k.d. lang | |
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k.d. lang in 2006
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Background information | |
Birth name | Kathryn Dawn Lang |
Born |
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada |
November 2, 1961
Genres | Country, pop, folk, jazz |
Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, record producer, actress |
Instruments | Vocals, guitar |
Years active | 1984–present |
Labels | Bumstead, Sire, Warner Bros. Records, Nonesuch, Elektra Records |
Website | www.kdlang.com |
Kathryn Dawn "K.D." Lang, OC (born November 2, 1961), known by her stage name k.d. lang, is a Canadian pop and country singer-songwriter and occasional actress.
Lang has won both Juno Awards and Grammy Awards for her musical performances; hits include "Constant Craving" and "Miss Chatelaine". She has contributed songs to movie soundtracks and has collaborated with musicians such as Roy Orbison, Tony Bennett, Elton John, Anne Murray, Ann Wilson, and Jane Siberry. Lang is also known for being an animal rights, gay rights, and Tibetan human rights activist. She is a tantric practitioner of the old school of Tibetan Buddhism. She performed Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" live at the opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Previously, she had performed at the closing ceremony of the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. Lang possesses the vocal range of a mezzo-soprano.
Lang was born in Edmonton, Alberta, the daughter of Audrey Bebee and Adam Frederick Lang. She is of English, Irish, Scottish, German, Russian Jewish, Icelandic, and Sioux ancestry. When Lang was nine months old, her family moved to Consort, Alberta, where she grew up with two sisters and one brother on the Canadian prairie. Her father, a drugstore owner, left the family when she was twelve.