k.d. lang

k.d lang, born Kathryn Dawn Lang, is a Canadian singer-songwriter who burst onto the country music scene with the release of her debut album in 1987. Following initial success in Canada with her band The Reclines, her 1987 album, Angel With A Lariat received acclaim, especially on college radios, for its mixture of traditional country with rock'n'roll. Her status was cemented following a tour as a backing singer for Roy Orbison, who eventually chose her to duet on his hit, Crying, winning them a 1989 Grammy Award. Her subsequent albums continued to explore a mixture of country and rock, eventually culminating in Ingenue, a lot harder and rockier in tone than her previous albums. She continues to tour and release albums, and recently opened the 2010 Winter Olympics Ceremony in Vancouver, covering Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah.