If you are, like me, an anglo from Montréal who was raised on Canadian folk and country music, tears probably will spring to your eyes when you hear that Kate McGarrigle (known to Americans probably best as Rufus Wainwright’s Mom) died yesterday.
I’d say something profound if I wasn’t too upset to think about it. In general I am happy to have left Canada, but I miss home today. It’s been a warm winter, but I’d be on Ste-Catherine today, I could hum one of my favourite songs of theirs:
Moi, j’me promene sur Ste Catherine
J’profite d’la chaleur du métro
J’ne regarde pas dans les vitrines
Quand il fait trente en d’ssous d’zero.
Updated: Now I’m just being self-indulgent, but this was among the major soundtracks of my childhood – and also sung by the McGarrigle sisters.
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I definitely grew up listening to The McGarrigle Sisters as well as Loudon Wainwright (Kate sang w/ Loudon on a few songs from the early years), and have been fairly obsessed with their children Rufus and Martha for the past 10 years. They are such an unbelievably talented family, it’s just astounding. And I’ve always loved they way they have communicated to each other through their songs throughout the years. Rest in peace, Kate, you will be missed.
Man, it’s been a dying kind of winter. I love the whole McGarrigle clan. Thank heavens we still have her music to console us.
I’m so sorry to hear this. Rufus and family, you have my sympathy.
I hadn’t heard, this is so sad. I have no French-Canadian connections, but my parents had a copy of Dancer With Bruised Knees that I played all the time growing up, and which led to appreciation of her/the family’s entire catalog. So much so that I made my book club listen to NaCl (can’t remember which album it’s on, but it is adorable) when we discussed “Salt” a few years ago.