Sass Jordan, Canadian Rock Singer and Canadian Idol Judge, Dies at 65

Sass Jordan, the singer-songwriter who became a prominent figure in Canadian rock during the 1990s and later served as a judge on Canadian Idol, has died at the age of 65, The Guardian reported. No cause of death has been given.

A statement shared on social media said Jordan died on October 2 “surrounded by her loving family,” according to The Guardian. The statement added: “She remains in our hearts, an inimitable force of nature. An irreplaceable being of light and joy!”

Key facts about Sass Jordan’s life and career

Detail	What is known
Age at death	65
Date of death	October 2
Birthplace	Birmingham, England
Canadian home	Montreal
Major albums	Racine and Rats
Television role	Judge on six seasons of Canadian Idol
Major Canadian chart peak	“Sun’s Gonna Rise” reached No. 7

From Birmingham to Montreal and Canada’s rock scene

Jordan was born in Birmingham, England, in 1960 and moved to Montreal as a child after her French academic father accepted a position at Concordia University, The Guardian reported. She began performing as a teenager and by her 20s was recording with a range of Montreal acts.

Before establishing herself as a solo artist, Jordan wrote a song for singer Michael Breen that became a Canadian Top 40 hit, according to The Guardian. By 1988, she had signed with Atlantic Records, which released her debut album Tell Somebody.

Two singles from that album, the title track and “Double Trouble,” charted just outside the Canadian Top 10, The Guardian reported. The following year, Jordan won a Juno Award for most promising female vocalist. The Guardian described the Junos as the Canadian equivalent of the Grammys.

That early success placed Jordan firmly within Canada’s rock scene as she moved toward the period that would bring her some of the biggest commercial results of her career.

‘Racine’ expanded Jordan’s audience in Canada and the US

Jordan’s 1992 album Racine produced four Canadian Top 20 hits, according to The Guardian. The album arrived during a period that also included a move to Los Angeles, a new record deal with RCA and an appearance on the bestselling soundtrack to The Bodyguard.

The Guardian reported that those developments helped Jordan break into a wider US market. Her 1994 album Rats included “Sun’s Gonna Rise,” which became her only US Hot 100 hit and her biggest Canadian hit, reaching No. 7.

During that period, Taylor Hawkins, who later became the drummer for Foo Fighters, played as Jordan’s live drummer, The Guardian reported.

Jordan’s RCA deal later ended. According to The Guardian, she expressed disappointment with the glossy sound of her next couple of albums, but another highly visible chapter of her career would come through Canadian television.

Canadian Idol introduced Jordan to a new audience

Jordan’s career received a boost when she became a judge on Canadian Idol, appearing across six seasons of the television talent competition, The Guardian reported. The role gave her a prominent place in Canadian popular culture beyond the rock audience that had followed her recording career.

She also returned to recording with the 2006 album You Get What You Give, according to The Guardian. Several years earlier, in 2001, she had performed as Janis Joplin in the off-Broadway musical Love, Janis.

Jordan later moved toward a blues-oriented sound. The Guardian reported that her 2020 album Rebel Moon Blues reached the top five of the US blues chart. Her most recent studio recording was 2022’s Bitches Blues.

The later albums added another phase to a career that had moved from Montreal clubs and Canadian rock radio to major-label releases, US exposure, musical theater, television and blues.

Jordan had canceled tour dates in September

In September, Jordan canceled tour dates and cited “a serious medical condition,” The Guardian reported. No cause of death has been announced.

News of her death closes a career closely tied to Canadian music and television. Jordan’s path began after her childhood move to Montreal and included a Juno win, multiple Canadian chart hits, a breakthrough into the US market and six seasons on one of Canada’s best-known television talent shows.

Her recording career stretched from Tell Somebody in 1988 through Bitches Blues in 2022. Along the way, Racine delivered four Canadian Top 20 hits, while “Sun’s Gonna Rise” became her biggest Canadian single and her only entry on the US Hot 100, according to The Guardian.

The social media statement announcing her death emphasized the personal loss felt by those close to her, saying she died surrounded by family and remembering her as “an inimitable force of nature.”

Frequently asked questions

How old was Sass Jordan when she died?

The Guardian reported that Sass Jordan died at age 65 on October 2.

What was Sass Jordan best known for?

The Guardian reported that Jordan was a successful Canadian rock singer-songwriter whose albums included Racine and Rats, and that she later served as a judge on six seasons of Canadian Idol.

What was Sass Jordan’s biggest hit in Canada?

The Guardian reported that “Sun’s Gonna Rise,” from the 1994 album Rats, was Jordan’s biggest Canadian hit, reaching No. 7.