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Sarah Ann McLachlan (born January 28, 1968) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. As of 2015, she had sold over 40 million albums worldwide. McLachlan's best-selling album to date is '' Surfacing'' (1997), for which she won two
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
s (out of four nominations) and four
Juno Award The Juno Awards (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's mu ...
s. In addition to her personal artistic efforts, she founded the
Lilith Fair Lilith Fair was a concert tour and travelling music festival, founded by Canadian musician Sarah McLachlan, Nettwerk Music Group's Dan Fraser and Terry McBride (CEO), Terry McBride, and New York talent agent Marty Diamond. It took place during ...
tour, which showcased female musicians.


Early and personal life

McLachlan was born on January 28, 1968, in
Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and most populous municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the most populous municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of 2024, it is estimated that the population of the H ...
,
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
. The daughter of Judy James, McLachlan was raised by her
adoptive Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting of another, usually a child, from that person's biological or legal parent or parents. Legal adoptions permanently transfer all rights and responsibilities, along with filiation, from ...
parents, Jack, an American-born marine biologist, and Dorice McLachlan. The family also included two older adopted brothers, Stewart and Ian. As a child, she was a member of
Girl Guides of Canada Girl Guides of Canada (GGC; ) is the national Guiding association of Canada. Guiding in Canada started on September 7, 1910, and GGC was among the founding members of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) in 1928. Histo ...
, participating in Guiding programs. McLachlan played music from a very young age, beginning with the
ukulele The ukulele ( ; ); also called a uke (informally), is a member of the lute (ancient guitar) family of instruments. The ukulele is of Portuguese origin and was popularized in Hawaii. The tone and volume of the instrument vary with size and con ...
when she was four. She studied classical guitar, classical piano, and voice at the Maritime Conservatory of Music through the curriculum of The Royal Conservatory of Music. At 17, while she was still a student at Queen Elizabeth High School, in Halifax, she fronted a short-lived rock band called the October Game, whose members also included drummer Creighton Doane. One of the band's songs, "Grind", credited as a group composition, can be found on the independent Flamingo Records release ''Out of the Fog'' and the CD ''Out of the Fog Too''. Following the October Game's first concert at
Dalhousie University Dalhousie University (commonly known as Dal) is a large public research university in Nova Scotia, Canada, with three campuses in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, a fourth in Bible Hill, Nova Scotia, Bible Hill, and a second medical school campus ...
opening for Moev, McLachlan was offered a recording contract with Vancouver-based independent record label
Nettwerk Nettwerk Music Group is an independent record label founded in 1984. The Vancouver-based company was created by principals Terry McBride and Mark Jowett as a record label to distribute recordings by the band Moev, but the label expanded in Ca ...
by Moev's Mark Jowett. McLachlan's parents insisted that she finish high school and complete one year of studies at the
Nova Scotia College of Art and Design NSCAD University, also known as the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD), is a public university, public art school, art university in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The university is a co-educational institution tha ...
before moving to Vancouver and embarking on a new life as a recording artist. She finally signed to Nettwerk two years later before having written a single song. In 1994, McLachlan was sued by Uwe Vandrei, an obsessed fan from
Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...
, who alleged that his letters to her had been the basis of the single " Possession". The lawsuit was challenging for the Canadian legal system since Vandrei was an admitted stalker whose acknowledged goal in filing the lawsuit was to be near McLachlan. Precautions were taken to ensure McLachlan's safety if she had to be in the same location as Vandrei. Before the trial began, Vandrei was found dead in an apparent
suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...
. McLachlan married her drummer, Ashwin Sood, in
Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...
in 1997. In December 2001, while McLachlan was pregnant with her first child, her mother died from
cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...
. McLachlan gave birth to her daughter, India, in Vancouver on April 6, 2002. Five years later, she gave birth to her second daughter Taja, also in Vancouver, on June 22. McLachlan announced her separation from Sood in September 2008, and they divorced the same year. In 2014, when asked what religion she practices, she answered, "I don't adhere to any particular religion. I view the concept of God as an energy that we all are part of and share. If I had any spiritual leanings, it would be towards
buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
. But again, I follow my own path most of my life."


Career and albums


1987–92: ''Touch'' and ''Solace''

The signing with Nettwerk prompted McLachlan to move to
Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
,
British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
. There she recorded her first album, ''
Touch The somatosensory system, or somatic sensory system is a subset of the sensory nervous system. The main functions of the somatosensory system are the perception of external stimuli, the perception of internal stimuli, and the regulation of bo ...
'', in 1987. The album received both critical and commercial success; it also includes the song "Vox". During this period she also contributed to an album by Moev, provided vocals on
Manufacture Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of the secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer to a r ...
's "As the End Draws Near", and embarked on her first national concert tour as an opening act for
the Grapes of Wrath ''The Grapes of Wrath'' is an American realist novel written by John Steinbeck and published in 1939. The book won the National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize for fiction, and it was cited prominently when Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Prize ...
. McLachlan's 1991 album, '' Solace'', was her mainstream breakthrough in Canada, spawning the hit singles " The Path of Thorns (Terms)" and " Into the Fire", for which she appeared naked in both of the respective videos. ''Solace'' also marked the beginning of her partnership with Pierre Marchand. Marchand and McLachlan have been collaborators ever since, with Marchand producing many of McLachlan's albums and occasionally co-writing songs.


1993–2002: ''Fumbling Towards Ecstasy'', ''Surfacing'', and ''Mirrorball''

1993's '' Fumbling Towards Ecstasy'' was an immediate hit in Canada. From her
Nettwerk Nettwerk Music Group is an independent record label founded in 1984. The Vancouver-based company was created by principals Terry McBride and Mark Jowett as a record label to distribute recordings by the band Moev, but the label expanded in Ca ...
connection, her piano version of the song " Possession" was included on the first '' Due South''
soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...
in 1996. Over the next two years, ''Fumbling Towards Ecstasy'' became McLachlan's international breakthrough as well, scaling the charts in a number of countries. Following the success from ''Fumbling Towards Ecstasy'', McLachlan returned in 1997 with '' Surfacing'', her best-selling album to date. The album earned her two 1998
Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
, one for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (for " Building a Mystery") and one for Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance (for " Last Dance"); the album also won four
Juno Award The Juno Awards (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's mu ...
s, including Album of the Year for ''Surfacing'' and Song of the Year and Songwriter of the Year for "Building a Mystery". Reaching number one on the
Canadian Albums Chart The ''Billboard'' Canadian Albums is the official record chart A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of Sound recording and reproduction, recorded music according to certain criteria during a given ...
and number two on the US ''Billboard'' 200, the album has since sold over 16 million copies worldwide and brought her much international success. Still in the spotlight from the album, McLachlan launched the highly popular
Lilith Fair Lilith Fair was a concert tour and travelling music festival, founded by Canadian musician Sarah McLachlan, Nettwerk Music Group's Dan Fraser and Terry McBride (CEO), Terry McBride, and New York talent agent Marty Diamond. It took place during ...
tour. Her song "
Angel An angel is a spiritual (without a physical body), heavenly, or supernatural being, usually humanoid with bird-like wings, often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between God (the transcendent) and humanity (the profane) in variou ...
"—inspired by the fatal
overdose A drug overdose (overdose or OD) is the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities much greater than are recommended. Retrieved on September 20, 2014.
of
Smashing Pumpkins The Smashing Pumpkins (also simply known as Smashing Pumpkins) are an American alternative rock band formed in Chicago in 1988 by frontman and guitarist Billy Corgan, guitarist James Iha, bassist D'arcy Wretzky and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin. ...
touring keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin—made sales skyrocket. Fellow adoptee
Darryl McDaniels Darryl Matthews McDaniels (born May 31, 1964), also commonly known by his stage name DMC (or D.M.C.), is an American rapper and record producer. He is a founding member of the Hip-hop, hip hop group Run-DMC, and is considered one of the pioneers ...
was so touched by "Angel" that it inspired him to reassess his life and career. He credits McLachlan and her album ''Surfacing'' (on which "Angel" appeared) with saving his life; the two have collaborated on many projects in support of the rights of adoptees. In 1998, "Angel" featured in the motion picture '' City of Angels''. Its
soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...
reached number one on the ''Billboard'' 200. More than five months after the film disappeared from the theatres, the soundtrack remained firmly entrenched among ''Billboard''s top 40 albums and earned quadruple-platinum status. Another song from ''Surfacing'', "Full of Grace", featured in the Season 2 finale of ''
Buffy the Vampire Slayer ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. The concept is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), 1992 film, also written by Whedon, a ...
''; Season 1 episode 4 of ''
Dawson's Creek ''Dawson's Creek'' is an American teen drama television series about the lives of a close-knit group of friends in the fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts, beginning in high school and continuing into college. It aired from January 20, 19 ...
''; and the film ''
Moll Flanders ''Moll Flanders'' is a novel by Daniel Defoe, first published in 1722. It purports to be the true account of the life of the eponymous Moll, detailing her exploits from birth until old age. By 1721, Defoe had become a recognised novelist, wit ...
''. McLachlan released the live album '' Mirrorball'' in June 1999. The album's singles included a new live version of her earlier song, " I Will Remember You", a studio recording of which had previously been released on '' The Brothers McMullen'' soundtrack as well as '' Rarities, B-Sides and Other Stuff''. Originally released as a single in 1995, where it peaked No. 65 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and No. 10 in Canada, the 1999 version peaked at No. 14 on the Hot 100, reached No. 10 again in Canada, and garnered McLachlan her third
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 42nd Grammy Awards. Later that year, McLachlan recorded the
Randy Newman Randall Stuart Newman (born November 28, 1943) is an American singer, songwriter, arranger, pianist, composer, conductor and orchestrator. He is known for his non-rhotic Southern American English, Southern-accented singing style, early America ...
song " When She Loved Me" on the ''
Toy Story 2 ''Toy Story 2'' is a 1999 American animated adventure comedy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios, and the first sequel to Toy Story. It is the second installment in the Toy Story (franchise), ''Toy Story'' franchise and was directed by J ...
'' soundtrack as the off-screen singing voice of the character Jessie. It was nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Original Song The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the Film industry, motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is presented to the ''songwriters'' who h ...
in
2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
, and McLachlan performed it at the awards ceremony, but did not win. Following the death of her mother in December 2001, and the birth of her first daughter India, McLachlan took a break from writing music; she shifted her focus to motherhood.


2003–2006: ''Afterglow'' and ''Wintersong''

McLachlan released her fifth studio album, '' Afterglow'', in November 2003. The album was preceded by the single " Fallen" in September, while two of its tracks, " Stupid" and " World on Fire", were released as supporting singles the following year. McLachlan had contemplated the prospect of losing career momentum during the album's creation and has described its writing process as similar to "extracting blood from a stone". All songs for the album were written over a two and a half year period and recorded at either Marchand's home studio in Montreal or McLachlan's home studio in Vancouver. ''Afterglow'' topped the Canadian Albums Chart, and debuted at No. 2 in the US with over 300,000 copies sold in its opening week. It has since been certified 5× platinum in Canada, and 2× platinum in the US. "Fallen" was later nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the
46th Annual Grammy Awards The 46th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 8, 2004, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California honoring the best in music for the recording of the year beginning from October 1, 2002, through September 30, 2003. It recognized acc ...
, while ''Afterglow'' received a nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards. Prior to embarking on the Afterglow Live tour in May 2004, McLachlan released the digital
extended play An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...
''Acoustic Live'', which included renditions of two songs from ''Afterglow'', and rerecorded "World on Fire" with
Robbie Robertson Jaime Royal Robertson (July 5, 1943 – August 9, 2023) was a Canadian musician of Indigenous and Jewish ancestry. He was the lead guitarist for Bob Dylan's backing band in the mid-late 1960s and early-mid 1970s. Robertson was also the ...
for the TNT series '' Into the West''. The tour took place through 2005. '' Afterglow Live'', a CD+DVD recording package of one of the Canada stops was released in November 2004. In October 2006, McLachlan released a Christmas album, '' Wintersong''. The album included 11 new recordings, featuring covers of
Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan Mitchell (née Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and painter. As one of the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitch ...
's "
River A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...
",
Gordon Lightfoot Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr. (November 17, 1938 – May 1, 2023) was a Canadian singer-songwriter who achieved worldwide success and helped define the singer-songwriter era of the 1970s. Widely considered one of Canada's greatest songwriters, ...
's " Song for a Winter's Night", and
John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's ...
's " Happy Xmas (War Is Over)", which she recorded with her outreach children and youth choir, and seasonal favourites: "Christmas Time Is Here", "O Little Town of Bethlehem", "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", "Silent Night", "The First Noel", and "Greensleeves (What Child Is This?)", among others. The title track is an original work of McLachlan's. ''Wintersong'' debuted at No. 42 on the ''Billboard'' 200 for the week ending November 4, 2006, and peaked at No. 7. It was certified Platinum in the US in December 2007. According to Nielsen Music, the album has sold 1.1 million copies in the country as of November 2016. In Canada, it is certified 3× Platinum. ''Wintersong'' was nominated for both a
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
, in the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album category, as well as for a
Juno Award The Juno Awards (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's mu ...
, for ''Pop Album of the Year''. On October 3, 2006, the live album ''Mirrorball'' was re-released as ''Mirrorball: The Complete Concert''. This release contains two discs that were compiled from two concerts performed on consecutive nights in April 1998 at the Rose Garden arena in
Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...
.


2014–2015: ''Shine On''

In late January 2014, McLachlan announced the release of her next studio album, '' Shine On'', which was inspired by the death of her father. It was her first release on
Verve Records Verve Records is an active American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Founded in 1956 by Norman Granz, the label is home to the world's largest jazz catalogue, which includes recordings by artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Ca ...
, after leaving Nettwerk/Arista after over twenty years. Released on May 6, the album debuted at No. 4 on the ''Billboard'' 200 with 42,000 copies sold during the week ending May 11. She embarked on the Shine On tour across the United States in support of the album. Its opening show took place in Seattle on June 20. The tour visited 30 cities all together. The Canadian leg included 25 shows in 21 cities. McLachlan won Adult Contemporary Album of the Year for ''Shine On'' at the Juno Awards in March 2015 and was additionally nominated for Artist of the Year, but did not win. After this release, McLachlan mostly stepped back from public life to focus on motherhood and philanthropic work.


2016–2020: ''Wonderland''

On October 21, 2016, McLachlan released '' Wonderland'', her ninth studio and second Christmas album; it contains interpretations of 13 traditional and contemporary holiday classics. She promoted the album with various televised performances, including at the ''
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade in New York City presented by the American-based department store chain Macy's. The Parade first took place in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States ...
'' on November 24; ABC's ''CMA Country Christmas'' special on November 28; and
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
's annual '' Christmas in Rockefeller Center'' special on November 30. That December, McLachlan released the single "The Long Goodbye". In January 2019, McLachlan was announced as the host of the Juno Awards of 2019. In an interview the following month, McLachlan stated that she was set to debut a new song titled "Wilderness" during her then-current tour.


2023–present: 30th anniversary of ''Fumbling Towards Ecstasy'' and upcoming tenth studio album

McLachlan participated in an all-star recording of Serena Ryder's 2012 song "
What I Wouldn't Do "What I Wouldn't Do" is a song performed by Canadian singer-songwriter Serena Ryder, which was released as a single in November 2012. The song was written by Ryder and Jerrod Bettis for Ryder's fifth studio album, ''Harmony (Serena Ryder album), ...
" in 2023. It was released as a charity single on March 2 to benefit the Feel Out Loud campaign by Kids Help Phone in support of youth mental health. At the end of the year, she announced a 30-city tour (her first major tour since her tour with Josh Groban in 2016) to be held in 2024 for the 30th anniversary of ''Fumbling Towards Ecstasy'' (1993), with the setlist comprising the album's entire tracklist in addition to other songs from her repertoire; in November 2024, she canceled the tour due to acute laryngitis, having postponed the tour earlier. In April 2025 she reannounced the previously cancelled Canadian dates. In April 2024, McLachlan stated she was working on new music with producer Tony Berg.


Lilith Fair

In 1996, McLachlan became frustrated with concert promoters and radio stations that refused to feature two female musicians in a row. Bucking conventional industry wisdom, she booked a successful tour for herself and Paula Cole. At least one of their appearances together – in McLachlan's home town, on September 14, 1996 – went by the name "Lilith Fair" and included performances by McLachlan, Cole,
Lisa Loeb Lisa Anne Loeb (; born March 11, 1968) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author and actress. She started her career with " Stay (I Missed You)" from the film '' Reality Bites'', the first number-one single on the ''Billboard'' Hot 10 ...
, and Michelle McAdorey, formerly of Crash Vegas. The next year, McLachlan founded the Lilith Fair tour, taking ''Lilith'' from the medieval Jewish legend that
Lilith Lilith (; ), also spelled Lilit, Lilitu, or Lilis, is a feminine figure in Mesopotamian and Jewish mythology, theorized to be the first wife of Adam and a primordial she-demon. Lilith is cited as having been "banished" from the Garden of Eden ...
was
Adam Adam is the name given in Genesis 1–5 to the first human. Adam is the first human-being aware of God, and features as such in various belief systems (including Judaism, Christianity, Gnosticism and Islam). According to Christianity, Adam ...
's first wife. In 1997, Lilith Fair, featuring McLachlan as one of the headlining acts, garnered a $16 million gross, making it the top-grossing of any touring festival. Among all concert tours for that year, it was the 16th highest grossing.
Lilith Fair Lilith Fair was a concert tour and travelling music festival, founded by Canadian musician Sarah McLachlan, Nettwerk Music Group's Dan Fraser and Terry McBride (CEO), Terry McBride, and New York talent agent Marty Diamond. It took place during ...
tour brought together two million people over its three-year history and raised more than $7 million for charities. It was the most successful all-female
music festival A music festival is a festival, community event with music, performances of singing and instrument playing that is often presented with a theme such as musical genre (e.g., rock music, rock, blues, folk music, folk, jazz, classical music), nation ...
in history, one of the biggest music festivals of the 1990s, and helped launch the careers of several well-known female artists. Subsequent Lilith Fairs followed in 1998 and 1999 before the tour was discontinued. Nettwerk CEO and Lilith Fair co-founder Terry McBride announced that the all-female festival would make its return in mid-2010 in Canada, the United States, and Europe. A list of 36 North American shows was released, but poor ticket sales, financial problems, and headliners' withdrawing out of fear of not being paid, caused 13 of the shows to be cancelled. The two-week European tour never materialized.


Additional projects and guest appearances

In 1997, McLachlan co-wrote and provided guest vocals on the
Delerium Delerium is a Canadian new-age ambient electronic musical duo that formed in 1987, originally as a side project of the influential industrial music act Front Line Assembly. Throughout the band's history, their musical style has encompassed a ...
song "
Silence Silence is the absence of ambient hearing, audible sound, the emission of sounds of such low sound intensity, intensity that they do not draw attention to themselves, or the state of having ceased to produce sounds; this latter sense can be exten ...
" for their album ''
Karma Karma (, from , ; ) is an ancient Indian concept that refers to an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptively called ...
''. The song achieved significant US top 40 airplay when released as a single in late 2000, and also featured on the soundtrack for the movie ''
Brokedown Palace ''Brokedown Palace'' is a 1999 American drama film directed by Jonathan Kaplan, and starring Claire Danes, Kate Beckinsale, and Bill Pullman. It deals with two American friends imprisoned in Thailand for alleged drug smuggling. Its title is t ...
''. It has been hailed as one of the greatest
trance Trance is a state of semi-consciousness in which a person is not self-aware and is either altogether unresponsive to external stimuli (but nevertheless capable of pursuing and realizing an aim) or is selectively responsive in following the dir ...
songs of all time, over a decade after its initial release. The
Tiësto Tijs Michiel Verwest (; born 17 January 1969), known professionally as Tiësto ( , ), is a Dutch DJ and record producer. He was voted "The Greatest DJ of All Time" by ''Mix (magazine), Mix'' magazine in a 2010/2011 poll amongst fans. In 2013, h ...
remix of the song was voted by ''
Mixmag ''Mixmag'' is a British electronic dance and clubbing magazine published in London. Launched in 1983 as a print magazine, it has branched into dance events, including festivals and club nights. History The first issue of ''Mixmag'' was printe ...
'' readers as the 12th greatest dance record of all time. In 2001, McLachlan provided background vocals, guitar, and piano on the closing track "Love Is" from
Stevie Nicks Stephanie Lynn Nicks (born May 26, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter, known for her work with the band Fleetwood Mac and as a solo artist. After starting her career as a duo with her then-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham, releasing the album ...
' eighth solo album, '' Trouble in Shangri-La'', in addition to drawing the dragon used for the "S" in Stevie's name on the album cover. In May 2002, her
duet A duet (italian language, Italian: ''duo'') is a musical composition for two Performing arts, performers in which the performers have equal importance to the piece, often a composition involving two singers or two pianists. It differs from a har ...
with
Bryan Adams Bryan Guy Adams (born November 5, 1959) is a British and Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, and photographer. He is estimated to have sold between 75 million and more than 100 million album, records and Single (music), si ...
, "Don't Let Go", was released on the '' Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron'' soundtrack. She sang harmonies and played the piano on the song while Sood did the drum work. In 2003, she appeared as a celebrity NPC in '' The Sims Superstar''. In November 2006, McLachlan contributed "Ordinary Miracle" to the soundtrack of ''
Charlotte's Web ''Charlotte's Web'' is a book of children's literature by American author E. B. White and illustrated by Garth Williams. It was published on October 15, 1952, by Harper & Brothers. It tells the story of a livestock pig named Wilbur and his frie ...
''. There were rumors of a potential
Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...
nomination for the song, but it was not nominated. She performed the song on ''
The Oprah Winfrey Show ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'' is an American first-run syndicated talk show that was hosted by Oprah Winfrey. The show ran for twenty-five seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in which it broadcast 4,561 episodes. The show was taped i ...
''; during the
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade in New York City presented by the American-based department store chain Macy's. The Parade first took place in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States ...
; and at the opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics. McLachlan participated in Dave Stewart's 2007 single "Go Green", alongside Nadirah X,
Imogen Heap Imogen Jennifer Jane Heap ( ; born 9 December 1977) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and entrepreneur. She is considered a pioneer in pop music, particularly electropop, and in music technology. While attending the ...
, Natalie Imbruglia, and others. The song was released in April of that year in honor of
Earth Day Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally through earthday.org (formerly Earth Day Network) includin ...
. In 2009, McLachlan provided backing vocals and piano on Susan Enan's song "Bring on the Wonder", which was featured in the
television show A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming platf ...
'' Bones''. Enan and McLachlan included the song on their ''Plainsong'' and '' Laws of Illusion'' (2010) albums respectively. On September 10, 2011, McLachlan performed "I Will Remember You" and "Angel" at a ceremony in Stonycreek, Pennsylvania, commemorating the passengers and crew of hijacked
United Airlines Flight 93 United Airlines Flight 93 was a domestic scheduled passenger flight that was hijacked by four al-Qaeda terrorists on the morning of September 11, 2001, as part of the September 11 attacks. The hijackers planned to crash the plane into a feder ...
who fought the hijackers and brought down their airplane on September 11, 2001. The event marked the dedication of the Flight 93 National Memorial and was attended by former president
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...
, former first lady
Laura Bush Laura Lane Welch Bush (née Welch; born November 4, 1946) is an American educator who was the first lady of the United States from 2001 to 2009 as the wife of George W. Bush, the 43rd president of the United States. Bush was previously the fir ...
, former president
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...
, Vice President
Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
and Speaker
John Boehner John Andrew Boehner ( ; born , 1949) is an American politician who served as the 53rd speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2011 to 2015. A member of the Republican Party, he served 13 terms as the U.S. representative ...
. On June 13, 2019, McLachlan sang "
O Canada "O Canada" () is the national anthem of Canada. The song was originally commissioned by Lieutenant Governor of Quebec Théodore Robitaille for the 1880 Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day ceremony; Calixa Lavallée composed the music, after which French- ...
" before Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals.


Influences

McLachlan has cited
Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez (, ; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing mo ...
, Cat Stevens, Simon & Garfunkel, Mary O'Hara, Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush, Genesis (band), Genesis, Daniel Lanois, Talk Talk, Brian Eno and the Bulgarian State Television Female Vocal Choir as her musical influences.


Awards and achievements

McLachlan has been nominated for 26
Juno Award The Juno Awards (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's mu ...
s and has won twelve. In 1992, her video for "Into the Fire" was selected as best music video. In 1998, she won Female Vocalist of the Year, Songwriter of the Year (along with Pierre Marchand), Single of the Year for "Building a Mystery", and Album of the Year for ''Surfacing''. In 2000, she won an International Achievement award and in 2004, won Pop Album of the Year for ''Afterglow'' and again shared the Songwriter of the Year award with Pierre Marchand for the singles "Fallen", "World on Fire", and "Stupid". In 2009, she was presented with the Humanitarian Award and she won the Adult Contemporary Album of the year award in 2015 for "Shine On" and again in 2017 for "Wonderland". McLachlan has also won three
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
s. She was awarded Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1997 for "Building a Mystery" and again in 1999 for the live version of "I Will Remember You". She also won Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance, Best Pop Instrumental Performance in 1997 for "Last Dance". McLachlan's song "Building a Mystery" came in at 91 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 1990s. McLachlan was awarded the Elizabeth Cady Stanton Visionary Award in 1998 for advancing the careers of women in music. In 1999, she was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Canada by then-Governor General of Canada, Governor General Adrienne Clarkson in recognition of her successful recording career, her role in Lilith Fair, and the charitable donations she made to women's shelters across Canada. In 2001, she was inducted to the Order of British Columbia. On June 15, 2011, she was recognized with an honorary degree from Simon Fraser University. Kiwanis International presented McLachlan with the 2013 Kiwanis International World Service Medal to recognize her for founding the Sarah McLachlan School of Music, a free music school for at-risk youth in Vancouver, British Columbia. On November 20, 2013, McLachlan was recognized with an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Alberta. In 2012, McLachlan was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame. In May 2015, she received a Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement, Canada's highest honour in the performing arts. On April 2, 2017, at the Juno Awards ceremony, McLachlan was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. In June 2018, McLachlan was awarded the Global Inspiration award at the 2018 Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada, SOCAN Awards "for her contributions to the music industry, for her profound impact on music education for Canadian youth through her School of Music, as well as for her acclaim as a songwriter in a career that's spanned 30 years". In 2024, McLachlan was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. On September 17, 2024, Canada Post released a stamp honoring McLachlan.


Philanthropy


Sarah McLachlan School of Music

McLachlan also funds an outreach program in
Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
that provides music education for inner city children. In 2007, the provincial government announced $500,000 in funding for the outreach program. Originating at the "Sarah McLachlan Music Outreach", this program evolved into the Sarah McLachlan School of Music. This program provided children with high quality music instruction in guitar, piano, percussion and choir. In 2011, McLachlan opened the Sarah McLachlan School of Music in Vancouver, a free music school for at-risk youth. The School of Music provides group and private lessons to hundreds of young people every year. It is their goal that through music education, students will develop a love of the arts and have greater self-esteem. On May 25, 2016, the Sarah McLachlan School of Music expanded to Edmonton, Alberta, opening in Rundle Elementary School and Eastglen High School. The music school contains the same initiative as the Vancouver school.


ASPCA

McLachlan supported the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals by appearing in advertisements. She filmed a two-minute advertisement for the organization which featured her song "
Angel An angel is a spiritual (without a physical body), heavenly, or supernatural being, usually humanoid with bird-like wings, often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between God (the transcendent) and humanity (the profane) in variou ...
". The advertisement's imagery of shelter animals mixed with the soundtrack and McLachlan's simple appeal for donations has raised $30 million for the ASPCA since it began to air in 2006, which allowed the organization to air appeals in higher profile prime-time cable ad slots; subsequently the organization produced a new ad for the 2008 holiday season featuring McLachlan appealing for the ASPCA over her '' Wintersong'' performance of "Silent Night", and a new ad with her was released in January 2009 featuring the song "Answer". In 2012, McLachlan wrote a letter on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, PETA to then-Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, protesting that country's annual seal hunt. During Super Bowl XLVIII on February 3, 2014, McLachlan parodied her ASPCA appeals in an Audi commercial featuring a "Doberhuahua" dog gnawing on the neck of her guitar. She would also do another parody of these appeals on Super Bowl LVII on February 12, 2023, this time for a commercial for Busch Light.


Other charitable contributions

McLachlan contributed the track "Hold On (Sarah McLachlan song), Hold On" to the 1993 AIDS-benefit album ''No Alternative'', produced by the Red Hot Organization. She also performed at the Leonard Peltier Defense Fund Benefit Concert on February 12, 1997, and went on to release a cover version of "Unchained Melody" created as part of her support for Peltier. It was later included on the album ''Rarities, B-Sides and Other Stuff Volume 2''. In early 2005, McLachlan took part in a star-studded 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, tsunami disaster relief telethon on
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
. On January 29 McLachlan was a headliner for a benefit concert in Vancouver along with other Canadian superstars such as Avril Lavigne and
Bryan Adams Bryan Guy Adams (born November 5, 1959) is a British and Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, and photographer. He is estimated to have sold between 75 million and more than 100 million album, records and Single (music), si ...
. The show also featured a performance by the Sarah McLachlan Musical Outreach Choir & Percussion Ensemble, a children's choir and percussion band from the aforementioned Vancouver outreach program. Entitled ''One World: The Concert for Tsunami Relief'', the concert raised approximately $3.6 million for several Canadian aid agencies working in south and southeast Asia. On July 2, 2005, McLachlan participated in the Live 8#Philadelphia, USA, Philadelphia installment of the Live 8 concerts, where she performed her hit "Angel" with Josh Groban. These concerts were intended to coincide with the G8 summit to put pressure on the leaders of the world's richest nations to fight poverty in Africa by cancelling debt. In 2008, she donated a song to Aid Still Required's CD to assist with the restoration of the devastation done to Southeast Asia from the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, 2004 tsunami. On November 30, 2012, McLachlan lent her support to Kate Winslet's Golden Hat Foundation together with Tim Janis, Loreena McKennitt, Andrea Corr, Hayley Westenra, Sleepy Man Banjo Boys, Dawn Kenney, Jana Mashonee, Amy Petty and a choir etc. performing on "The American Christmas Carol" concert in Carnegie Hall. McLachlan is a member of the Canadian charity Artists Against Racism.


Discography


Studio albums

* ''
Touch The somatosensory system, or somatic sensory system is a subset of the sensory nervous system. The main functions of the somatosensory system are the perception of external stimuli, the perception of internal stimuli, and the regulation of bo ...
'' (1988) * '' Solace'' (1991) * '' Fumbling Towards Ecstasy'' (1993) * '' Surfacing'' (1997) * '' Afterglow'' (2003) * '' Wintersong'' (2006) * '' Laws of Illusion'' (2010) * '' Shine On'' (2014) * '' Wonderland'' (2016)


References


External links

* * * * *
Sarah McLachlan
Video produced by ''Makers: Women Who Make America'' {{DEFAULTSORT:McLachlan, Sarah Sarah McLachlan, 1968 births Living people 20th-century Canadian keyboardists 20th-century Canadian guitarists 20th-century Canadian multi-instrumentalists 20th-century Canadian women singers 21st-century Canadian keyboardists 21st-century Canadian guitarists 21st-century Canadian multi-instrumentalists 21st-century Canadian women singers Arista Records artists Ballad musicians Canadian adoptees Canadian agnostics Canadian banjoists Canadian feminist writers Canadian feminists Canadian women harpists Canadian mezzo-sopranos Canadian multi-instrumentalists Canadian music video directors Canadian philanthropists Canadian pop guitarists Canadian pop pianists Canadian Screen Award winners Canadian ukulele players Canadian women pop singers Canadian women singer-songwriters Female music video directors Canadian feminist musicians Grammy Award winners Juno Award for Adult Contemporary Album of the Year winners Juno Award for Album of the Year winners Juno Award for Artist of the Year winners Juno Award for Pop Album of the Year winners Juno Award for Single of the Year winners Juno Award for Songwriter of the Year winners Juno International Achievement Award winners Members of the Order of British Columbia Music festival founders Musicians from Halifax, Nova Scotia Singers from Vancouver Nettwerk Records artists NSCAD University alumni Officers of the Order of Canada RCA Records artists The Royal Conservatory of Music alumni Canadian women keyboardists Writers from Halifax, Nova Scotia Writers from Vancouver 20th-century Canadian women guitarists 21st-century Canadian women guitarists 20th-century Canadian women pianists 21st-century Canadian women pianists Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductees Governor General's Award winners 20th-century Canadian singer-songwriters 21st-century Canadian singer-songwriters Singers from Nova Scotia