Dianne Heatherington
| Dianne Heatherington | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 14, 1948 |
| Origin | Fort Rouge, Winnipeg |
| Died | October 22, 1996 (age 48) |
| Genres | Rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, Actor |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1969 - 1995 |
Dianne Mae Heatherington (May 14, 1948 – October 22, 1996) was a Canadian singer of several genres, particularly rock, whose musical career spanned nearly two decades. In the latter part of her career, she became a successful businessperson in the film security industry, while at the same time enjoying modest success as a Canadian film and television actress.
She was nominated for a Juno Award in 1981 in the category of Most Promising Female Vocalist of the Year. She also hosted her own national CBC Television series, Dianne, in 1971.
In May 1993, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer from which she died on October 22, 1996, aged 48, in Toronto.
Heatherington was born in Fort Rouge, Winnipeg. Described as "the undisputed First Lady of Winnipeg rock 'n' roll", she commenced her musical career in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where she was the lead singer of Dianne Heatherington and The Merry-Go-Round. The band included Bill Wallace, later a member of The Guess Who. She became a local legend when, in 1970, she personally shamed Led Zeppelin into performing at the Man-Pop Festival, when they had already been paid pursuant to a rain clause in their contract, and were preparing to leave Winnipeg without performing.
Heatherington relocated to Toronto from Winnipeg in the early 1970s. To commemorate her departure, The Guess Who recorded the Kurt Winter-Bill Wallace composition, "Bye Bye Babe", on their 1973 Artificial Paradise album. In Toronto, she formed a band which by 1976 included Dave Garber, Sandy Chochinov and Mark Rutherford. She and her band became increasingly popular in the Toronto and area club scene.
In 1980, her only album, Heatherington Rocks, was released on Epic Records. The album included a mix of original and cover material. Three of the standout tracks were rearrangements of The Beatles' "Helter Skelter" and Bruce Cockburn's "Mama Just Wants To Barrelhouse All Night Long", plus "Mr. Nice Guy", co-written by Heatherington and members of her band. The basic album had been recorded in 1978 for GRT Records, which had gone bankrupt as of the summer of 1979, prior to releasing the album. Heatherington purchased the master tapes from the bankruptcy trustee. "Helter Skelter" was released as a single, with "Mr. Nice Guy" as the B-Side. Despite Heatherington's ownership of the master tapes, the album has not been released in CD format, through her estate or otherwise.
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