Penny Lang (July 15, 1942 – July 31, 2016) was a Canadian folk music icon who earned a loyal following, influencing many artists.[who?] She performed at major folk festivals and clubs across North America.
Lang was born in 1942 to a musical family in east end Montreal. She learned about singing and storytelling around the family’s kitchen table and started performing publicly at age 10 with her family in a revue called “The Irish and Canadian Musical Revue” that played legion halls, theaters, hospitals and prisons. In her late teens, Lang got caught up in the folk revival.
Careeredit
In 1963, at age 21, Lang became a professional folksinger and worked initially at the Café André, a venue near the McGill University campus, for three years. She quickly became a star on the Montreal folk scene, filling the club every night with a loyal returning audience drawn by her effective guitar-playing, throaty voice, and most of all by her astonishing ability to connect with the people she was singing to. Lang moved on to become a touring artist, playing major folk festivals like Mariposa and Philadelphia and legendary clubs like Gerde’s Folk City in New York City, Caffè Lena in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., the Riverboat in Toronto and Le Hibou in Ottawa.
Her powerful interpretations and originals in folk, blues, country, and gospel gained her a large and devoted following. Her songs are emotionally powerful observations of the human condition, sometimes poignant, sometimes hilarious, mostly memorable. A major highlight of her career was her 1970 sold-out concert at Théâtre Port Royal at Place des Arts in Montreal. After an extended time away from professional life living in Morin Heights, a small village in the Laurentian Mountains where she raised her son Jason, she returned to full-time performing and was welcomed back to an adoring public. She returned to the studio in 1989 and recorded nine well-received albums for the She-Wolf, Festival and Borealis labels and toured Australia, Italy, Denmark, France and the United Kingdom.
Deathedit
Penny died on July 31, 2016, at her home in Madeira Park on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast, where she had been living since 2005.
Legacyedit
Penny shared a lifetime's familiarity with folk, blues, gospel and country songs with audiences and friends wherever she went and will be fondly remembered for her work on the concert stage. Her intimate performances were filled with laughter, tears and a bonding with the audience to create a community through song.
Honors and awardsedit
Penny’s story was the subject of the 1999 documentary Stand Up: On High Ground with Penny Lang by Jocelyne Clarke, which premiered at the Silver Images Film Festival in Chicago. She received the first Prix Folqui awarded by FOLQUEBEC in 2003.
Lang's 2001 album, Gather Honey, was nominated for a JUNO Award.
Discographyedit
"Live at The Yellow Door", She-Wolf, 1992; Festival, 1998
penny, lang, july, 1942, july, 2016, canadian, folk, music, icon, earned, loyal, following, influencing, many, artists, performed, major, folk, festivals, clubs, across, north, america, background, informationbirth, nameborn, 1942, july, 1942montreal, quebec, . Penny Lang July 15 1942 July 31 2016 was a Canadian folk music icon who earned a loyal following influencing many artists who She performed at major folk festivals and clubs across North America Penny LangBackground informationBirth namePenny LangBorn 1942 07 15 July 15 1942Montreal Quebec CanadaDiedJuly 31 2016 2016 07 31 aged 74 Madeira Park British Columbia CanadaGenresFolkOccupation s Musician singer songwriterInstrument s VocalsGuitarYears active1963 2016LabelsBorealisShe WolfFestival Contents 1 Early years 2 Career 3 Death 4 Legacy 5 Honors and awards 6 Discography 7 ReferencesEarly years editLang was born in 1942 to a musical family in east end Montreal She learned about singing and storytelling around the family s kitchen table and started performing publicly at age 10 with her family in a revue called The Irish and Canadian Musical Revue that played legion halls theaters hospitals and prisons In her late teens Lang got caught up in the folk revival Career editIn 1963 at age 21 Lang became a professional folksinger and worked initially at the Cafe Andre a venue near the McGill University campus for three years She quickly became a star on the Montreal folk scene filling the club every night with a loyal returning audience drawn by her effective guitar playing throaty voice and most of all by her astonishing ability to connect with the people she was singing to Lang moved on to become a touring artist playing major folk festivals like Mariposa and Philadelphia and legendary clubs like Gerde s Folk City in New York City Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs N Y the Riverboat in Toronto and Le Hibou in Ottawa Her powerful interpretations and originals in folk blues country and gospel gained her a large and devoted following Her songs are emotionally powerful observations of the human condition sometimes poignant sometimes hilarious mostly memorable A major highlight of her career was her 1970 sold out concert at Theatre Port Royal at Place des Arts in Montreal After an extended time away from professional life living in Morin Heights a small village in the Laurentian Mountains where she raised her son Jason she returned to full time performing and was welcomed back to an adoring public She returned to the studio in 1989 and recorded nine well received albums for the She Wolf Festival and Borealis labels and toured Australia Italy Denmark France and the United Kingdom Death editPenny died on July 31 2016 at her home in Madeira Park on British Columbia s Sunshine Coast where she had been living since 2005 Legacy editPenny shared a lifetime s familiarity with folk blues gospel and country songs with audiences and friends wherever she went and will be fondly remembered for her work on the concert stage Her intimate performances were filled with laughter tears and a bonding with the audience to create a community through song Honors and awards editPenny s story was the subject of the 1999 documentary Stand Up On High Ground with Penny Lang by Jocelyne Clarke which premiered at the Silver Images Film Festival in Chicago She received the first Prix Folqui awarded by FOLQUEBEC in 2003 Lang s 2001 album Gather Honey was nominated for a JUNO Award Discography edit Live at The Yellow Door She Wolf 1992 Festival 1998 Yes She Wolf 1991 Festival 1993 Ain t Life Sweet She Wolf 1993 2007 Carry On Children She Wolf 1996 Penny Lang amp Friends Live She Wolf 1998 Somebody Else She Wolf 1999 Gather Honey Borealis 2001 Stone Sand Sea Sky Borealis 2006 Live She Wolf 2007References edithttp singout org 2016 08 07 penny lang 1942 2016 http montrealgazette com entertainment music obituary penny lang star of montreals folk music scene dies at 74 http montreal ctvnews ca folk singer penny lang dies at age 74 1 3011271 https www facebook com Penny Lang Official Fan Page 113201075372182 https www youtube com watch v 55Iz1cFPwLg https borealisrecords com artists penny lang http www allmusic com artist penny lang mn0000258865 discography Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Penny Lang amp oldid 1168220720, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
