Kate McGarrigle 1946-2010
Kate McGarrigle with her son, Rufus Wainwright, in 2008.
It has been a terrible month already for losing musicians, since Christmas alone the media bringing the news of the sad deaths of Vic Chesnutt, Rowland S. Howard, Jay Reatard, Teddy Pendergrass and today the news that Kate McGarrigle has died at the age of 63 of cancer.
One of Canada’s best known stars, she became famous with her sister Anna in the 1970s, as Kate and Anna McGarrigle, producing their own distinctive style of folk music. Amongst those artists who covered her songs were Kirsty MacColl, Elvis Costello and Billy Bragg. In addition to their own albums, Kate and Anna McGarrigle collaborated with other artists, including on Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds 2001 album, No More Shall We Part.
At one time she was married to fellow folk singer, Loudon Wainwright III, with whom she had two children, Martha and Rufus Wainwright, who have become stars in their own right over the last decade.
17 Seconds would like to extend its’ sympathies to her family.
Obituaries and Tributes can be found at the BBC, the Guardian, and the Times.
Remember her this way:
Kate and Anna McGarrigle -’Walking Song.’ mp3
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds -’God Is In The House.’ mp3
Argh. Just fucking argh. 2010 is still wet behind the ears and it’s already proving to be a terrible year for music in terms of talents we’re losing forever.
Argh just about sums it up. Five great talents. Sigh…
I don’t to be depressing, but the number should be 6 not 5.
The very great and very underrated Bobby Charles, also passed away last week. A nice appreciation of Bobby Charles here http://www.aquariumdrunkard.com/2010/01/14/bobby-charles-1938-2009/.
During 2003 my father, and my father-in-law both died, and I derived much consolation from repeated (and almost obsessive) listening to Maria Muldaur’s version of Kate McGarrigle’s “Cool River” Here is a YouTube clip of the McGarrigle sisters performing this achingly beautiful song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nuAa7MBVQY
She has kissed this world goodbye, and we are the poorer for it.
Oh Lord. Thatnks for that link, which is really good. Not a good start to 2010 at all.
My personal tribute to Kate:
Kate McGarrigle - the Angel is with the Angels