A British-Canadian rock star has left us. Sass Jordan, musician and judge on ‘Canadian Idol ‘, has died at 63.
Sass Jordan has died. Her family shared a statement through her Instagram, saying the 63-year-old died on October 2, surrounded by her “loving family.”
Sass Jordan peacefully crossed over to the other side,” the family wrote. “She remains in our hearts, an inimitable force of nature. An irreplaceable being of light and joy!”
Born in Birmingham, England, on December 23, 1962, Sass Jordan left the UK. She moved to Montreal, Canada, as a youngster when her father accepted a position at Concordia University.
At a young age, Jordan fell in love with music and began performing as a teenager. By the time she turned 20, Sass was already recording with several of Montreal’s top artists. She also began writing songs on her own, and one of her early ones, written for singer Michael Breen, became a Top 40 hit in Canada.
Her big break came in 1988 when she signed with Atlantic Records and released her debut album, Tell Somebody. The album did well and produced two Canadian hits, the title track and Double Trouble, both of which placed just outside the Top 10.
The following year, Sass Jordan received the Juno Award for Most Promising Female Vocalist. She followed up the debut album with the 1992 album Racine, which produced four Top 20 hits and helped her grow her audience even wider.
Sass Jordan, rock star and ‘Canadian Idol’ judge, dies at 63
But as Montreal became ‘too small,’ Sass Jordan aimed for the U.S. She moved to Los Angeles, California, and signed with RCA Records. She even had music on The Bodyguard soundtrack, which became a massive success.-
In 1994, her song Sun’s Gonna Rise became her biggest Canadian hit, reaching No. 7 on the charts and making the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. While her albums did well, she was also known for her live performances, with her live band including Taylor Hawkins, who later became the drummer of Foo Fighters.
Although she earned huge fame and success, Sass Jordan’s career didn’t go where she wanted it to. According to The Guardian, she later wasn’t happy with the sound of her later albums.
However, the rock star found other lines of work. She became a familiar face on television as a judge on Canadian Idol, appearing across all six seasons. In 2001, she also took on another major role, portraying Janis Joplin in the off-Broadway musical Love, Janis.
Canceled tour dates after “serious medical condition”
Later in her career, Jordan returned to her blues and rock roots. Her 2020 album Rebel Moon Blues reached the top five of the US blues chart, followed by her final studio album, Bitches Blues, in 2022.
Sadly, in her last months, Jordan’s health became a grave concern. Just weeks before her death, she canceled several tour dates, citing a “serious medical condition.”
The cause of death has not yet been revealed.
Rest in peace, Sass Jordan. Our thoughts and prayers are with her loved ones.
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