Sass Jordan, the Montreal-raised rock singer whose raspy voice powered nearly four decades of records and made her a fixture on Canadian television as a judge on “Canadian Idol,” died Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. She was 65.
A statement from family spokesperson Eric Alper said Jordan died surrounded by those who loved her the most. The statement described her as a force of nature whose light and joy could not be replaced. A cause of death has not been released.
Her age was the subject of early confusion. In the first wave of reporting on Oct. 3, Jordan’s age at death was given as 63, and many published headlines carried that figure before being revised to 65 after the family spokesperson’s statement. One account of her death that had listed her age as 63 later appended a note to readers correcting it.
From Birmingham to Montreal Stages
Jordan was born Dec. 23, 1960, in Birmingham, England, according to the family statement, and was raised in Montreal after moving there as a child. Some earlier accounts gave her birth year as 1962.
Her debut album, “Tell Somebody,” arrived in 1988, and the following year she won the Juno Award for most promising female vocalist of the year. She went on to earn several Juno nominations for best female vocalist, and her hit “Make You a Believer” became one of the signature songs of her catalog.
A new generation met her on television. Jordan served as a judge on all six seasons of the reality competition “Canadian Idol,” which ran from 2003 to 2008, where her blunt assessments and musician’s ear became part of the show’s identity.
Blues Albums With Derek Sharp
In the final stretch of her career, Jordan leaned hard into the blues. She recorded her 2020 album, “Rebel Moon Blues,” and her 2022 follow-up, “Bitches Blues,” with her husband, Derek Sharp, while signed to Stony Plains Records.
Geoff Kulawick, the former president of Stony Plains Records, said he was already a fan before he signed her, and that he convinced her she had the range to deliver a full-throated blues record on those last two albums. Her voice cut through, he said, and the emotional connection she made with listeners drew her an enormous following.
Canceled Dates in September
In September 2026, Jordan canceled performances in Ontario and Quebec City, citing health issues. The Thunder Bay Auditorium, one of the venues where she had been booked, told fans on Instagram that a serious medical condition had left her unable to perform and that she had been advised to set aside her professional obligations for the rest of the year while she recovered. The venue said the length of her recovery was uncertain and that no rescheduled dates could be discussed.
Tributes From Fellow Musicians
News of her death brought tributes from across the rock world. Friends and family announced her death on the singer’s Instagram page. Glenn Hughes of Deep Purple posted that he was heartbroken over the loss of a true friend, and Canadian alternative rock singer Bif Naked also paid tribute.
“Very sad news, Sass was such a powerhouse, a natural,” Valentine shared, referring to Kathy Valentine of the Go-Go’s.
Canadian producer and songwriter Derek Downham, who played drums alongside Jordan in December 2025 at singer-songwriter Andy Kim’s annual holiday charity concert in Montreal, said the two hit it off immediately when they first met at Massey Hall in Toronto a few years ago. “She was a ray of light and a really hilarious person,” Downham said, adding that the hardest part for him is knowing he will never hear that laugh again.
Downham said that as one of the few women working in rock when she started out, Jordan opened doors for the women who followed her in a genre dominated by men. It was not an easy time to be coming up, he said, and watching a strong woman break through and show everyone how it was done meant something. He said he hopes she is remembered as someone who led the way, and who led with love every time.
Sources:
https://www.chroniclejournal.com/entertainment/entertainment_news/montreal-raised-juno-award-winning-singer-sass-jordan-dies-at-65/article_ab40d22d-22e2-5e6e-88b0-578c6755e57c.html
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/music/articles/tributes-pour-sass-jordan-dead-012542376.html
https://www.newsnow.com/us/?search=%22Sass+Jordan%22&lang=en&searchheadlines=1