Sass Jordan passed away, reportedly at the age of 65, confirming the passing of the Canadian rock figurehead. Jordan was born on 23 December 1960 and relocated to Montreal when she was three years old.
She released her solo debut album, Tell Somebody, two years after arriving in Montreal. Early recognition came when she secured a Juno Award in 1989 for most promising female vocalist.
Furthermore, Jordan received nominations for female vocalist of the year in 1990, 1993, and 1995. Publicist Eric Alper stated that over four decades, she gave Canadian rock one of its most recognizable voices, carved out space for women in a genre long dominated by men, and opened doors for the young musicians who came through her band.
The artist moved to Los Angeles in 1990, marking a significant geographical shift in her career. In 1992, she released the album Racine, which saw the song “Make You a Believer” reach No. 11 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart.
Her highest-charting single was “High Road Easy” in 1994, which peaked at No. 6. During her career, she recorded “Trust in Me” alongside Joe Cocker.
The album achieved considerable success, spending twenty weeks at the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200. She toured with major acts including Aerosmith, the Rolling Stones, AC/DC, and Van Halen.
Jordan joined Canadian Idol as a judge in 2003 and remained involved for all six seasons. She cited Carly Rae Jepsen and Melissa O’Neil as her favourite contestants during her judging tenure.
In 2020, she recorded the covers album Rebel Moon Blues. That eight-track set subsequently reached No. 5 on Billboard’s Blues Albums chart in 2020.
Jordan is survived by her husband, Derek Sharp of The Guess Who.
