k.d lang inducted into the neon sign museum
Singer is first individual to receive honour.
By David Falk
Singer k.d. lang was honoured with a sign in Edmonton’s Neon Sign Museum last month. The ceremony, which took place on Sept. 13, was a small private gathering attended by lang and coincided with her induction into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame the next day.
Sarah Jackson, the strategic communications advisor with Explore Edmonton, was in attendance and said lang was visibly pleased.
“Before such a big weekend getting inducted, it was a bit of icing on the cake and an overwhelming but exciting moment for her,” she said.
The sign is a collaborative project between Explore Edmonton, the City of Edmonton, the Neon Sign Museum, Blanchett, and the Canadian Country Music Association, according to a press release from Explore Edmonton.
A native of Consort Alberta, lang rose to fame in the late eighties with her cow punk style and distinct voice. She is perhaps best known for her duet with Roy Orbison on his song “Crying,” her hit “Constant Craving,” and her cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.”
But before she was a star, lang spent her early years honing her craft in Edmonton with the band The Reclines playing at venues like the Sidetrack and the Queer Club Flashback.
lang’s 40-year career reinforces the vibrancy of the Edmonton music scene for Cooper Walsh and Brendan Willerton, both first-year music students at MacEwan University.
“That all makes me pretty proud’ said Willerton.
“I’ve never really felt restricted to Edmonton. It’s always been where do I want to go and then kind of figure out everything from there,” said Willerton.
Walsh agrees: “Edmonton is so connected with everywhere else. I know people who are touring across the country with bands right out of the gate (from the MacEwan music program).”
But lang isn’t only known for her music. She’s almost as well-known as a queer icon and for taking on many activist causes, such as her anti-meat stance, which caused controversy in parts of Alberta, according to news reports published at the time.
For Jackson, lang’s career makes her an ideal choice to be the first individual granted this honour; “Her story is so connected to the Edmonton experience,” she said, “It felt like a very full circle moment for her.”
The Neon Sign Museum is located on 104th st. and 104th ave and features a collection of historic signs that tell a story about Edmonton’s past. It is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is free admission.
