Booking KD Lang

KD Lang Biography

Born in Alberta, Canada, KD Lang burst onto the country music scene in 1987, to great controversy. The rock-influenced, edgy sound of KD Lang, coupled with her androgynous appearance, set her apart from the typical artists most of the country music world had to offer. But long before her rise to fame, Lang had found herself drawn to music while in college, in particular to the music of Patsy Cline. Along with Ben Mink, a fellow songwriter and guitarist, she formed the Reclines in 1983. Their debut album, Friday Dance Promenade, was a moderate success, and A Truly Western Experience (1984) garnered them a bit more national attention.

The Juno Awards recognized KD Lang as the Most Promising Female Vocalist in 1985, and by 1986, KD Lang found herself with a recording contract. Her first album under that contract with Sire was Angel with a Lariat, and featured an unusual blend of rockabilly, honky-tonk country, and 1950’s style ballads.  It was a smash hit in the United States, even though it remained slightly underground. But Lang’s real breakthrough on the mainstream music scene was her duet with Roy Orbison, “Crying,” featured in the film Hiding Out. It rocketed to the top of the charts, and suddenly KD Lang became a household name.

The album Shadowland (1988) came next, an album recorded with Patsy Cline’s producer, and eventually went gold. Absolute Torch and Twang (1989) followed, earning KD Lang a Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance, Female. Ingénue came next, and with the hit single “Constant Craving,” KD Lang found herself with a Top 40 hit and another Grammy, this time for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female. The album rose to platinum status in the United States and multi-platinum in Canada. Her next endeavor was the soundtrack for Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, in 1993, and then after that All You Can Eat was released in 1995. Invincible Summer came next in 2000, and in 2004, KD Lang recorded Hymns of the 49th Parallel.

KD Lang continues to write, record, and perform in the new millennium. In 2007, she joined up with Anne Murray for a remake of “A Love Song,” in 2007, and released Watershed in 2008. A greatest hits album, Recollection, followed in 2010. In 2013, Lang was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. In addition to her work in music, KD Lang has made the leap to the big screen, with a lead role in the film Salmonberries (1991) and a co-starring role in Eye of the Beholder (1999.) She also appeared as herself on episdoes of How I Met Your Mother (2013) and Portlandia (2014.) Most recently, Lang collaborated on the album project case/lang/veirs alongside fellow musicians Neko Case and Laura Veirs.