"I'm proud that I was one of the first ones out, singing loud and proud.”
Born Kathryn Dawn Lang, she was raised in Consort, Alberta, on the Canadian prairie. After winning a childhood singing competition, Lang knew she was destined for a career as a vocalist. Starting in the country music genre, she earned a Juno Award (Canada’s equivalent to the Grammy) for Most Promising Female Vocalist in 1985.
“Angel with a Lariat,” her first U.S. album, received critical acclaim. Lang’s duet with Roy Orbison on his 60’s hit, “Crying,” turned her into a bonafide star. In 1989, the pair received a Grammy for Best Country Collaboration
“Absolute Torch and Twang” (1989), another country album, won Lang her second Grammy. “Ingénue” (1992), a collection of pop contemporary vocals, was Lang’s most successful. The album went platinum, earning her a third Grammy and launching the hit single “Constant Craving.”
After touring with veteran crooner Tony Bennett in 2001, the duo collaborated on “A Wonderful World” (2002), a tribute to the music of Louis Armstrong. The album was honored with a Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.
Bennett described Lang as “a natural in the tradition of Bing Crosby—the best singer since Judy Garland.”
Lang has contributed music to a number of motion pictures, including Gus Van Sant’s “Even Cowgirls Get the Blues,” Clint Eastwood’s “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,” and the James Bond film “Tomorrow Never Dies.”
In 1992, Lang came out in an interview with The Advocate. She has actively championed GLBT civil rights causes and helps raise funds for HIV/AIDS care and research.
In 2008, k.d. lang received a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame.
Bibliography
"k.d. lang." AskMen.com. 12 May 2009
"k.d. lang." Warner Bros. and Reprise Records. 12 May 2009"
k.d. lang." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 12 May 2009
Opie, Catherine. “The second coming of k.d. lang.” Times Online. 12 May 2009
Saner, Emine. "The return of k.d. lang.” The Guardian. 12 May 2009
Books about k.d. lang
k.d. lang: All You Get is Me (1995)
CD’s
Angel with a Lariat (1987)
Absolute Torch and Twang (1989)
Shadowland (1990)
Ingénue (1992)
Drag (1997)
Wonderful World (2002)
Hymns of the 49th Parallel (2004)
Watershed (2008)
DVD’s
k.d lang: Harvest of Seven Years (2000)
k.d. lang Live with the BBC Concert Orchestra (2009)
Films
In Country (1989)
It’s My Party (1996)
Twister (1996)
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997)
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
Sweet November (2001)
Home on the Range (2004)
Happy Feet (2006)
The Black Dahlia (2006)
For the Bible Tells Me So (2007)
Television
Normal (2003)
Words to Music: The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (2006)
Tony Bennett: An American Classic (2006)
Farrah’s Story (2009)
Videos
k.d. lang performs “Constant Craving”
k.d. lang interview with CBS News
Websites
k.d. lang Official Website
k.d. lang on The Internet Movie Database
k.d. lang on Facebook
k.d. lang on MySpace
