lang also performed at the World Science Fair in Japan that year.

Lang developed a unique style called "cowboy punk." She would sew plastic cowboys and Indians onto her clothes. She loved to play with clothes as much as she loved making music. In 1985, she won a Juno Award for Most Promising Female Vocalist. She has won eight Juno Awards in total.

In 1986, Lang signed a record deal in Nashville, Tennessee. Her 1987 album, Angel with a Lariat, was highly praised. In 1989, she released her last album with the Reclines, Absolute Torch and Twang.

Solo Success and Famous Songs

Lang decided to use a lower-case name, k.d. lang, inspired by the poet E. E. Cummings.

Her career really took off when Roy Orbison asked her to sing a duet of his song, "Crying." This collaboration won them a Grammy Award in 1989. Because of this success, Lang won the Entertainer of the Year award from the Canadian Country Music Association. She won this award for four years in a row!

In 1988, she released Shadowland, an album of country songs. That same year, she performed at the closing ceremonies of the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. She also sang background vocals for Roy Orbison's TV special.

Lang gained international fame in 1988 after her Olympics performance. A Canadian women's magazine, Chatelaine, even named her "Woman of the Year."

In 1990, Lang contributed the song "So in Love" to a tribute album for Cole Porter. This album helped raise money for AIDS research.

Grammy Awards and Hit Songs

Lang won a Grammy Award for her 1989 album Absolute Torch and Twang. The song "Full Moon Full of Love" from that album became a hit in Canada.

Her 1992 album, Ingénue, featured pop songs and became very popular. It included her most famous song, "Constant Craving". This song sold millions of copies and received great reviews. She won a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Constant Craving."

Another hit from the album was "Miss Chatelaine." The song's video showed Lang in a very feminine way, with bright colors and bubbles. This was a playful nod to the magazine that named her "Woman of the Year."

Lang also received a writing credit for the Rolling Stones' 1997 song, "Anybody Seen My Baby?" Its chorus sounded similar to "Constant Craving." The Rolling Stones gave her credit to avoid any issues. Lang said she was "completely honored and flattered."

She contributed music to the film Even Cowgirls Get the Blues. She also sang "Surrender" for the end credits of the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies.

In 1997, Lang released Drag, an album of cover songs about "smoke." The album cover showed Lang in a man's suit. The songs included "Smoke Dreams" and "Smoke Rings."

2000s and Beyond

In 2003, Lang won her fourth Grammy Award. This was for her album A Wonderful World, which she made with Tony Bennett.

In 2004, a music critic from The New York Times praised her voice. He said she had perfect pitch and a beautiful, smoky tone.

That same year, Lang released Hymns of the 49th Parallel. This album featured cover songs by famous Canadian singer-songwriters like Leonard Cohen and Joni Mitchell. The album sold over 100,000 copies in Canada.

She also sang "Little Patch of Heaven" for the Disney film Home on the Range.

In 2006, Lang sang "Constant Craving" at the opening ceremonies of the Outgames in Montreal. She also collaborated with other singers like Madeleine Peyroux and Ann Wilson. In 2007, she teamed up with her childhood idol, Anne Murray, for a remake of "A Love Song."

On February 5, 2008, she released Watershed, her first album of new songs since 2000.

In 2010, her first greatest-hits collection, Recollection, was released. She also released a new album, Sing it Loud, in 2011.

In 2016, Lang worked with Neko Case and Laura Veirs on the album case/lang/veirs. She performed "Hallelujah" again at a Leonard Cohen memorial in 2017.

In 2020, she was featured in the song "Lightning Fields" by The Killers. In 2021, she released Makeover, a collection of dance remixes.

Semi-Retirement

In 2019, Lang mentioned in an interview that she considers herself semi-retired. She said she might not write or record new songs in the future. She feels "completely at peace" with this idea.

Film and Television Appearances

Lang has appeared on several TV shows, including The Super Dave Osborne Show and Austin City Limits.

She played the main role in the 1991 film Salmonberries. She also acted with Ewan McGregor in Eye of the Beholder (1999). She had small roles in other films like The Black Dahlia. Lang also made guest appearances on sitcoms like The Larry Sanders Show, Dharma & Greg, and Ellen.

In 2008, she performed with the BBC Concert Orchestra in London. This concert was later released as a DVD called Live in London.

On February 12, 2010, she sang Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" at the 2010 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Vancouver. She sang it again at the Australian TV Logie Awards that year. In 2010, she sang "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" on a Christmas episode of Glee. She also appeared as herself on How I Met Your Mother in 2013 and Portlandia in 2014.

In 2014, Lang made her Broadway debut in the show After Midnight.

In 2020, she performed at Fire Fight Australia, a concert to raise money for those affected by bushfires. She sang "Hallelujah" there too.

In September 2024, Lang will reunite with her old band, The Reclines, for the first time in 35 years. They will perform at the 2024 Canadian Country Music Awards.

Activism and Causes

Lang has been a strong supporter of human rights and equality for all people.

She has supported many causes, including HIV/AIDS care and research. Her song "So in Love" was on an album that helped raise money for AIDS research. She also sang "Fado Hilário" in Portuguese for another benefit album.

Lang is a vegetarian. Her "Meat Stinks" campaign in the 1990s caused some debate, especially in her home province of Alberta, which is known for cattle ranching. Some radio stations even stopped playing her music because of it.

In 1993, Lang was on the cover of Vanity Fair magazine. The photo showed her in a barber chair with model Cindy Crawford.

In April 2008, Lang visited Melbourne, Australia, to support Tibetan human rights issues. She joined protesters in Canberra as the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay passed through.

In 2011, Lang was inducted into the Q Hall of Fame Canada. This was to recognize her work for equality around the world.

Lang is also a member of the Canadian charity Artists Against Racism.

Achievements and Awards

In 1996, she was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. This is a high honor in Canada.

In 1998, she was added to The ArQuives: Canada's LGBTQ2+ Archives' National Portrait Collection.

In 2005, Lang received the National Arts Centre Award. In 2008, she received a star on Canada's Walk of Fame. In 2018, she was appointed to the Alberta Order of Excellence.

On April 21, 2013, Lang was officially inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at the 2013 Juno Awards. She encouraged Canadians to "let your freak flags fly" in her acceptance speech. Also in 2013, the Alberta Ballet Company created a ballet called Balletlujah! using Lang's music.

In June 2024, Lang was announced as the 2024 Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame Artist inductee.

Musical Style

Lang's voice is described as a mezzo-soprano. This means her voice is between a high soprano and a low contralto. She has a strong, husky sound in her lower notes and a beautiful higher range.

Early in her life, Lang was influenced by female artists like Joni Mitchell and Linda Ronstadt. She enjoyed country music in the 1980s, but she saw it as a short interest. She loved the emotion in country music and how artists like Patsy Cline told their stories. However, she never fully connected with the "politics" of country music.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role
1991	Salmonberries	Kotzebue
1994	Teresa's Tattoo	Michelle
1999	Eye of the Beholder	Hilary
2006	The Black Dahlia	Lesbian Bar Singer (uncredited)

Television

Year	Title	Role
1987	Hee Haw	Herself
1988	Pee-wee's Playhouse Christmas Special	Herself
1989	The Jim Henson Hour	Herself
1995	The Larry Sanders Show	Herself
1997	Ellen	Janine
1997	The Last Don	Dita Tommey
2000	Dharma & Greg	Herself
2013	How I Met Your Mother	Herself
2014	Portlandia	Herself
2020	Jann	Herself

Theatre

Year	Title	Role
2014	After Midnight	Special Guest Star

Awards

ASCAP Pop Music Awards

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result	Ref.
1994	"Constant Craving"	Most Performed Song	Won

Alibu Music Awards

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result	Ref.
2016	case/lang/veirs	International Folk Album of the Year	Won

Americana Music Honors & Awards

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2018	Herself	Trailblazer Award	Won

Brit Awards

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
1995	Herself	International Female Solo Artist	Won
1996			Nominated

GLAAD Media Awards

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2001	Invincible Summer	Outstanding Music Album	Won
2003	A Wonderful World		Won
2009	Watershed	Outstanding Music Artist	Won

Grammy Awards

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
1989	"Crying" (shared with Roy Orbison)	Best Country Vocal Collaboration	Won
1990	"Absolute Torch and Twang"	Best Female Country Vocal Performance	Won
1993	Ingénue	Album of the Year	Nominated
	"Constant Craving"	Song of the Year	Nominated
		Record of the Year	Nominated
		Best Female Pop Vocal Performance	Won
1994	"Miss Chatelaine"		Nominated
1995	"Moonglow" (with Tony Bennett)	Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals	Nominated
2003	"What A Wonderful World" (with Tony Bennett)	Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals	Nominated
2004	"La Vie En Rose" (with Tony Bennett)		Nominated
	A Wonderful World (shared with Tony Bennett)	Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album	Won

Juno Awards

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
1985	Herself	Most Promising Female Vocalist of the Year	Won
1987		Country Female Vocalist of the Year	Nominated
		Female Vocalist of the Year	Nominated
1989			Nominated
		Canadian Entertainer of the Year	Nominated
		Country Female Vocalist of the Year	Won
1990			Won
		Canadian Entertainer of the Year	Nominated
1993		Best Female Vocalist	Nominated
		Songwriter of the Year	Won
		Best Producer	Won
	Ingénue	Best Album	Won
1994	Herself	Best Producer	Nominated
		Best Recording Engineer	Nominated
1995			Nominated
2005		Artist of the Year	Nominated

Pollstar Concert Industry Awards

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
1990	Tour	Club Tour of the Year	Nominated
		Best Debut Tour	Nominated
1993	Tour	Small Hall Tour of the Year	Nominated
2002	Tour (w/Tony Bennett)	Major Tour of the Year	Won

Discography

Studio Albums

• Shadowland (1988)
• Ingénue (1992)
• All You Can Eat (1995)
• Drag (1997)
• Invincible Summer (2000)
• Hymns of the 49th Parallel (2004)
• Watershed (2008)

With The Reclines

• A Truly Western Experience with The Reclines (1984)
• Angel with a Lariat with The Reclines (1987)
• Absolute Torch and Twang with The Reclines (1989)

Collaboration Albums

• A Wonderful World with Tony Bennett (2002)
• Sing It Loud with The Siss Boom Bang (2011)
• case/lang/veirs with case/lang/veirs (2016)

Soundtrack Albums

• Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1993)
• Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) – "Surrender"
• Home on the Range (2004) – "Little Patch of Heaven"
• Happy Feet (2006) – "Golden Slumbers / The End"

See also

In Spanish: K. D. Lang para niños

• Academy of Country Music
• Country Music Association
• List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
• List of country musicians
• List of number-one dance hits (United States)