Gay Igloo Recipient (January 2009)

K.D. Lang was born on November 2, 1961, Edmonton, Alberta to Audrey and Fred Lang. The family moved to Consort, Alberta when she was nine months old, and there she grew up with her two sisters and one brother on the Canadian prairies.

When she attended Red Deer College, Lang became drawn to country music. Soon, she became fascinated with the life and music of Patsy Cline and ultimately determined to pursue a career as a professional singer. Lang formed a Patsy Cline tribute band called the Reclines in 1983, and they recorded a debut album, Friday Dance Promenade. Also in 1983, she presented a performance art piece, a seven-hour re-enactment of the transplantation of an artificial heart for Barney Clark, a retired American dentist. A Truly Western Experience was released in 1984 and received strong reviews and led to national attention in Canada.

Singing at country and western venues in Canada, Lang made several recordings that received good reviews and earned a 1985 Juno for Most Promising Female Vocalist. She accepted the award wearing a wedding dress and made numerous tongue-in-cheek promises about what she would and would not do in the future, thus fulfilling the title of "Most Promising." She has since won eight Juno Awards.

In 1986, she signed a contract with an American record producer in Nashville, Tennessee and received critical acclaim for her 1987 album, Angel with a Lariat, which was produced by Dave Edmunds.

Lang, who came out as a lesbian in a 1992 article of the LGBT magazine The Advocate, has actively championed GLBT causes. She sometimes utilizes an androgynous physical appearance. She has performed and supported many causes over the years, supporting HIV / AIDS care and research. Her animal rights veggetarian stance, including a "Meat Stinks" campaign, created much controversy, particularly at her hometown in the middle of Alberta's cattle ranching industry.