Paying homage to Canuck 'gods'

Ottawa Sun - February 3, 2008 by Jane Stevenson

k.d. lang honoured to have performed Neil Young, Leonard Cohen songs

Canadian singer k.d. lang has had some seriously high-profile homegrown gigs in the last couple of years.

First, in 2005, she had to substitute as a last-minute performer for an ailing Neil Young, who was recovering from a brain aneurysm, at the Junos telecast in Winnipeg. Her heartfelt performance of Young's Helpless brought down the house.

"It was a duty, a graciously accepted duty and an honour," lang told Sun Media while in Toronto promoting her new album, Watershed.

"I think everyone basically feels, whether you like his music or not, a certain camaraderie and a certain homage to Neil Young. It was just one of those moments where I had the opportunity, and that was a pretty serious illness that he had, so it was one of those moments where, as a human being, you want to serve."

That was followed by her equally stirring performance of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah at the Canadian Songwriters Hall Of Fame induction ceremony in Toronto in 2006 where she leapt off the stage afterward and ran to Cohen in the front row and put her head in his hands.

"First of all, Leonard Cohen, kind of like Neil, these people are like legends," lang said. "They're gods of Canadian poetry. And to sing Hallelujah in front of Leonard is ... (her voice trails off) but at the same time, you know, you can just do your best. And I just tried to honour the song and honour him as a songwriter and as a Canadian as much as possible and as honestly and with as much integrity as I could, the same with Helpless. 'Cause these people are ultimately important to our culture, our heritage. So, you know, it's just about respect."

Lang also hooked up with Anne Murray for her all-star Duets album last year on the track A Love Song, with Murray telling Sun Media she was surprised lang was a bit nervous in the studio even though they had met previously.

"Anne Murray had a big, big, big influence on me. I was definitely reminded of that the last time we sang together in L.A. I definitely heard in my voice her influence," lang said.

"She was definitely one of my first crushes. Nah, my first swimming instructor was my first crush. Anne Murray was my second crush, if you want to get picky about it."




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