Sass Jordan, Rock Singer and ‘Canadian Idol’ Judge, Dies at 65

Sass Jordan, the rock and blues singer and longtime Canadian Idol judge, has died. She was 65.

Jordan’s passing was confirmed by her family in an Instagram post on Saturday (Oct. 3), which noted that she “peacefully crossed over to the other side” on Oct. 2 while “surrounded by her loving family.”

“She remains in our hearts, an inimitable force of nature,” the family captioned a photo of Jordan holding a cat. “An irreplaceable being of light and joy!”

An official cause of death had not been disclosed at press time.

Born Sarah Jordan on Dec. 23, 1960, in Birmingham, England, Jordan was the daughter of a French literature professor and a ballerina. Her family moved to Montreal when she was 3, and she began playing guitar as a young teenager. By 16, Jordan was fronting bands at downtown Montreal clubs before becoming the singer and bassist for the local band The Pinups.

Drawing inspiration from artists including David Bowie, Bonnie Raitt, Aretha Franklin and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, Jordan began her recording career in 1986 as a co-lead vocalist on “Come On (Baby Tonight)” from Bündock’s album Mauve. Two years later, she released her solo debut, Tell Somebody, through Atlantic Records.

Her music quickly gained recognition in Canada, earning her a Juno Award in 1989 for most promising female vocalist. She later received female vocalist of the year nominations at the ceremony in 1990, 1993 and 1995.

“Over four decades, she gave Canadian rock one of its most recognizable voices, carved out space for women in a genre long dominated by men, and opened doors for the young musicians who came through her band,” publicist Eric Alper shared in a statement.

Jordan moved to Los Angeles in 1990 and released her career-defining album, Racine, two years later through MCA Records. The set spawned “Make You a Believer,” which peaked at No. 11 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart in 1992. Her highest-charting song on the chart was 1994’s “High Road Easy,” which reached No. 6.

She also recorded “Trust in Me” with Joe Cocker, which was featured on the 1992 soundtrack to The Bodyguard. The album spent 20 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

During her career, Jordan toured alongside Aerosmith, the Rolling Stones, AC/DC and Van Halen. Behind the kit in her touring band was a 22-year-old Taylor Hawkins, who would go on to join Foo Fighters.

Jordan joined Canadian Idol as a judge in 2003 and remained with the show for all six seasons. She later cited Carly Rae Jepsen and Melissa O’Neil among her favorite contestants.

In 2020, she further explored her interest in blues music with the covers album Rebel Moon Blues, recorded in Toronto with her band the Champagne Hookers. The eight-track set reached No. 5 on Billboard’s Blues Albums chart that year.

“I love this music, and it made sense that I do this,” Jordan told Billboard at the time. “I have a bluesy voice. I’ve always been called bluesy. So I was like, ‘Alright, let’s own this,’ and we had a blast doing it.”

She is survived by her husband, Derek Sharp of The Guess Who; daughter Stella Jordan-Sharp; stepdaughter Brianne Sharp; and brother Daniel Jordan.