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#REDIRECT [[k.d. lang]]
{{pp-semi|small=yes}}
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{{Infobox musical artist
| Name = K.D. Lang
| Img =
| Img_capt =
| Img_size =
| Landscape =
| Background = solo_singer
| Birth_name = Kathryn Dawn Lang
| Alias =
| Born = {{birth date and age|1961|11|2}}
| Died =
| Origin = [[Edmonton]], [[Alberta]] [[Canada]]
| Instrument =
| Genre = [[Country music|Country]], [[Pop music|pop]]
| Occupation = [[Singer-songwriter]]
| Years_active = 1984–present
| Label = [[Bumstead Records|Bumstead]], [[Sire Records|Sire]], [[Warner Bros. Records|Warner Bros.]], [[Nonesuch Records|Nonesuch]]
| Associated_acts =
| URL = [http://www.kdlang.com/ www.kdlang.com]
}}

'''K.D. Lang''', [[Order of Canada|OC]] (or '''k.d. lang''', born '''Kathryn Dawn Lang''' on [[November 2]], [[1961]]) is a [[Grammy Award]]-winning [[Canada|Canadian]] [[singer]] and [[songwriter]].

==Biography==
===Early years===
Lang was born [[November 2]], [[1961]]<ref>http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0485807/bio</ref> in [[Edmonton, Alberta]] to Audrey and Fred Lang. The family moved to [[Consort, Alberta]]<reF>http://www.misskathydawn.co.uk/kd-lang-biography.htm</ref>, when she was nine months old, and there she grew up with her 2 sisters and 1 brother, on the Canadian prairies.

Lang was first drawn to [[country music]] when she attended [[Red Deer College]]<ref>http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/lang_kd/bio.jhtml</ref>. Soon, she became fascinated with the life and music of [[Patsy Cline]] and ultimately determined to pursue a career as a professional singer. Lang formed a Patsy Cline tribute band called the Reclines in 1983, and they recorded a debut album, Friday Dance Promenade. A follow-up album, A Truly Western Experience, was released in 1984 and received strong reviews and led to national attention in Canada.

Singing at country and western venues in Canada, she made several recordings that received good reviews and earned a [[1985 in music|1985]] Canadian [[Juno Award]] for Most Promising Female Vocalist. She accepted the award wearing a wedding dress and made numerous tongue-in-cheek promises about what she would and would not do in the future, thus fulfilling the title of ''Most Promising''. Lang has won eight Juno Awards.

In [[1986]], she signed a contract with an American record producer in [[Nashville]], [[Tennessee]], and received critical acclaim for her [[1987 in music|1987]] album, ''[[Angel with a Lariat]]'' which was produced by [[Dave Edmunds]].

===Career rise===
Her career received a huge boost when [[Roy Orbison]] chose her to record a duet of his standard, [[Crying (song)|"Crying"]], a collaboration that won them the [[Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals]].

The year [[1988 in music|1988]] marked the release of ''[[Shadowland (album)|Shadowland]]'', an album of torch country produced by the legendary [[Owen Bradley]]. That year she performed "Turn Me Round" at the closing ceremonies of the XV Winter Olympics in [[Calgary, Alberta]]. Later that same year she would sing background vocals with [[Jennifer Warnes]] and [[Bonnie Raitt]] for Orbison's acclaimed television special, ''[[Roy Orbison and Friends, A Black and White Night]]''. Lang also guest-starred on [[Pee-wee's Playhouse Christmas Special]] in 1988, where she sang "[[Jingle Bell Rock]]".

===Grammy Awards and mainstream success===
K.D. Lang won the [[United States of America|American]] [[Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance]] for her [[1989 in music|1989]] album, ''[[Absolute Torch and Twang]]''. The single "Full Moon of Love" that stemmed from that album became a modest hit in the United States in the summer of 1989 and a number 1 hit on the [[RPM (magazine)|RPM Country]] chart in Canada.

Her cover of [[Cole Porter]]'s "So In Love" appears on the ''[[Red Hot + Blue]]'' compilation album and video from 1990, a benefit for [[AIDS]] research and relief.

The 1992 album ''[[Ingénue (album)|Ingénue]]'', a set of adult contemporary pop songs that showed comparatively little country influence, contained her most popular song, "[[Constant Craving]]". That song brought her multi-million sales, much critical acclaim, and the [[Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance]]. Another top ten single from the record was "Miss Chatelaine". The [[salsa music|salsa]]-inspired track was ironic; ''[[Chatelaine (magazine)|Chatelaine]]'' is a Canadian women's magazine which once chose Lang as its "Woman of the Year", and the song's video depicted Lang in an exaggeratedly feminine manner, surrounded by bright pastel colours and a profusion of bubbles reminiscent of a performance on the [[Lawrence Welk]] show.

Lang contributed much of the music towards [[Gus Van Sant]]'s soundtrack of the film ''[[Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (film)|Even Cowgirls Get the Blues]]'' ([[1993 in film|1993]]), and also did a cover of "[[Skylark (song)|Skylark]]" for the [[1997 in film|1997]] film adaptation of ''[[Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil]]''. She performed "Surrender" for the closing titles of the [[James Bond]] film ''[[Tomorrow Never Dies]]'', having previously worked with Bond composer [[David Arnold]] on his album ''Shaken and Stirred: The David Arnold James Bond Project''.

In [[1996]], she was made an Officer of the [[Order of Canada]].

Lang ranked #33 on ''[[VH1]]'s 100 Greatest Women in Rock & Roll'' in 1999 and #26 on ''[[CMT]]' 40 Greatest Women in Country Music'' in 2002, one of only eight women to make both lists. The others were [[Patsy Cline]], [[Tammy Wynette]], [[Loretta Lynn]], [[Dolly Parton]], [[Emmylou Harris]], [[Linda Rondstadt]], and [[Lucinda Williams]].

In [[2003 in music|2003]], she won her fourth Grammy Award, this time for [[Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album|Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album]] for her collaboration with [[Tony Bennett]], ''[[A Wonderful World]]''.

On subsequent tours critical acclaim continued to come her way. In [[2004 in music|2004]], [[Stephen Holden]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote: "Few singers command such perfection of pitch. Her voice, at once beautiful and unadorned and softened with a veil of smoke, invariably hits the middle of a note and remains there. She discreetly flaunted her technique, drawing out notes and shading them from sustained cries into softer, vibrato-laden murmurs. She balanced her commitment to the material with humor, projecting a twinkling merriment behind it all."<ref>[http://movies2.nytimes.com/mem/movies/review.html?res=9F07E4DD1239F932A15755C0A9629C8B63 "JVC JAZZ FESTIVAL REVIEWS: Tai Chi Precision and Constant Shading" ~ ''The New York Times'']</ref>

In the same year, she released ''[[Hymns of the 49th Parallel]]'', which featured cover versions of songs by iconic Canadian [[singer-songwriter]]s: [[Bruce Cockburn]], [[Leonard Cohen]], [[Joni Mitchell]], [[Ron Sexsmith]], [[Issa (singer)|Jane Siberry]], and [[Neil Young]].<ref>http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/lang_kd/bio.jhtml</ref> According to the CRIA the Canadian Record Industry Association in April 2006 the album went platinum in Canada selling over 100,000 copies. In December 2007 the album reached double platinum status in Australia selling over 140,000 copies.

Also in 2004 she sang the song "Little Patch of Heaven" for the [[Walt Disney Animation Studios|Walt Disney Feature Animation]] film ''[[Home on the Range (film)|Home on the Range]]''.

On [[July 29]], [[2006]], Lang performed her hit "Constant Craving" at the [[Outgames]] Opening Ceremonies in Montreal, Canada.

In 2006 Lang duetted with singer [[Madeleine Peyroux]] on a cover of the [[Joni Mitchell]] song "[[River (song)|River]]" for Peyroux's album ''[[Half the Perfect World]]''. That same year Lang was featured in [[Nellie McKay]]'s second album, ''[[Pretty Little Head]]'', singing with McKay in "we had it right".
In 2006 Lang sang a version of [[The Beatles]]' "[[Golden Slumbers (The Beatles song)|Golden Slumbers]]" for the [[Happy Feet (OST)|''Happy Feet'' film soundtrack]].

In 2007 she partnered with [[Anne Murray]] on a re-make of Murray's hit "[[A Love Song]]," to be featured on Murray's CD ''Anne Murray Duets: Friends and Legends''. The duet was recorded in Los Angeles, and on Murray's official website there is a picture of Murray and Lang kneeling behind Murray's star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]]. Anne Murray was Lang's childhood idol.

She released an album of new material, ''[[Watershed (k.d. lang album)|Watershed]]'' on February 5, 2008.<ref>[http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003656384 K.D Lang eyeing February For Next Album] Billboard.com, retrieved 2007-10-11</ref>. It is her first collection of original material since ''Invincible Summer'' in 2000.

=== Film and television career ===
Lang played the lead in the [[1991 in film|1991]] [[drama film]] ''[[Salmonberries]]'', and also costarred with [[Ewan McGregor]] and [[Ashley Judd]] in ''[[Eye of the Beholder (film)|Eye of the Beholder]]'' ([[1999 in film|1999]]). Lang had an uncredited role as a lounge singer in [[2006 in film|2006]]'s ''[[The Black Dahlia (film)|The Black Dahlia]]''. She has also made guest appearances on the sitcoms ''[[The Larry Sanders Show]]'', ''[[Dharma & Greg]]'' and ''[[Ellen (TV series)|Ellen]]''.

==Activism==
K.D. Lang, who came out as a [[lesbian]] in a [[1992]] article of the [[LGBT]]-related news magazine ''[[The Advocate]]'', has actively championed [[gay rights]] causes. She is sometimes known for utilizing an [[androgynous]] physical appearance. She has performed and supported many causes over the years, including [[HIV]]/[[AIDS]] care and research. Her animal rights [[vegetarian]] stance including a "Meat Stinks" campaign created much controversy, particularly at her hometown in the middle of [[Alberta]]'s cattle ranching industry.

In the early 1990's, Lang appeared on the cover of ''Vanity Fair'' magazine. The cover featured Lang in a barber chair while model [[Cindy Crawford]] appeared to shave her face with a straight razor. The issue contained a detailed article about Lang which observed that she had thought that she would be ostracized by the country-music industry when she came out as a lesbian; [[Nashville]] was accepting, and her records continued to sell. When she appeared in an advert for [[PETA]] however, Nashville was less impressed due to the relationship between country music and [[cattle ranching]].<ref>http://www.afterellen.com/archive/ellen/Music/kdlang.html</ref>

Lang was involved with [[Annie Lennox]] in the production of the charity record [[Sing (Annie Lennox song)|Sing]] released on December 1st 2007 ([[World AIDS Day]]) to raise awareness of the transmission of [[HIV]] to unborn children in Africa<ref>[http://www.annielennoxsing.com]</ref>.

==Discography==
===Albums===
*''[[A Truly Western Experience]]'' (1984)
*''[[Angel with a Lariat]]'' (1987) Canada #40
*''[[Shadowland (album)|Shadowland]]'' (1988) U.S #73, Canada #9
*''[[Absolute Torch and Twang]]'' (1989) U.S #69, Canada #29
*''[[Ingénue (album)|Ingénue]]'' (1992) U.S #18, U.K #3, Canada #13, Australia #3, New Zealand #1
* ''[[Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (film)|Even Cowgirls Get the Blues]]'' [soundtrack] [[1993]] U.S #82, U.K #36, Canada #47, Australia #10, New Zealand #4
*''[[All You Can Eat]]'' (1995) U.S #37, U.K #7, Canada #10, Australia #3, New Zealand #1
*''[[Drag (album)|Drag]]'' (1997) U.S #29, U.K #19, Canada #39, Australia #8, New Zealand #16
*''[[Invincible Summer]]'' (2000) U.S #58, U.K #17, Australia #12, New Zealand #45
*''[[Live by Request (K. D. Lang album)|Live by Request]]'' (2001) U.S #94, Australia #83
*''[[A Wonderful World]]'' (2002) with [[Tony Bennett]] U.S #41, U.K #33, Australia #23, New Zealand #48
*''[[Hymns of the 49th Parallel]]'' (2004) U.S #56, U.K. #91, Canada #2, Australia #3, New Zealand #23
*''[[Reintarnation]]'' A compilation of her early country songs. (2006)
*''[[Watershed (k.d. lang album)|Watershed]]'' (2008) U.S. #8, U.K. #35, Canada #3, Australia #3

===Singles===
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Song
!width="40"|<small>[[Hot Country Songs|US Country]]</small>
!width="40"|<small>[[Canadian Singles Chart|CAN Country]]</small>
!width="40"|<small>[[Billboard Hot 100|US Hot 100]]</small>
!width="40"|<small>[[Hot Dance Club Play|US Club]]</small>
!width="40"|<small>[[RPM (magazine)|RPM 100]]</small>
!width="40"|<small>[[Canadian Singles Chart|CAN AC]]</small>
!width="40"|<small>[[ARIA Chart|Australia]]</small>
!width="40"|<small>[[UK Singles Chart]]
!Album
|-
|1984
|"Hanky Panky"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|''A Truly Western Experience''
|-
|rowspan="4"|1987
|"[[(I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden|Rose Garden]]"
|
|align="center"|45
|
|
|
|align="center"|7
|
|
|rowspan="2"|''Angel with a Lariat''
|-
|"Tune Into My Wave"
|
|align="center"|45
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|"[[Crying (song)|Crying]]"
|align="center"|42
|align="center"|29
|
|
|align="center"|2
|align="center"|4
|align="center"|71
|align="center"|13
|''Hiding Out (soundtrack)''
|-
|"Honky Tonk Angels Medley" <br><small>(with [[Kitty Wells]], [[Brenda Lee]], and [[Loretta Lynn]])</small>
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|rowspan="3"|''Shadowland''
|-
|rowspan="2"|1988
|"I'm Down to My Last Cigarette"
|align="center"|21
|align="center"|7
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|"Lock, Stock and Teardrops"
|align="center"|53
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|1989
|"Full Moon Full of Love"
|align="center"|22
|align="center"|1
|
|
|
|
|
|
|rowspan="6"|''Absolute Torch and Twang''
|-
|"Three Days"
|align="center"|55
|align="center"|9
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|rowspan="5"|1990
|"Luck in My Eyes"
|
|align="center"|10
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|"Big Boned Gal"
|
|align="center"|23
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|"Pullin' Back the Reins"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|"Trail of Broken Hearts"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|"Ridin' the Rails"
|
|
|
|
|
|align="center"|19
|
|
|''Dick Tracy (soundtrack)''
|-
|rowspan="2"|1992
|"[[Constant Craving]]"<sup>A</sup>
|
|
|align="center"|38
|
|align="center"|8
|align="center"|2
|align="center"|38
|align="center"|15
|rowspan="3"|''Ingénue''
|-
|"Miss Chatelaine"
|
|
|
|
|align="center"|58
|
|
|align="center"|68
|-
|rowspan="2"|1993
|"The Mind of Love"
|
|
|
|
|align="center"|49
|align="center"|6
|
|align="center"|72
|-
|"Just Keep Me Moving"
|
|
|
|align="center"|6
|align="center"|25
|align="center"|7
|align="center"|63
|align="center"|59
|rowspan="3"|''Even Cowgirls Get the Blues''
|-
|rowspan="2"|1994
|"Hush Sweet Lover"
|
|
|
|
|
|align="center"|7
|align="center"|28
|
|-
|"Lifted By Love"
|
|
|
|align="center"|1
|
|
|
|
|-
|1995
|"If I Were You"
|
|
|align="center"|115
|align="center"|1
|align="center"|24
|align="center"|4
|align="center"|23
|align="center"|53
|rowspan="3"|''All You Can Eat''
|-
|rowspan="2"|1996
|"You're Okay"
|
|
|
|
|align="center"|44
|align="center"|10
|align="center"|56
|align="center"|44
|-
|"Sexuality"
|
|
|
|align="center"|3
|
|align="center"|31
|align="center"|67
|
|-
|1997
|"Theme From the Valley of the Dolls"
|
|
|
|align="center"|14
|
|
|
|
|''Drag''
|-
|1998
|"Fado Hilário"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|''Red Hot + Lisbon (Onda Sonora)''
|-
|1999
|"Anywhere But Here"
|
|
|
|
|align="center"|46
|align="center"|5
|
|
|''Anywhere But Here (soundtrack)''
|-
|rowspan="2"|2000
|"Summerfling"
|
|
|
|align="center"|25
|
|
|
|align="center"|84
|rowspan="2"|''Invincible Summer''
|-
|"The Consequences of Falling"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|align="center"|77
|-
|2004
|"Helpless"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|''Hymns of the 49th Parallel''
|}

*<sup>A</sup>"Constant Craving" reached #2 on the US Adult Contemporary chart.

==Further reading==
* ''Are You Ready for the Country: Elvis, Dylan, Parsons and the Roots of Country Rock,'' Peter Dogget, Penguin Books, 2001. ISBN 0-14-026108-7
* ''Dreaming Out Loud: Garth Brooks, Wynonna Judd, Wade Hayes and the changing face of Nashville,'' Bruce Feiler, Avon Books, 1998. ISBN 0-380-97578-5

==See also==
* [[Academy of Country Music]]
* [[List of country musicians]]
* [[Country Music Association]]
* [[List of number-one dance hits (United States)]]
* [[List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart]]
* [[Look alike contest]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

*Bufwack, Mary A. (1998). "k.d. lang." In ''The Encyclopedia of Country Music''. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 289-90.

==External links==
* [http://www.kdlang.com/ Official website]
* {{imdb name|id=0485807|name=K.D. Lang}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lang, K.d.}}
[[Category:1961 births]]
[[Category:Alberta musicians]]
[[Category:Canadian country singers]]
[[Category:Canadian female guitarists]]
[[Category:Canadian female singers]]
[[Category:Canadian pop singers]]
[[Category:Canadian actor-singers]]
[[Category:Canadian singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:Canadian vegans]]
[[Category:Canadians of German descent]]
[[Category:Canadians of Icelandic descent]]
[[Category:Juno Award winners]]
[[Category:Lesbian musicians]]
[[Category:LGBT musicians from Canada]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Officers of the Order of Canada]]
[[Category:People from Special Areas, Alberta]]
[[Category:Torch singers]]
[[Category:Sioux people]]
[[Category:Grammy Award winners]]

[[da:K.d. lang]]
[[de:K. D. Lang]]
[[es:K.d. lang]]
[[fr:K.d. lang]]
[[it:K.D. Lang]]
[[he:קיי די לאנג]]
[[nl:K.d. lang]]
[[ja:K.d.ラング]]
[[no:K. D. Lang]]
[[pl:K.d. lang]]
[[sv:K.D. Lang]]

Revision as of 23:34, 17 March 2008

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