Kate McGarrigle Kate McGarrigle (February 6, 1946 – January 18, 2010)Obituary at CBC ...

(February 6, 1946 – January 18, 2010) and

Anna McGarrigle Anna McGarrigle, CM (born December 4, 1944) is a Canadian folk music singer and songwriter who recorded and performed with her sister, Kate McGarrigle, who died in 2010. Early life Anna McGarrigle studied at the École des beaux-arts de Montréa ...

(born December 4, 1944) were a duo of Canadian singer-songwriters (and sisters) from

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

, who performed until Kate McGarrigle's death on January 18, 2010.

Music career

In the 1960s, in Montreal, while Kate was studying engineering at

McGill University McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Universit ...

and Anna art at the

École des beaux-arts de Montréal École may refer to: * an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée) * École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing in région Île-de-France * École, Savoi ...

, they began performing in public and writing their own songs. From 1963 to 1967 they teamed up with

Jack Nissenson Jack Nissenson (1933-June 24, 2015 in Montreal) 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 ...

and Peter Weldon to form the folk group

Mountain City Four The Mountain City Four were a Canadian folk music group, based in Montreal and active from 1963 to 1967. The group consisted of Jack Nissenson, Peter Weldon, Kate McGarrigle and Anna McGarrigle. They are primarily remembered for popularizing a num ...

. Their songs have been covered by a variety of artists including

Linda Ronstadt Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is a retired American singer who performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin. She has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three American ...

,"McGarrigle sisters writing a memoir". ''Toronto Daily Star'', April 14, 2014, E2.

Emmylou Harris Emmylou Harris (born April 2, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. She has released dozens of albums and singles over the course of her career and has won 14 Grammys, the Polar Music Prize, and numerous other honors, including ...

Judy Collins Judith Marjorie Collins (born May 1, 1939) is an American singer-songwriter and musician with a career spanning seven decades. An Academy Award-nominated documentary director and a Grammy Award-winning recording artist, she is known for her ec ...

, and others. These covers led to the McGarrigles getting their first recording contract in 1974. They released their eponymous debut album in 1976, and created nine more albums through 2008. Although associated with Quebec's

anglophone Speakers of English are also known as Anglophones, and the countries where English is natively spoken by the majority of the population are termed the ''Anglosphere''. Over two billion people speak English , making English the largest language ...

community, they also recorded and performed many songs in French. Two of their albums, ''Entre la jeunesse et la sagesse'' and ''La vache qui pleure'', are entirely in French. Their version of

Wade Hemsworth Albert Wade Hemsworth (October 23, 1916 – January 19, 2002) was a Canadian folk singer and songwriter.Alan Hustak, "Canadian composer dies at 85". ''Calgary Herald'', January 20, 2002. Although he was not a prolific composer, having writt ...

's song, "

The Log Driver's Waltz The Log Driver's Waltz is a Canadian folk song, written by Wade Hemsworth. ''The Log Driver's Waltz'' is also a Canadian animated film from the National Film Board, released in 1979 as part of its Canada Vignettes series. Song information The so ...

" grew famous as the soundtrack for a 1979 animated film directed by John Weldon at Canada's

National Film Board The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; french: Office national du film du Canada (ONF)) is Canada's public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary fi ...

. They provided backing vocals on

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are an Australian rock music, rock band formed in 1983 by vocalist Nick Cave, multi-instrumentalist Mick Harvey and guitarist-vocalist Blixa Bargeld. The band has featured international personnel throughout its care ...

's 2001 album ''

No More Shall We Part ''No More Shall We Part'' is the eleventh studio album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, released on 2 April 2001 in the UK (and 10 April in the US). The record, which was well received critically, came after a 4-year gap from recording, following ...

''. They continued to write, record and perform music into the 21st century, with assorted accompanying artists including

Gerry Conway Gerard Francis Conway Thomas, Roy. "Roy's Rostrum" ("Bullpen Bulletins") in '' Marvel Super-Heroes'' #43 and other Marvel Comics cover-dated May 1974. (born September 10, 1952) is an American comic book writer, comic book editor, screenwriter, t ...

Pat Donaldson Fotheringay was a short-lived British folk rock group, formed in 1970 by singer-songwriter and musician Sandy Denny on her departure from Fairport Convention. The band drew its name from her 1968 composition "Fotheringay" about Fotheringhay C ...

, Ken Pearson, Michel Pépin, Chaim Tannenbaum and

Joel Zifkin Joel Zifkin (born April 14, 1954) is a Canadian musician and songwriter. His primary instrument is the electric violin and he is best known as a session musician and live performer. Career Zifkin has performed and/or recorded with the followi ...

Personal lives

Anna Anna may refer to: People Surname and given name * Anna (name) Mononym * Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke * Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773) * Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century) * Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 12 ...

and

Kate McGarrigle Kate McGarrigle (February 6, 1946 – January 18, 2010)Obituary at CBC ...

were born in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

of mixed Irish- and French-Canadian background. They grew up in

Saint-Sauveur Saint-Sauveur or St Sauveur (French for "Holy Savior") may refer to: Places Canada * Saint-Sauveur, New Brunswick * Saint-Sauveur, Quebec * Saint-Sauveur (electoral district), a former provincial electoral district in Quebec * Saint-Sauveur, Queb ...

, where they learned piano from nuns. Kate McGarrigle was married in 1971 to singer-songwriter

Loudon Wainwright III Loudon Snowden Wainwright III (born September 5, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter and occasional actor. He has released twenty-six studio albums, four live albums, and six compilations. Some of his best-known songs include "The Swimmin ...

. Their children,

Rufus Rufus is a masculine given name, a surname, an Ancient Roman cognomen and a nickname (from Latin '' rufus'', "red"). Notable people with the name include: Given name Politicians * Rufus Ada George (born 1940), Nigerian politician * Rufus ...

and

Martha Martha (Hebrew: מָרְתָא‎) is a biblical figure described in the Gospels of Luke and John. Together with her siblings Lazarus and Mary of Bethany, she is described as living in the village of Bethany near Jerusalem. She was witness to ...

, are both singers too. The two divorced in 1976. Kate McGarrigle died in 2010, aged 63, of

sarcoma A sarcoma is a malignant tumor, a type of cancer that arises from transformed cells of mesenchymal (connective tissue) origin. Connective tissue is a broad term that includes bone, cartilage, fat, vascular, or hematopoietic tissues, and sarcom ...

, a rare form of cancer. Anna McGarrigle is married to Canadian journalist and author

Dane Lanken Dane Lanken (December 9, 1945 – March 3, 2023) was a Canadian journalist and author. Career Lanken was a film critic for the ''Montreal Gazette'' from 1967 to 1977, and was then a freelance journalist who wrote regularly for ''Canadian Geogr ...

. The couple have two children, Lily Lanken and Sylvan Lanken, and live in

North Glengarry North Glengarry is a township in eastern Ontario, Canada, in the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry. It is a predominantly elderly invaded rural area located between Ottawa-Gatineau, Montreal and Cornwall. Communities The township ...

, Ontario, just west of the Quebec border. Dane appeared as a vocalist on several of the sisters' albums and in 2007 wrote their career biography. Another sister,

Jane McGarrigle Laury Jane McGarrigle (born 26 April 1941) is a Canadian songwriter, musician and music publisher, known mainly for her work with her younger sisters, singers Kate & Anna McGarrigle. She is the co-author of a book about the three sisters' childhood ...

(born April 26, 1941), is a film and television composer who acted as business manager for Kate and Anna, and also wrote and performed several songs with the duo.

Honours and awards

They were appointed Members of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the ...

in 1993 and received the

Governor General's Performing Arts Award A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

in 2004. On November 22, 2006, they received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2006

SOCAN The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) is a Canadian performance rights organization that represents the performing rights of more than 135,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers. The organization collects ...

Awards in Toronto. On November 18, 2010, they were recipients of the Mojo Roots Award, presented by Emmylou Harris. The award was accepted by Anna McGarrigle and Kate's two children Rufus and Martha Wainwright, as Kate had died early in the year on January 18.

Discography

Albums

* ''

Kate & Anna McGarrigle Kate McGarrigle (February 6, 1946 – January 18, 2010) and Anna McGarrigle (born December 4, 1944) were a duo of Canadian singer-songwriters (and sisters) from Quebec, who performed until Kate McGarrigle's death on January 18, 2010. Music ...

'' (1976) - Sweden #27 * ''

Dancer with Bruised Knees ''Dancer with Bruised Knees'' is the second album by Kate & Anna McGarrigle, released in 1977. It employed several notable folk musicians to contribute a bluegrass feel to many of the tracks. The album also includes three French songs, one by th ...

'' (1977) - U.K. #35, Canada #43 * ''

Pronto Monto ''Pronto Monto'' is the third album by Kate & Anna McGarrigle, released in 1978. The title is an approximate pronunciation of the French phrase "prends ton manteau", which means "take your coat". ''Pronto Monto'' was produced with a pop polish i ...

'' (1978) * '' Entre la jeunesse et la sagesse'' (1980) – also known by the title ''French Record'' * ''

Love Over and Over ''Love Over and Over'' is the fifth album by Kate & Anna McGarrigle, released in 1982. Following this album, the McGarrigles did not release an album of new material until '' Heartbeats Accelerating'' in 1990. The album contains a French-Canadian ...

'' (1982) * ''

Heartbeats Accelerating ''Heartbeats Accelerating'' is the sixth album by Kate & Anna McGarrigle, released in 1990. It was their first album in eight years, after '' Love Over and Over'' in 1982, and received favourable reviews from many music critics. Bill Dillon, Pie ...

'' (1990) - Canada #61 * '' Matapédia'' (1996) – winner of 1997

Juno Award for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year – Group The Juno Award for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year – Group was presented annually at Canada's Juno Awards to honour the best album of the year in the roots and/or traditional music Folk music is a music genre that includes tradition ...

) * ''

The McGarrigle Hour ''The McGarrigle Hour'' is the eighth studio album by Kate & Anna McGarrigle, released on October 13, 1998. The album was recorded at a family gathering, including Kate's former husband Loudon Wainwright III, their son and daughter Rufus Wainwr ...

'' (1998) – winner of 1999

) * '' La vache qui pleure'' (2003) * ''

The McGarrigle Christmas Hour ''The McGarrigle Christmas Hour'' is the tenth album by Kate & Anna McGarrigle, released in 2005. A sequel to their 1998 album ''The McGarrigle Hour'', the album features a program of Christmas music recorded by the McGarrigles, their family and ...

'' (2005) * '' ODDiTTiES'' (2010) * ''

Tell My Sister ''Tell My Sister'' is a three-disc compilation album consisting of songs recorded by Kate & Anna McGarrigle. It was released by Nonesuch Records as a box set on May 3, 2011. The first two discs contain Kate & Anna McGarrigle's first two albums, ''K ...

'' (2011) * '' Sing Me the Songs: Celebrating the Works of Kate McGarrigle'' (2013) * ''Toronto May '82'' (unofficial) (2016)

With other artists

*''Album II'' BY Loudon Wainwright (1971), Kate McGarrigle - vocals on "Old Paint" *''Attempted Mustache'' by Loudon Wainwright, Kate McGarrigle banjo and vocals. * ''Waitress in a Donut Shop'' by

Maria Muldaur Maria Muldaur (born Maria Grazia Rosa Domenica D'Amato; September 12, 1942) is an American folk and blues singer who was part of the American folk music revival in the early 1960s. She recorded the 1973 hit song "Midnight at the Oasis" and has ...

(1974) – "Cool River", "Travelin' Shoes (Kate only)"Recording Credits * ''

Prisoner in Disguise ''Prisoner In Disguise'' (1975) is Linda Ronstadt's sixth solo LP release and her second for the label Asylum Records. It followed Ronstadt's multi-platinum breakthrough album, ''Heart Like a Wheel'', which became her first number album on the US ...

'' by

(1975) – "You Tell Me That I'm Falling Down" *''Unrequited'' by Loudon Wainwright, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, vocals. * '' Sunnyvista'' by

Richard Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Frankish language, Old Frankish and is a Compound (linguistics), compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic language, Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' an ...

and Linda Thompson (1979) – "You're Gonna Need Somebody", "Sisters", "Traces of My Love" * ''

Bluebird The bluebirds are a North American group of medium-sized, mostly insectivorous or omnivorous birds in the order of Passerines in the genus ''Sialia'' of the thrush family (Turdidae). Bluebirds are one of the few thrush genera in the Americas. ...

'' by

(1989) – "Love Is" * ''

Songs of the Civil War ''Songs of the Civil War'' is a compilation album, released in 1991 by Columbia, that presents an assortment of contemporary performers recording period pieces and traditional songs, most of which date back to the American Civil War. Track listi ...

'' (1991) – "Was My Brother in the Battle?", "Better Times Are Coming", "

Hard Times Come Again No More "Hard Times Come Again No More" (sometimes, "Hard Times") is an American parlor song written by Stephen Foster. It was published in New York by Firth, Pond & Co. in 1854 as Foster's Melodies No. 28. Well-known and popular in its day, both in Ame ...

" * ''

The Bells of Dublin ''The Bells of Dublin'' is a 1991 album of Christmas songs and traditional carols by the Irish band The Chieftains. The album features guest performances by various artists, including Elvis Costello, Jackson Browne, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Mar ...

'' (1991) – "Il Est Né/Ca Berger" with

The Chieftains The Chieftains are a traditional Irish folk band formed in Dublin in 1962, by Paddy Moloney, Seán Potts and Michael Tubridy. Their sound, which is almost entirely instrumental and largely built around uilleann pipes, has become synonymous wi ...

* '' 'Til Their Eyes Shine (The Lullaby Album)'' (1992) – "Lullaby For A Doll" *''History (III Album)'' by Loudon Wainwright, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, vocals. * ''

Wrecking Ball A wrecking ball is a heavy steel ball, usually hung from a crane, that is used for demolishing large buildings. It was most commonly in use during the 1950s and 1960s. Several wrecking companies claim to have invented the wrecking ball. An e ...

'' by Emmylou Harris (1995) – "Going Back To Harlan", "Waltz Across Texas Tonight" * '' Live at the World Cafe: Volume 9'' (1999) – "DJ Serenade" * '' Western Wall: The Tucson Sessions'' by Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt (1999) – "All I left behind you", "1917", "Sisters of mercy" * ''

Red Dirt Girl ''Red Dirt Girl'' is the nineteenth studio album by American country artist Emmylou Harris, released on September 12, 2000 by Nonesuch Records. The album was a significant departure for Harris, as eleven of the twelve tracks were written or co- ...

'' by Emmylou Harris (2000) – "J'Ai Fait Tout" (Kate only, instrumentals), "Boy From Tupelo" (Kate only, vocals) * ''

'' by

(2001) * ''

Stumble into Grace ''Stumble into Grace'' is the twentieth studio album by American singer/songwriter Emmylou Harris, released on September 23, 2003 by Nonesuch Records. It peaked at No. 6 on the ''Billboard'' country albums chart. Like its immediate predecessor, ' ...

'' by Emmylou Harris (2003) – "I Will Dream", "Little Bird", "O Evangeline", "Cup of kindness" (Kate only) *''Martha Wainwright'' by the latter, Kate McGarrigle – banjo (track 3), piano (track 6). * '' Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man'' Soundtrack (2006) – "Winter Lady" (with Martha Wainwright) * ''

All I Intended to Be ''All I Intended to Be'' is the 25th studio album from Emmylou Harris and her third release on Nonesuch Records. It was released in the United States on June 10, 2008. The album debuted at number 22 on the Billboard 200, and number four on Top Co ...

'' by Emmylou Harris (2008) – "Moon Song", "Sailing 'Round The Room", "How She Could Sing the Wildwood Flower" *''I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too'' by Martha Wainwright, Anna McGarrigle – keyboard, synths and background vocals (12), Kate McGarrigle – hand claps (2), Wurlitzer (12), backing vocals (12) * '' Northern Songs: Canada's Best and Brightest'' (2008) – "Entre Lajeunesse et la Sagesse" * '' Easy Come, Easy Go'' by

Marianne Faithfull Marianne Evelyn Gabriel Faithfull (born 29 December 1946) is an English singer and actress. She achieved popularity in the 1960s with the release of her hit single " As Tears Go By" and became one of the lead female artists during the British I ...

(2008) – Kate & Anna McGarrigle vocals on "Flandyke Shore"

Filmography

DVDs

* ''The McGarrigle Hour'' (1999) – with Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright, Loudon Wainwright, Chaim Tannenbaum, Jane McGarrigle, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt and Lily Lanken). *2009 – ''A Not So Silent Night'' (2009) – with Rufus and Martha Wainwright.

Film work

* ''

'' (1979) - an NFB animated short of the

song directed by John Weldon * The sisters were the subject of an eponymous documentary film directed by

Caroline Leaf Caroline Leaf (born August 12, 1946 in Seattle, Washington) is a Canadian-American filmmaker, animator, director, tutor and artist. She has produced numerous short animated films and her work has been recognized worldwide. She is best known a ...

. (1981) * '' Blackfly'' (1991) – back up vocals on a Wade Hemsworth performance of the song featured in the animated film by Christopher Hinton. * ''

Before Tomorrow ''Before Tomorrow'' (french: Le jour avant le lendemain) is a Canadian drama film, released in 2008. Directed by Marie-Hélène Cousineau and Madeline Ivalu, the film is an adaptation of the novel ''Før Morgendagen'' by Denmark, Danish writer Jø ...

(Le Jour avant le lendemain)'' (2008) – a Canadian drama film, adapted from the novel ''Før morgendagen'' by Danish writer Jørn Riel.

Bibliography

Notes

References

External links

Kate and Anna McGarrigle
official web site
Kate and Anna McGarrigle
at Encyclopedia of Music in Canada * * *
Documentary film
* Lanken, Dane (2007)
Kate and Anna McGarrigle: Songs and Stories
Manotick, Ontario: Penumbra Press. {{DEFAULTSORT:McGarrigle, Kate and Anna Musical groups established in 1975 Musical groups disestablished in 2010 Musical groups from Montreal Canadian folk music groups English-language musical groups from Quebec Sibling musical duos Canadian musical duos Governor General's Performing Arts Award winners Private Music artists Juno Award for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year – Group winners McGarrigle-Wainwright-Roche family Folk music duos Female musical duos

Music career

Personal lives

Honours and awards

Discography

Albums

With other artists

Filmography

DVDs

Film work

Bibliography

See also

Notes

References

External links