A British-Canadian rock star has passed away. Sass Jordan, the musician and former judge on ‘Canadian Idol,’ has died at the age of 63.
Sass Jordan has died. Her family announced the heartbreaking news through her Instagram account, revealing that the 63-year-old musician passed away on October 2, surrounded by her “loving family.”
“Sass Jordan peacefully crossed over to the other side,” her family stated. “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 eventually left the United Kingdom. She moved with her family to Montreal, Canada, as a child after her father accepted a position at Concordia University.
Jordan developed a passion for music at an early age and began performing while still a teenager. By the time she was 20, Sass was already recording alongside some of Montreal’s leading artists. She also started writing her own songs, and one of her early compositions, written for singer Michael Breen, went on to become a Top 40 hit in Canada.
Her major breakthrough arrived in 1988 when she signed with Atlantic Records and released her debut album, Tell Somebody. The record performed well and delivered two Canadian hits, the title song and Double Trouble, both of which reached just outside the Top 10.
The following year, Sass Jordan won the Juno Award for Most Promising Female Vocalist. She followed her debut with the 1992 album Racine, which generated four Top 20 hits and helped expand her audience even further.
Sass Jordan, rock star and ‘Canadian Idol’ judge, dies at 63
But as Montreal began to feel ‘too small,’ Sass Jordan set her sights on the United States. She relocated to Los Angeles, California, and signed a deal with RCA Records. Her music was also featured on The Bodyguard soundtrack, which went on to become a massive success.
In 1994, her song Sun’s Gonna Rise became her biggest Canadian hit, climbing to No. 7 on the charts while also reaching the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Although her albums continued to perform well, she became especially recognized for her powerful live shows, with her touring band featuring Taylor Hawkins, who would later become the drummer for Foo Fighters.
Despite achieving considerable fame and success, Sass Jordan’s career did not ultimately develop exactly as she had hoped. According to The Guardian, she later expressed dissatisfaction with the sound of some of her later albums.
Still, the rock star discovered success in other areas. She became a familiar television personality as a judge on Canadian Idol, appearing throughout all six seasons. In 2001, she also took on another significant 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 the blues and rock music that had shaped her early work. Her 2020 album Rebel Moon Blues reached the top five of the U.S. blues chart, followed by her final studio album, Bitches Blues, in 2022.
Sadly, during the final months of her life, concerns surrounding Jordan’s health became increasingly serious. Only weeks before her death, she canceled several scheduled tour dates, explaining that she was dealing with a “serious medical condition.”
The cause of her death has not been disclosed.