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Rita MacNeil, a singer-songwriter from Cape Breton whose powerful voice explored genres from country, to folk, to gospel, died Tuesday night following complications from surgery. She was 68.

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Canadian music icons Stompin' Tom Connors, right, and Rita MacNeil chat prior to the 20th Annual SOCAN Awards gala in Toronto Monday, November 23, 2009.Darren Calabrese/The Canadian Press

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Rita MacNeil speaks after receiving a lifetime achievement award at the East Coast Music Awards Feb. 20, 2005 in Sydney N.S.JACQUES BOISSINOT/The Canadian Press

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Rita MacNeil holds her ECMA lifetime achievement award on Feb. 20, 2005 in Sydney, N.S.JACQUES BOISSINOT/The Canadian Press

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Canadian singer Rita MacNeil in performance with The Men of the Deeps during the Mining The Soul Christmas Tour at the Memorial Centre in Peterborough, Ont. on Friday, Dec. 10, 2004.CLIFFORD SKARSTEDT/The Canadian Press

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Canadian singer Rita MacNeil in performance with The Men of the Deeps during the Mining The Soul Christmas Tour at the Memorial Centre in Peterborough, Ont. on Friday, Dec. 10, 2004. Over 1,400 attended the concert.CLIFFORD SKARSTEDT/The Canadian Press

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Rita MacNeil sitting at the side of the pool at the Sutton Hotel while six-year-old Lee Silden, a hotel guest, at the hotel swims by. Canadian singer Rita MacNeil was in Toronto to promote a new album at the Sutton Hotel May 7, 2004.Louie Palu/The Globe and Mail

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Rita MacNeil at the Sutton Hotel on May 7, 2004.Louie Palu/The Globe and Mail

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Rita MacNeil on Nov. 3, 1998.Tibor Kolley/The Globe and Mail

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Rita MacNeil on Nov. 14, 1997.Dan Callis/The Globe and Mail

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Shopper Ann Delong looks over a new clothing line at Pennington's Wearhouse in Dartmouth, N.S., in 1997. The clothing line belongs to singer Rita MacNeil.Tony Caldwell/The Canadian Press

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Many years ago, CBC pegged Rita MacNeil's musical variety show Rita and Friends for cancellation in spite of good reviews and ratings.Eric Wynne/The Canadian Press

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Natalie MacMaster (right) was Rita MacNeil‘s guest on Rita MacNeil's Christmas, a one-hour holiday special that aired on CTV.HANDOUT/The Canadian Press

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Joni Mitchell (right) was a guest on the show Rita and Friends in 1994.HANDOUT/The Canadian Press

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Rita MacNeil released the Christmas album With My Family in 1993.

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Rita McNeil sings the national anthems before a World Series game between the Blue Jays and the Philadelphia Phillies in Toronto, Oct.17, 1993.PAUL CHIASSON/The Canadian Press

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A Globe and Mail illustration of Rita MacNeil.Anthony Jenkins/The Globe and Mail

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