In Pictures: k.d. lang's 7 greatest moments
Canadian musician k.d. lang was inducted into the Juno Hall of Fame during the awards show in Regina on April 21, 2013. We take a look back at some of her best moments in the music industry
The Speech: With her Juno speech on Sunday, given in relation to her induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, the legend of of k.d. lang grew a little more. “I think the fact that I’m standing here receiving this award actually says more about Canada than it does about me,” said the eight-time Juno-winner, “because only in Canada could there be such a freak as k.d. lang receiving this award.” The gifted pop/country artist mentioned fellow mavericks Stompin’ Tom Connors and Rita MacNeil, while encouraging one’s individuality. “I am here to tell you, my friends and my countrymen, that it is okay to be you. It is okay to let your freak flags fly and embrace the quirkmeister that’s inside of all of us ...”Derek Mortensen/The Canadian Press
The Duet: Roy Orbison re-recorded his balladic 1961 hit Crying in 1987, this time harmonizing with lang. The tender, melancholic collaboration won a Grammy.Liam Richards/The Canadian Press
The Tribute: The iconic country troubadour Stompin‘ Tom Connors immortalized lang in song in 1992 when he recorded Lady, K.D. Lang, a barroom ditty in which “twang” was rhymed with “rangy-tang.”Liam Richards/The Canadian Press
The Promise: In 1985, the Albertan won the Juno for the year’s most promising female vocalist. She wore a white wedding dress while accepting the honour, and vowed to always sing for “all the right reasons.”Edward Regan/The Globe and Mail
The Hit: Constant Craving, the soaring, lightly rocking ode to unwavering desire, was a hit for lang in 1992. It reached No. 2 on Billboard’s adult-contemporary chart, and earned the singer three Grammy nominations. She won one, for female pop vocals. Later, the song subconsciously inspired Mick Jagger to write a similar refrain for the 1997 Rolling Stones’ single Anybody Seen My Baby?, to the point that lang receives a songwriting credit on the tune. (Here, lang displays her 1990 Grammy for best country vocal performance for her song, Absolute Torch and Twang.)Douglas C. Pizac/The Associated Press
The Magazine: At age 30, the androgynous lang publicly announced she was gay. The disclosure, she later told the Guardian in 2009, helped her career by drawing attention to her album at the time and landing her on the cover of major American glossy, shown in a barber’s chair being shaved by supermodel Cindy Crawford. “I don’t think Ingenue would have been a hit without me coming out,” she said. “I wouldn’t have got on the cover of Vanity Fair.”The Associated Press
The Gold Medal Performance: Lang dazzled during the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver Olympic Games in 2010, where she memorably performed Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. “She sings without any obstacles between her and the listener,” Cohen said in a tribute video at Sunday’s Juno gala, “and because of that, she sings for all of us.”Jerry Lampen/Reuters