Kate McGarrigle
Encyclopedia
Kate McGarrigle, CM
(February 6, 1946 – January 18, 2010) was a Canadian folk music
singer-songwriter, who wrote and performed as a duo
with her sister Anna McGarrigle
.
She was the mother of singers Rufus Wainwright
and Martha Wainwright
from her marriage to American singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III
, which ended in divorce.
, Quebec
to English and French Canadian parents, the three McGarrigle sisters (Jane, Anna, and Kate, the youngest) grew up in the village of Saint-Sauveur-des-Monts, north of Montreal. Their family was a musical one on both sides, often gathering around the piano and singing, allowing Kate and her sisters to absorb influences as varied as Gershwin, French Canadian folk songs, Stephen Foster
, and composer-singers such as Wade Hemsworth
, and Edith Piaf
. The sisters were formally introduced to music by taking piano lessons from the village nuns.
In the 1960s Kate and Anna established themselves in Montreal's burgeoning folk scene while they attended school. From 1963 to 1967, they teamed up with Jack Nissenson
and Peter Weldon to form the folk group, the Mountain City Four
.
Anna, 14 months older than Kate, studied painting at the École des Beaux-Arts de Montréal
(now part of the Université du Québec à Montréal
) in Montreal; Kate studied engineering
at McGill University
. It was at this time that they began writing songs. Although she sang mostly in English, according to Juan Rodriguez, she and Anna "put Québécois folk music...on the global music map in 1980 [sic] with Entre la jeunesse et la sagesse (commonly known as the French Record) and 2003's La vache qui pleure.
The McGarrigle sisters' life has been chronicled in Dane Lanken's Kate and Anna McGarrigle: Songs and Stories (2007).
as Best Record of the Year. Their albums Matapedia (1996) and The McGarrigle Hour (1998) won Juno Award
s. In 1999 Kate and Anna received Women of Originality awards and in 2006 SOCAN Lifetime Achievement awards. In 1993 she was made a Member of the Order of Canada
.
's 2008 TV show Spectacle: Elvis Costello with...
, McGarrigle appeared and sang the final song of the show with him.
, which she set up in 2008 to raise awareness of sarcoma
, a rare cancer that affects connective tissue such as bone, muscle, nerves and cartilage.
She died of clear-cell sarcoma
on January 18, 2010, aged 63 at her home in Montreal
. Her sister Anna wrote on their website:
She made her last public appearance, with Rufus and Martha Wainwright, at the Royal Albert Hall
in London, just six weeks before her death. The show raised $55,000 for the Kate McGarrigle Fund.
On June 12, 2010, the Meltdown Festival staged a tribute concert in her honor, organized by Richard Thompson. The concert included performances by her daughter Martha Wainwright
, son, Rufus Wainwright
, sister Anna McGarrigle
, Neil Tennant
, Nick Cave
, Emmylou Harris
, Richard and Linda Thompson
, and longtime friends and musical collaborators Chaim Tannenbaum and Joel Zifkin
. Her close friend Emmylou Harris
wrote "Darlin' Kate" in her memory - this appears on "Hard Bargain".
On May 12 and 13, 2011, at New York City's Town Hall, a "Celebration of Kate McGarrigle" was held. Among the participating artists honoring her at these concerts were: Martha Wainwright
, Rufus Wainwright
, Anna McGarrigle
, Emmylou Harris
, Norah Jones
, Antony Hegarty
, Jimmy Fallon
, Krystle Warren, Justin Vivian Bond, Teddy Thompson
, Jenni Muldaur
writer Michael Ondaatje
and longtime friends and McGarrigle sidemen Chaim Tannenbaum and Joel Zifkin
. The celebration was curated by Joe Boyd
and filmed by Lian Lunson
.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(February 6, 1946 – January 18, 2010) was a Canadian folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
singer-songwriter, who wrote and performed as a duo
Kate and Anna McGarrigle
Kate and Anna McGarrigle, were a pair of Canadian singer-songwriters from Quebec, who performed as a duo until Kate McGarrigle's death on January 18, 2010.-Profile:...
with her sister Anna McGarrigle
Anna McGarrigle
Anna McGarrigle, CM is a Canadian folk music singer/songwriter who wrote and performed as a duo with her sister, Kate McGarrigle, until Kate's death in 2010.-Musical career:...
.
She was the mother of singers Rufus Wainwright
Rufus Wainwright
Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter. He has recorded six albums of original music, EPs, and tracks on compilations and film soundtracks.-Early years:...
and Martha Wainwright
Martha Wainwright
Martha Wainwright is a Canadian-American folk-rock singer-songwriter. She is the daughter of American folk singer and actor Loudon Wainwright III and Canadian folk singer-songwriter Kate McGarrigle...
from her marriage to American singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III
Loudon Wainwright III
Loudon Snowden Wainwright III is a Grammy Award-winning American songwriter, folk singer, humorist, and actor. He is the father of musicians Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright and Lucy Wainwright Roche, brother of Sloan Wainwright, and the former husband of the late folk singer Kate McGarrigle.To...
, which ended in divorce.
Background
Born in MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
to English and French Canadian parents, the three McGarrigle sisters (Jane, Anna, and Kate, the youngest) grew up in the village of Saint-Sauveur-des-Monts, north of Montreal. Their family was a musical one on both sides, often gathering around the piano and singing, allowing Kate and her sisters to absorb influences as varied as Gershwin, French Canadian folk songs, Stephen Foster
Stephen Foster
Stephen Collins Foster , known as the "father of American music", was the pre-eminent songwriter in the United States of the 19th century...
, and composer-singers such as Wade Hemsworth
Wade Hemsworth
Albert Wade Hemsworth was a Canadian folk singer and songwriter. Although he was not a prolific composer, having written only about 20 songs during his entire career, several of his songs — most notably "The Wild Goose", "The Black Fly Song" and "The Log Driver's Waltz" — are among the most...
, and Edith Piaf
Édith Piaf
Édith Piaf , born Édith Giovanna Gassion, was a French singer and cultural icon who became widely regarded as France's greatest popular singer. Her singing reflected her life, with her specialty being ballads...
. The sisters were formally introduced to music by taking piano lessons from the village nuns.
In the 1960s Kate and Anna established themselves in Montreal's burgeoning folk scene while they attended school. From 1963 to 1967, they teamed up with Jack Nissenson
Jack Nissenson
Jack Nissenson was a member of the Mountain City Four, a Canadian folk music group, based in Montreal and active in the 1960s. In addition to Nissenson, the group consisted of Peter Weldon, Kate McGarrigle and Anna McGarrigle....
and Peter Weldon to form the folk group, the Mountain City Four
Mountain City Four
The Mountain City Four were a Canadian folk music group, based in Montreal and active in the 1960s. The group consisted of Jack Nissenson, Peter Weldon, Kate McGarrigle and Anna McGarrigle....
.
Anna, 14 months older than Kate, studied painting at the École des Beaux-Arts de Montréal
École des Beaux-Arts de Montréal
École des Beaux-Arts de Montréal was an educational institution founded in Quebec in 1922. The Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society was instrumental in its creation....
(now part of the Université du Québec à Montréal
Université du Québec à Montréal
The Université du Québec à Montréal is one of four universities in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Basic facts:The UQAM is the largest constituent element of the Université du Québec , a public university system with other branches in Gatineau , Rimouski, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec City, Chicoutimi, and...
) in Montreal; Kate studied engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
at McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
. It was at this time that they began writing songs. Although she sang mostly in English, according to Juan Rodriguez, she and Anna "put Québécois folk music...on the global music map in 1980 [sic] with Entre la jeunesse et la sagesse (commonly known as the French Record) and 2003's La vache qui pleure.
The McGarrigle sisters' life has been chronicled in Dane Lanken's Kate and Anna McGarrigle: Songs and Stories (2007).
Awards
Kate and Anna's 1975 self-titled debut album was chosen by Melody MakerMelody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
as Best Record of the Year. Their albums Matapedia (1996) and The McGarrigle Hour (1998) won Juno Award
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
s. In 1999 Kate and Anna received Women of Originality awards and in 2006 SOCAN Lifetime Achievement awards. In 1993 she was made a Member of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
.
Discography
- Kate and Anna McGarrigleKate and Anna McGarrigle (album)Kate and Anna McGarrigle is the self-titled 1975 debut album by Kate and Anna McGarrigle.The album includes "Heart Like a Wheel," the McGarrigles' most famous song, which was first released by Linda Ronstadt in 1974...
1975 - Dancer with Bruised KneesDancer with Bruised KneesDancer with Bruised Knees is a 1977 album by Kate and Anna McGarrigle. It employed several notable folk musicians to contribute a bluegrass feel to many of the tracks...
1977 - Pronto MontoPronto MontoPronto Monto is a 1978 album by Kate and Anna McGarrigle. The title is a roughly phonetic pronunciation of the French phrase "prends ton manteau", which means "take your coat"....
1978 - Entre Lajeunesse et la sagesseEntre Lajeunesse et la sagesseEntre Lajeunesse et la sagesse is a 1980 album by Kate and Anna McGarrigle. The album is also known by the title French Record.The album title is a pun. Lajeunesse is a street name in Montreal, Quebec, but the title can also mean "between youth and wisdom".It is considered by many fans, even those...
1980 - Love Over and OverLove Over and OverLove Over and Over is a 1982 album by Kate and Anna McGarrigle.Following this album, the McGarrigles did not release an album of new material until Heartbeats Accelerating in 1990.-Side One:#"Move Over Moon" – 3:11 - Kate...
1982 - Heartbeats AcceleratingHeartbeats AcceleratingHeartbeats Accelerating is a 1990 album by the late Kate and Anna McGarrigle. It was their first album in seven years, after Love Over and Over in 1983, and received favourable reviews from many music critics....
1990 - MatapédiaMatapédia (album)Matapédia is a 1996 album by Kate and Anna McGarrigle.Kate's daughter Martha Wainwright appears on the album as a backing vocalist; she is also directly mentioned in the lyrics of the title track....
1996 - The McGarrigle HourThe McGarrigle HourThe McGarrigle Hour is a 1998 album by Kate and Anna McGarrigle.The album was recorded at a family gathering, including Kate's former husband Loudon Wainwright III, their son and daughter Rufus Wainwright and Martha Wainwright, Anna's husband Dane Lanken, their son and daughter Sylvan Lanken and...
1998 - La vache qui pleureLa vache qui pleureLa vache qui pleure is a 2003 album by Kate and Anna McGarrigle. It is the sisters' second full album of French language songs, following 1980's Entre Lajeunesse et la sagesse....
2003 - The McGarrigle Christmas HourThe McGarrigle Christmas HourThe McGarrigle Christmas Hour is a 2005 album by Kate and Anna McGarrigle. A sequel to their 1998 album The McGarrigle Hour, the album features a program of Christmas music recorded by the McGarrigles, their family and a number of friends and collaborators...
2005
Performances
When her son Rufus was featured on Elvis CostelloElvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
's 2008 TV show Spectacle: Elvis Costello with...
Spectacle: Elvis Costello with...
Spectacle: Elvis Costello with... was a UK/Canadian television series, shown on Channel 4 in the UK, CTV in Canada and the Sundance Channel in the United States. The show features intimate interviews between the host, Elvis Costello, and various musical guests intertwined with performances by...
, McGarrigle appeared and sang the final song of the show with him.
Death
McGarrigle was diagnosed with cancer in 2006 and established the Kate McGarrigle Fund at the McGill University Health CentreMcGill University Health Centre
The McGill University Health Centre is a network of teaching and community hospitals in Montreal, Quebec, Canada affiliated with McGill University....
, which she set up in 2008 to raise awareness of sarcoma
Sarcoma
A sarcoma is a cancer that arises from transformed cells in one of a number of tissues that develop from embryonic mesoderm. Thus, sarcomas include tumors of bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, vascular, and hematopoietic tissues...
, a rare cancer that affects connective tissue such as bone, muscle, nerves and cartilage.
She died of clear-cell sarcoma
Clear-cell sarcoma
Clear-cell sarcoma is a rare form of cancer...
on January 18, 2010, aged 63 at her home in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. 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."
She made her last public appearance, with Rufus and Martha Wainwright, at the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
in London, just six weeks before her death. The show raised $55,000 for the Kate McGarrigle Fund.
On June 12, 2010, the Meltdown Festival staged a tribute concert in her honor, organized by Richard Thompson. The concert included performances by her daughter Martha Wainwright
Martha Wainwright
Martha Wainwright is a Canadian-American folk-rock singer-songwriter. She is the daughter of American folk singer and actor Loudon Wainwright III and Canadian folk singer-songwriter Kate McGarrigle...
, son, Rufus Wainwright
Rufus Wainwright
Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter. He has recorded six albums of original music, EPs, and tracks on compilations and film soundtracks.-Early years:...
, sister Anna McGarrigle
Anna McGarrigle
Anna McGarrigle, CM is a Canadian folk music singer/songwriter who wrote and performed as a duo with her sister, Kate McGarrigle, until Kate's death in 2010.-Musical career:...
, Neil Tennant
Neil Tennant
Neil Francis Tennant is an English musician, singer and songwriter, who, with bandmate Chris Lowe, makes up the successful electronic dance music duo Pet Shop Boys.-Childhood:...
, Nick Cave
Nick Cave
Nicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...
, Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris is an American singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists including...
, Richard and Linda Thompson
Linda Thompson
Linda Diane Thompson is an American actress, lyricist and beauty pageant winner who rose to international fame as Elvis Presley's long time girlfriend after he separated from his wife.-Pageants:...
, and longtime friends and musical collaborators Chaim Tannenbaum and Joel Zifkin
Joel Zifkin
Joel Zifkin is a Canadian musician and songwriter born in Montreal on April 14, 1954. He is best known as a session and live musician for artists such as Kate and Anna McGarrigle and Richard Thompson...
. Her close friend Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris is an American singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists including...
wrote "Darlin' Kate" in her memory - this appears on "Hard Bargain".
On May 12 and 13, 2011, at New York City's Town Hall, a "Celebration of Kate McGarrigle" was held. Among the participating artists honoring her at these concerts were: Martha Wainwright
Martha Wainwright
Martha Wainwright is a Canadian-American folk-rock singer-songwriter. She is the daughter of American folk singer and actor Loudon Wainwright III and Canadian folk singer-songwriter Kate McGarrigle...
, Rufus Wainwright
Rufus Wainwright
Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter. He has recorded six albums of original music, EPs, and tracks on compilations and film soundtracks.-Early years:...
, Anna McGarrigle
Anna McGarrigle
Anna McGarrigle, CM is a Canadian folk music singer/songwriter who wrote and performed as a duo with her sister, Kate McGarrigle, until Kate's death in 2010.-Musical career:...
, Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris is an American singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists including...
, Norah Jones
Norah Jones
Norah Jones is an American singer-songwriter and occasional actress.In 2002, she launched her solo music career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album Come Away With Me, which was certified a diamond album in 2002, selling over 20 million copies...
, Antony Hegarty
Antony Hegarty
Antony Hegarty is an English singer-songwriter, best known as the lead singer of the band Antony and the Johnsons.-Early life:...
, Jimmy Fallon
Jimmy Fallon
James Thomas "Jimmy" Fallon, Jr. is an American actor, comedian, singer, musician and television host. He currently hosts Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, a late-night talk show that airs Monday through Friday on NBC...
, Krystle Warren, Justin Vivian Bond, Teddy Thompson
Teddy Thompson
Teddy Thompson is a British folk and rock musician. He is the son of folk-rock musicians Richard and Linda Thompson and brother of singer Kamila Thompson...
, Jenni Muldaur
Jenni Muldaur
Jenni Muldaur Jenni Muldaur Jenni Muldaur (born March 29, 1965, Boston, Massachusetts is an American blues and folk-rock singer-songwriter. She is the daughter of recording artists Geoff and Maria Muldaur, sister of Clare Muldaur and niece of actress Diana Muldaur...
writer Michael Ondaatje
Michael Ondaatje
Philip Michael Ondaatje , OC, is a Sri Lankan-born Canadian novelist and poet of Burgher origin. He is perhaps best known for his Booker Prize-winning novel, The English Patient, which was adapted into an Academy-Award-winning film.-Life and work:...
and longtime friends and McGarrigle sidemen Chaim Tannenbaum and Joel Zifkin
Joel Zifkin
Joel Zifkin is a Canadian musician and songwriter born in Montreal on April 14, 1954. He is best known as a session and live musician for artists such as Kate and Anna McGarrigle and Richard Thompson...
. The celebration was curated by Joe Boyd
Joe Boyd
Joe Boyd is an American record producer and former owner of the Witchseason production company. Boyd was instrumental in launching the careers of Nick Drake, Fairport Convention, and The Incredible String Band.-Career:...
and filmed by Lian Lunson
Lian Lunson
Lian Lunson is an Australian actress who became an award-winning documentary filmmaker. She has also written a novel.She was born in Ned Kelly Country in Australia.She moved to Los Angeles in 1987 after working as an actress in Australia....
.
External links
- Obituary in the Guardian
- "Kate McGarrigle: A Tribute", Vanity Fair.