Kate McGarrigle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kate McGarrigle
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McGarrigle at the 2008
Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame gala |
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| Background information | |
| Born | February 6, 1946 Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Died | January 18, 2010 (aged 63) Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Genres | Folk |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | |
| Years active | 1970–2009 |
| Associated acts |
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Kate McGarrigle (born February 6, 1946 – died January 18, 2010) was a talented Canadian folk singer and songwriter. She was well-known for performing as a musical team with her sister, Anna McGarrigle.
Kate was also the mother of two famous singers, Rufus Wainwright and Martha Wainwright. Their father is American singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III.
Her Early Life
Kate McGarrigle was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Her father, Francis McGarrigle, was an Irish pianist. Her mother, Gabrielle Latrémouille, was French Canadian.
Kate was the youngest of three sisters, including Jane and Anna. They grew up in a small village called Saint-Sauveur-des-Monts, north of Montreal. Music was a big part of their family life. Everyone would often gather around the piano to sing.
This helped Kate and her sisters learn about many different kinds of music. They heard songs by George Gershwin, traditional French Canadian folk songs, and music by Stephen Foster. They also learned from singer-songwriters like Wade Hemsworth and Edith Piaf. The sisters even took piano lessons from the nuns in their village.
Her Music Career
In the 1960s, Kate and Anna became important figures in Montreal's growing folk music scene. This was while they were still going to school. From 1963 to 1967, they joined with Jack Nissenson and Peter Weldon to form a folk group called the Mountain City Four.
Anna, who is a bit older than Kate, studied painting. Kate studied engineering at McGill University. It was during this time that they started writing their own songs.
Even though Kate mostly sang in English, she and Anna helped make Québécois folk music famous around the world. They did this with their French albums like Entre la jeunesse et la sagesse (also known as the French Record) and La vache qui pleure.
A book called Kate and Anna McGarrigle: Songs and Stories tells the story of the McGarrigle sisters' lives. It was written by Anna's husband, Dane Lanken.
In Montreal, a public space called Place Kate-McGarrigle was opened on August 7, 2013. It is in the Outremont area, where Kate lived before she passed away. The space includes a special sculpture by artist Robert Wilson.
Kate's son, Rufus, shared that he talked with his mother about having a child with his childhood friend, Lorca Cohen. He said that Kate strongly encouraged him to accept the idea. Rufus wishes his mother had lived long enough to meet his daughter, Viva Katherine Wainwright Cohen.
Awards and Recognition
Kate and Anna's first album, Kate & Anna McGarrigle (released in 1976), was chosen as the Best Record of the Year by Melody Maker magazine.
Later, their albums Matapedia (1996) and The McGarrigle Hour (1998) both won Juno Awards. The Juno Awards are like the Canadian version of the Grammy Awards. In 1999, Kate and Anna also received "Women of Originality" awards.
In 1993, Kate was given a very special honor: she was made a Member of the Order of Canada. This is one of Canada's highest awards for citizens. In 2006, Kate and Anna McGarrigle also received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the SOCAN Awards, which celebrates Canadian songwriters and composers.
Her Legacy
In 2006, Kate McGarrigle was diagnosed with cancer. To help others, she started the Kate McGarrigle Fund in 2008. This fund, based at the McGill University Health Centre, helps raise awareness about sarcoma. Sarcoma is a rare type of cancer that affects body tissues like bones and muscles.
Kate passed away from clear-cell sarcoma on January 18, 2010, at her home in Montreal. She was 63 years old. Her sister Anna wrote on their website: "Sadly our sweet Kate had to leave us last night. She departed in a haze of song and love surrounded by family and good friends. She is irreplaceable and we are broken-hearted. Til we meet again dear sister."
Just six weeks before she died, Kate made her last public appearance. She performed with her children, Rufus and Martha Wainwright, at the Royal Albert Hall in London. This concert raised $55,000 for the Kate McGarrigle Fund.
After her death, many musicians honored Kate. On June 12, 2010, the Meltdown Festival held a tribute concert for her. It was organized by musician Richard Thompson. Many famous artists performed, including her children Rufus and Martha, her sister Anna, and her ex-husband Loudon Wainwright III. Other performers included Neil Tennant, Nick Cave, and Emmylou Harris.
Her close friend Emmylou Harris even wrote a song called "Darlin' Kate" in her memory. This song can be found on Harris's album Hard Bargain.
Another "Celebration of Kate McGarrigle" took place on May 12 and 13, 2011, in New York City. Many artists came together to honor her music. These included Norah Jones, Jimmy Fallon, and Michael Ondaatje. The concerts were filmed, and a movie called Sing Me the Songs That Say I Love You: A Concert for Kate McGarrigle was released in 2013. A soundtrack album, Sing Me the Songs: Celebrating the Works of Kate McGarrigle, was also released.
Discography
- Kate & Anna McGarrigle (1976)
- Dancer with Bruised Knees (1977)
- Pronto Monto (1978)
- Entre la jeunesse et la sagesse (1980)
- Love Over and Over (1982)
- Heartbeats Accelerating (1990)
- Matapédia (1996)
- The McGarrigle Hour (1998)
- La vache qui pleure (2003)
- The McGarrigle Christmas Hour (2005)
- ODDiTTiES (2010)
- Tell My Sister (2011)
- Sing Me the Songs: Celebrating the Works of Kate McGarrigle (2013)
See also
In Spanish: Kate McGarrigle para niños
