Canadian singer and songwriter Kate McGarrigle, of the famed McGarrigle Sisters, and mother of singers Rufus Wainwright and Martha Wainwright, died Monday January 18th at age 63. She was also once married to famed American singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III.
CBC report: Folk singer Kate McGarrigle dies
With her sister Anna, the McGarrigle Sisters first emerged on the folk scene as a unique and sometimes quirky voice from the time of their first album, the eponymous "Kate and Anna McGarrigle" released in 1975. (Selected as "Best Record of the Year" by Melody Maker). Through such landmark recordings as "Dancer with Bruised Knees" (1976), "Entre Lajeunesse et la sagesse" (1981), "Heartbeats Accelerating" (1990), "Matapédia"(1996) , and "The McGarrigle Hour" (1998) they continued to win awards and carve out their own place in the acoustic music scene.
I have very fond memories of attending countless concerts and performances by Kate and Anna at numerous coffeehouses and performance spaces in Montréal in the late 70s. As mainstays of the Montréal English language folk music scene, they were popular whenever they would perform, attracting a bit of a cult following. Their performances felt like intimate affairs, as their minimal instrumental accompaniment, spare arrangements, and delightful voices drew the audience in closely.
They were always personally accessible and friendly, easily approachable for conversation and friendly banter with audience members. It was not uncommon to bump into Kate or Anna and their family members in shops, restaurants, bars and coffeehouses across the Plateau neighbourhood, where they would approach their regular audience members with warm hellos and hugs. It was a privilege to be treated so naturally and comfortably by these rising musical stars.
At a time when the Québécois music scene was booming with the emergence of French language folk singers and nationalist pride, the McGarrigles were on of the few anglophone groups who bridged that French/English divide. They often performed with French language performers, recorded two wonderful albums exclusively in French, and usually included French language songs on their other albums.
Both Kate and Anna were both appointed by the Governor General to the prestigious "Order of Canada" in 1993, as well as receiving the Governor General's Performing Arts Award in 2004. They won two Juno awards (the Canadian equivalent of the Grammy).
While few of their songs were overtly political, the McGarrigles were very open about their progressive, feminist and environmental political views, and in the early days would perform benefits for progressive causes in Montréal.
She was always emphatic in her support of her openly gay son Rufus Wainwright and her outspoken daughter Martha Wainwright as they moved into musical careers. They often performed as an entire family, giving memorable group concerts. The album The McGarrigle Christmas Hour" (2005) was a wonderful collection of the entire family's musical contributions.
As a taste of the talent of the entire family, and a fitting tribute to Kate's life, here's a beautiful video of them all singing the classic Stephen Foster song Hard Times Come Again No More.
Kate was born February 6, 1946 in Saint-Saveur, and grew up in Montréal, where she was based throughout her life. She was diagnosed with cancer in 2006. As recently as December 2009 she was publicly performing with Rufus (including a stint on The Martha Stewart Show making cookies). Yesterday she finally succumbed to clear-cell carcinoma in Montréal.