k.d. lang

Kathryn Dawn Lang, known professionally as k.d. lang, is a Canadian pop and country singer-songwriter and occasional actress. Recognized for her mezzo-soprano vocal abilities, she stylizes her stage name in all lowercase letters, inspired by poet e. e. cummings. She has achieved international recognition for her music, earning multiple Juno Awards and Grammy Awards, and is well known for hits such as "Constant Craving" and "Miss Chatelaine".

Lang was born on November 2, 1961, in Edmonton, Alberta, to Audrey Bebee and Adam Frederick Lang. She grew up in Consort, Alberta, alongside three older siblings. Her ancestry includes English, Irish, Scottish, German, Russian-Jewish, Icelandic, and Sioux heritage. After secondary school, she attended Red Deer College, where her interest in the music and life of Patsy Cline led her to pursue a professional singing career. Following her graduation in 1982, she relocated to Edmonton.

In 1983, lang formed the Patsy Cline tribute band the Reclines with label owner and manager Larry Wanagas. Developing a style and appearance described as "cowboy punk," she released her debut independent album A Truly Western Experience in 1984. She won her first Juno Award in 1985 for Most Promising Female Vocalist. Lang signed with an American record producer in 1986 and released Angel with a Lariat in 1987. Her final album with the Reclines, Absolute Torch and Twang, was released in 1989 and earned a Grammy Award.

Her career expanded through a duet of "Crying" with Roy Orbison, which won a Grammy Award in 1989. In 1992, she released the pop album Ingénue, which featured the hit single "Constant Craving." The song brought her critical acclaim, multi-million sales, and a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Over her career, she recorded several cover and tribute projects, including Drag in 1997 and the Canadian songwriter tribute Hymns of the 49th Parallel in 2004. She also won a Grammy Award in 2003 for her collaborative album A Wonderful World with Tony Bennett.

Lang has frequently contributed to film soundtracks and television projects. Her movie soundtrack work includes contributions to Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Tomorrow Never Dies, and Home on the Range. As an actress, she played the lead in the 1991 drama film Salmonberries, co-starred in Eye of the Beholder in 1999, and made guest appearances on television programs such as Ellen, Pee-wee's Playhouse, and The Last Don. She performed at the closing ceremony of the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary and at the opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

In addition to her music and acting careers, lang has been active in animal rights, LGBTQ rights, and Tibetan human rights activism, and practices tantric Tibetan Buddhism. In 2016, she collaborated with Neko Case and Laura Veirs on the album project case/lang/veirs, and in 2021 she released the dance remix collection Makeover. In an interview in 2019, lang stated that she considers herself semi-retired from music.