- Singer, songwriter and musician born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1968.
- McLachlan began playing a ukulele at 4 years of age, and she took lessons in piano, guitar and voice in her youth. In high school, she formed a band called The October Game. After their first concert, she was offered a recording contract by a Vancouver-based independent record label. She was 17 – her parents insisted that she finish high school and complete one year of college. She followed their wishes, and then moved to Vancouver to start her music career.
- Her debut album, Touch, was released in 1988. It had a folk rock sound, and it managed to chart in both Canada and the U.S. Her next album, Solace, got her established in Canada, and the song Into The Fire reached #4 on the Alternative Songs chart in the U.S.
- Her breakthrough came with her third album, Fumbling Towards Ecstasy. Three songs – Possession, Hold On, and Good Enough – received airplay on alternative radio, and eventually the album sold over 3 million copies in the U.S.
- She followed this with her most successful album – 1997’s Surfacing. It topped the Canadian album charts, and reached #2 in the U.S. Ultimately, it was certified 8x platinum in the U.S., with 4 songs charting on the Billboard Hot 100, including Adia (at #3) and Angel. The song Building A Mystery won McLachlan a Grammy award, and the instrumental song Last Dance also won a Grammy award. A live album released in 1999, Mirrorball, was triple platinum, and it included the song I Will Remember You, which earned her her third Grammy award.
- At the height of her popularity, McLachlan started the Lilith Fair music festival in 1996. She was frustrated with concert promoters and radio stations that refused to feature two women in a row in performances, so she booked her own tour, partnering with Paula Cole, Lisa Loeb and Michelle Adorey. She continued the concept in 1997, 1998 and 1999 – the festival became one of the biggest music events of the 90s.
- After a few years out of the spotlight, she returned with an album in 2003 – Afterglow. The single Fallen charted on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, Hot 100 chart, and Dance charts. Her last album that reached platinum status was 2006’s Wintersong, a Christmas album that had 3 songs chart on the Adult Contemporary chart and was nominated for a Grammy award.
- In 2009, her song One Dream was the official theme song of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. Since 2010, she has released 3 more studio albums. Her most recent, 2016’s Wonderland, was another Christmas album that was nominated for a Grammy.
- She started a program in Vancouver to provide music education to inner city children, and in 2011, it evolved into the Sarah McLachlan School of Music, a free music school for underprivileged kids. In 2016, the school expanded to Edmonton Alberta.
- Sarah McLachlan’s music earned its place as one of the sounds of the 90s. She has that ability to write great songs, and sound great singing them. Here’s a perfect example – her song I Will Remember You. Enjoy!