Melanie Doane is a Canadian singer, songwriter, actress, and music educator.

Early years

Daughter of J. Chalmers Doane, a music educator and member 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 ...

, Doane learned many instruments at a young age, including piano, bass guitar, mandolin, guitar, violin. After high school, she studied music at

Dalhousie University Dalhousie University (commonly known as Dal) is a large public research university in Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the fou ...

with the intention of becoming a music teacher. Her career path changed after she received a role in Neptune Theatre's production of ''

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'' (often colloquially known as ''Joseph'') is a sung-through musical with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the character of Joseph from the Bible's Book of Genesis. Thi ...

'' in 1986. She was cast regularly in productions at Neptune for two years before moving to Toronto in 1988. Over the next few years Doane played roles in various theatre productions, including '' Fire!'' and ''

Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story ''Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story'' is a musical in two acts written by Alan Janes, and featuring the music of Buddy Holly. It opened at London's Victoria Palace Theatre on 12 October 1989. An early example of the jukebox musical, ''Buddy'' ran in ...

'' on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

Music career

In 1993, Doane released the EP '' Harvest Train'' independently. Some of the songs drew the attention of

Sony Music Canada Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...

, and she was signed to the label. She recorded her debut album, '' Shakespearean Fish'' in 1996. Although the album wasn't a hit on commercial radio, it was noticed by record producer Rick Neigher in Los Angeles. He worked with Doane on the second album, ''

Adam's Rib ''Adam's Rib'' is a 1949 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by George Cukor from a screenplay written by Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin. It stars Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn as married lawyers who come to oppose each other in ...

'' (1998). The title song became the album's first

Top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or " con ...

hit, followed by "Waiting for the Tide", "Goliath", and "Happy Homemaker". She toured in support of the album for two years with

Jann Arden Jann Arden (born Jann Arden Anne Richards; March 27, 1962) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and actress. She is famous for her signature ballads, "Could I Be Your Girl" and "Insensitive (song), Insensitive", which is her biggest hit to date. Ea ...

Great Big Sea Great Big Sea was a Canadian folk rock band from Newfoundland and Labrador, best known for performing energetic rock interpretations of traditional Newfoundland folk songs including sea shanties, which draw from the island's 500-year Irish, Scot ...

The Philosopher Kings The Philosopher Kings are a Canadian band. The band was most commercially successful in the late 1990s and have been nominated for five Juno Awards, winning one in 1996 for "Best New Group". Most of the band members, current and former, have also ...

, and

Lilith Fair Lilith Fair was a concert tour and travelling music festival, founded by Canadian musician Sarah McLachlan, Nettwerk Music Group's Dan Fraser and Terry McBride, and New York talent agent Marty Diamond. It took place during the summers of 1997 ...

. In 1999, Doane won the Juno Award for New Artist of the Year. After touring, she left Sony Music Canada. Through a partnership with Ted Dykstra and actor

Gary Sinise Gary Alan Sinise (; born March 17, 1955) is an American actor, humanitarian, and musician. Among other awards, he has won a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Tony Award, and four Screen Actors Guild Awards. He has also received a st ...

, she began working on another album with Neigher in Los Angeles. During the recording process, she gave birth to her first child, worked as a session musician, wrote songs with

SHeDAISY SHeDAISY () was an American country music vocal group from Magna, Utah. The group consisted of sisters Kristyn Robyn Osborn (born August 24, 1970), Kelsi Marie Osborn (born November 21, 1974), and Kassidy Lorraine Osborn (born October 30, 1976). ...

, starred in the independent film ''Black Swan'', and released the live album ''

Melvin Live ''Melvin Live'' is the first live album by Juno Award winning Canadian singer-songwriter Melanie Doane. It was recorded at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto in January 2001. Track listing #"Goliath" #"My Sister Sings" #"How You Cried" #"She's Lik ...

''. ''

You Are What You Love "You Are What You Love" is the second and final single from ''Rabbit Fur Coat ''Rabbit Fur Coat'' is an album in collaboration by Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley, with The Watson Twins. It was released in the United States on January 24, 2006, by Tea ...

'' was released by Actorboy Records and

Warner Music Canada Warner Music Canada is the Canadian division of Warner Music Group. The label previously operated as WEA Music of Canada, Ltd. (French: ''WEA Musique du Canada, Ltée''), often shortened to WEA Canada, the Canadian subsidiary of WEA Internationa ...

. The single "Still Desire You" reached the Top 5 at Canadian radio stations and its accompanying music video reached No. 1 on

MuchMoreMusic M3 was a Canadian English language Category A cable and satellite specialty channel owned by Bell Media. Established in 1998 as MuchMoreMusic, the network began as a spin-off of the youth-oriented MuchMusic, targeting an older demographic wi ...

's viewer's choice countdown. During promotion, she gave birth to her second child. In 2007 she Doane began working on an album that was inspired by motherhood. Initially dubbed a lullaby album, the resulting independent release '' A Thousand Nights'' had much wider appeal, mixing covers by

Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac were founded by guitarist Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the line-up for their epony ...

The Everly Brothers The Everly Brothers were an American rock duo, known for steel-string acoustic guitar playing and close harmony singing. Consisting of Isaac Donald "Don" Everly (February 1, 1937 – August 21, 2021) and Phillip "Phil" Everly (January 19, 1939 ...

, and

Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death, and romantic relationships. He was inducted in ...

with originals by Doane and including guests

Jim Cuddy James Gordon Cuddy, (born December 2, 1955) is a Canadian singer-songwriter primarily associated with the band Blue Rodeo. Early life and education Cuddy was born in Toronto, Ontario. His Mother Jean Cuddy was an English teacher at Monarch Par ...

Ron Sexsmith Ronald Eldon Sexsmith (born January 8, 1964) is a Canadian singer-songwriter from St. Catharines, Ontario. He was the songwriter of the year at the 2005 Juno Awards. He began releasing recordings of his own material in 1985 at age 21, and has s ...

, Kathryn Rose,

Emilie-Claire Barlow Emilie-Claire Barlow (born 6 June 1976) is a Canadian singer, arranger, record producer, and voice actress. She has released several albums on her label, Empress Music Group, and has voiced characters for animated television series. She performs ...

, and Ted Dykstra. Released in 2008, ''A Thousand Nights'' was preceded by the lead single "

Songbird A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds (Passeriformes). Another name that is sometimes seen as the scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin ''oscen'', "songbird". The Passeriformes contains 500 ...

" featuring Cuddy, which became a Top 5 hit on the

iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...

country singles chart in Canada. Doane's "Every Little Thing" and "Chopin Ballad" each received placements in the television shows ''

Being Erica ''Being Erica'' is a Canadian comedy-drama television series that aired on CBC from January 5, 2009, to December 12, 2011. Created by Jana Sinyor, the series was originally announced by the CBC as ''The Session'', but was later retitled ''Bei ...

'' and '' Flashpoint''. In 2007, 2008, 2010, and 2013, she was the featured entertainer on the

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...

Holiday Train Tour. Each tour consisted of approximately 60 shows over the span of three weeks in various communities in the United States and Canada. Doane began working on a new studio album in 2009 with her brother and drummer Creighton Doane at his studio in Toronto. Throughout the recording process, early demos of tracks "Back To LA", "Make God Laugh", "From Your Lips to God's Ears", "Sweet on You", and "The Stupider I Am" were given away as free downloads via Doane's official website. In the summer of 2010, "Sweet on You" reached #1 on the ''East Coast Countdown'', a popular radio show in Atlantic Canada. In December 2010, '' The Emerald City'' was announced with a March 1, 2011 release date.

War Horse

Shortly after the release of ''The Emerald City'' in 2011, Doane was asked to audition for the role of "Song Woman" in Mirvish's Toronto production of the acclaimed play ''

War Horse The first evidence of horses in warfare dates from Eurasia between 4000 and 3000 BC. A Sumerian illustration of warfare from 2500 BC depicts some type of equine pulling wagons. By 1600 BC, improved harness and chariot designs ...

''. She was offered the role and began rehearsals for the production in December 2011. The play opened at the

Princess of Wales Theatre The Princess of Wales Theatre is a 2,000-seat live theatre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located on King Street West, in Toronto's downtown Entertainment District. The theatre's name has a triple meaning: it honours Diana, Princess of Wales, ...

in February 2012 to rave reviews, and eventually closed after a successful run on January 6, 2013. Of Doane's role in the production, ''

Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part ...

'''s Richard Ouzounian wrote:

Through it all, the soaringly symphonic score of Adrian Sutton contrasts with the simple songs selected by John Tams, sung here with poignant effect by Melanie Doane.

Pat Donnelly of

Postmedia News Postmedia Network Canada Corp. (also known as Postmedia Network, Postmedia News or Postmedia) is a Canadian media conglomerate consisting of the publishing properties of the former Canwest, with primary operations in newspaper publishing, new ...

wrote:

The manner in which traditional songs (performed principally, in this production by the multi-talented Melanie Doane, who does wonders with voice and violin) are deftly woven into the narrative, uplifting it into anthem, is masterful.

Song placements

* ''

'' – "Every Little Thing" (3 episodes) * '' Flashpoint'' – "Chopin Ballad" * '' Brothers and Sisters'' – "Good Gifts" * ''

Buffy The Vampire Slayer ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. It is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), 1992 film of the same name, also written by W ...

'' – "I Can't Take My Eyes Off You" * ''

Dawson's Creek ''Dawson's Creek'' is an American teen drama television series about the lives of a close-knit group of friends in the fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts, beginning in high school and continuing into college that ran from 1998 to 2003. T ...

'' – "Bionic" * ''

Party of Five ''Party of Five'' is an American television teen and family drama created by Christopher Keyser and Amy Lippman that originally aired on Fox for six seasons from September 12, 1994, to May 3, 2000. The series featured an ensemble cast led by Sc ...

'' – "Absolutely Happy", "Waiting for the Tide" * '' That's Life'' – "Way Past Blue", "Still Desire You", "You Are What You Love", "Bionic", "I Can't Take My Eyes Off You" * ''

Baywatch Hawaii ''Baywatch'' is an American action drama television series about lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, and Hawaii, starring David Hasselhoff. It was created by Michael Berk, Douglas Schwartz, and Gregory J. Bonan ...

'' – "I Can't Take My Eyes Off You" * ''

Resurrection Blvd ''Resurrection Blvd.'' is an American dramatic series which aired on Showtime for three seasons from 2000 to 2002. Plot In East Los Angeles, California East Los Angeles ( es, Este de Los Ángeles), or East L.A., is an unincorporated area in ...

'' – "Absolutely Happy", "Waiting for the Tide", "I Can't Take My Eyes Off You", "How You Cried", "Good Gifts" * '' Prom Queen: The Marc Hall Story'' – "You Are What You Love" * ''

Santa Baby "Santa Baby" is a song performed by American singer Eartha Kitt with Henri René, Henri René and His Orchestra and originally released in 1953. The song was written by Joan Javits and Philip Springer, who also used the pseudonym Tony Springer i ...

'' – "Happy Together" * ''Servitude'' – "How Can a Girl"

Music Education/Doane Uschool

In 2009-2010, Melanie volunteered to teach a small group of students at her children's school in Toronto using the method of ukulele instruction established by her father, J. Chalmers Doane in the 1960s. Now a registered charity, Doane Uschool (www.uschool.ca) teaches over 750 students each week in schools throughout Toronto. Melanie lends exposure to her groups through concerts, recording projects with artists like

and

Barenaked Ladies Barenaked Ladies is a Canadian rock band formed in 1988 in Scarborough, Ontario. The band developed a following in Canada, with their self-titled 1991 cassette becoming the first independent release to be certified gold in Canada. They reach ...

, appearances in the PanAm Games, with Chris Hadfield in the International Space Station, the CBC Music Festival and the 2018 Luminato Festival.

Ukulele U

In 2022, Melanie's new children's show Ukulele U debuted on

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (french: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a federal Crown corporation that receives funding from the government. ...

. Melanie co-created the show with legendary music producer

Bob Ezrin Robert Alan Ezrin (born March 25, 1949) is a Canadian music producer and keyboardist, best known for his work with Lou Reed, Alice Cooper, Aerosmith, Kiss, Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, Peter Gabriel, Andrea Bocelli and Phish. As of 2010, Ezrin' ...

. In addition to hosting the show, Melanie is also an executive producer, writer, and composer on the show.

Discography

Albums

*1993: '' Harvest Train'' *1996: '' Shakespearean Fish'' *1998: ''

'' *2001: ''

'' *2003: ''

'' *2008: '' A Thousand Nights'' *2011: '' The Emerald City''

Awards and nominations

* 1999 Won for Best New Solo Artist -

Juno Awards The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall of ...

* 1999 Won for Most Charted Rock Artist for "

" -

Canadian Radio Music Awards The Canadian Radio Music Awards were an annual series of awards presented by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters that was part of Canadian Music Week. The award show ran from 2016 to 2018. There has been no information on the future of the e ...

* 1999 Nominated for Album of The Year for "

" -

East Coast Music Awards The East Coast Music Association is a non-profit association that hosts an annual awards ceremony based in Atlantic Canada for music appreciation on the East Coast of Canada. Its mission is to develop, advance and celebrate East Coast Canadian mus ...

* 1999 Nominated for Best Pop/Rock Artist -

* 1999 Nominated for Single of The Year for "

" -

* 1999 Nominated for SOCAN Songwriter of The Year for "

" -

* 1999 Nominated for Best New Artist -

* 2003 Won for Best International Actress (for "Black Swan") - New York International Independent Film and Video Festival * 2004 Nominated for Entertainer of The Year -

* 2004 Nominated for Best Pop Recording for "

" -

* 2004 Nominated for Best Female Artist -

References

External links

Official site
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Doane, Melanie 1967 births Living people Canadian women guitarists Canadian singer-songwriters Musicians from Halifax, Nova Scotia Canadian musical theatre actresses Doane, Melanie Juno Award for Breakthrough Artist of the Year winners 20th-century Canadian women singers 21st-century Canadian women singers