Setting aside her first ambition -- to be a roller derby queen -- and her talents on the sports field, Kathryn Dawn continued to focus on performance and, specifically, on music.

In 1979, she attended Red Deer College, intending to study music for two years. She discovered punk and performance art, widening her influences. Her interest in country music only developed when she was asked to appear in a college musical called Country Chorale. She threw herself in to the role, becoming obsessed with Patsy Cline and with the genre. It was at this time that Kathryn Dawn became kd: "a name, not a sexuality".

Answering an ad for a "singer in a swing band", kd lang auditioned for Larry Wanagas in Edmonton. The band didn't work out but Wanagas signed kd lang and remained her manager. At Wanagas' suggestion, kd lang formed a band -- the Reclines -- and for the next two years they performed, changed personel and performed again. Here, kd lang teamed up with Ben Mink, a violinist and producer with whom she would have a lasting collaboration.

kd lang and the Reclines produced their first album -- A Truly Western Experience -- and created the cow-punk image that she would struggle to overturn a few years later. Receiving little airplay, the band relied on touring and word-of-mouth. When they reached New York's Bottom Line Club, kd lang and band came to the attention of Sire Records. A record deal and Angel With A Lariat followed.

kd lang toured extensively, obviating the continued lack of radio time, and sang at the 1988 Winter Olympics closing ceremony. A second Juno award followed and kd lang made a move to storm America. Her appearance on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson introduced her to Minnie Pearl who got her a spot on the Grand Ole Opry. Singing to millions on the radio and a capacity 4,400 at the Opry, kd lang bought the house down and herself to the attention of Nashville.

It wasn't an easy relationship, though; kd lang's outspoken views and determination not to bend to Nashville's outdated norms kept her outside the mainstream. Airplay remained elusive and record sales slow, despite critical success that included a Grammy with Roy Orbision for their collaboration on Crying. Determined to produce an album that even Nashville couldn't ignore, kd lang tempted Owen Bradley out of retirement to produce Shadowland.

The result was a classic country album that sold over a million copies but still recieved little respect from Nashville or the radio stations. Finally giving up on finding "respectability" in country's spiritual home, kd lang and the Reclines came together again to produce Absolute Torch And Twang, a return to the progressive country that kd lang excelled at.

The final threads linking kd lang to mainstream country were decisively cut with the PETA PSA controversy and her decision to come out. The album Ingenue would cement her newfound freedom with huge international acclaim and success. The emotional honesty of the lyrics, her discovery of the "power of subtlety" [Mink] and the exploration of unrequited love finally got kd lang airplay and a wider audience.

The huge success of Ingenue created the inevitable demand for the next big hit. Keeping to her vow of exploring different kinds of music, kd lang followed it with the pop tunes of All You Can Eat. The concept covers album Drag shifted gear yet again and played with kd lang's androgyny to teasing effect.

A three year break from the limelight ended with the release of Invincible Summer and the Live By Request album and video/DVD. Both highlight the immense talent that kd lang has always exhibited and her remarkable relationship with her audience.

A Wonderful World, kd lang's last album to date, is a collaboration between kd lang and the inestimable Tony Bennett. Bennett has ranked kd lang with Piaf as one of the few truly great performers. Their work together on classic Louis Armstrong numbers is another wonderful twist in the career of kd lang.