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| Full name | Sarah “Sass” Jordan |
| Died | October 2, 2026 — peacefully, with family |
| Age | 65 |
| Born | Birmingham, England — raised in Montreal |
| Biggest album | Racine (1992) — ~450,000 copies |
| Cause of death | Not disclosed |
Canadian rock singer-songwriter Sass Jordan — the gravel-and-honey voice behind “Make You a Believer” and a judge on every season of Canadian Idol — has died at 65, her family announced.
According to the family’s statement, she passed away peacefully on October 2, 2026, surrounded by the people who loved her most. They described her as “an inimitable force of nature” and a person who simply cannot be replaced. The news was first shared on her Instagram on the evening of October 3.
No cause of death has been made public. In September, Jordan had cancelled a run of Ontario concerts because of a medical issue, and she was still scheduled to play a fundraiser in Calgary in November.
🎤 From Montreal Clubs to the Juno Stage
Born Sarah Jordan in Birmingham, England, she was the daughter of French literature professor Albert Jordan and former English ballerina Jean Lanceman. The family moved to Montreal when she was about three, after her father took a teaching post at Concordia University.
She was singing with friends as a young teen, and by 16 she was fronting bands in downtown Montreal clubs — eventually becoming singer and bassist of local favourites The Pinups. Her first studio credit came in 1986, as co-lead vocalist on “Come On (Baby Tonight)” from Bündock’s album Mauve, and she quickly became one of the city’s most in-demand session singers.
Her songwriting broke through too: “Rain,” a song she wrote, became a Canadian hit in 1987. Then came her own debut, Tell Somebody (1988), which earned her the 1989 Juno Award for Most Promising Female Vocalist. She would go on to be nominated for Best Female Vocalist in 1990, 1993 and 1995.
💿 Racine: The Album That Made Her a Star
Chasing the American market, Jordan moved to Los Angeles in January 1990. Two years later she released Racine (March 1992) — the defining record of her career. It sold an estimated 450,000 copies worldwide, including 100,000 in Canada, and delivered a string of hits: “Make You a Believer,” “I Want to Believe,” “You Don’t Have to Remind Me” and “Goin’ Back Again.”
“Make You a Believer” climbed to No. 11 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart, and Billboard named her its top female rock artist of 1992. That same year she also sang “Trust in Me” with Joe Cocker for The Bodyguard soundtrack — one of the best-selling soundtracks ever made.
If it weren’t for Sass Jordan, Taylor Hawkins wouldn’t be in Foo Fighters.
🥁 The Mentor Behind a Foo Fighter
In the early ’90s, Jordan hired a 22-year-old drummer named Taylor Hawkins for her touring band. Hawkins later credited her with teaching him how to be in a rock band — and with handing him his very first rock-and-roll paycheck. In July 2015 the two reunited when she joined Foo Fighters on stage in Toronto to sing the Faces classic “Stay With Me.” A live album from that 1994 tour, Live in New York Ninety-Four, was released in 2023.
📺 The Only Woman at the Canadian Idol Judges’ Table
In 2003, Jordan joined the judging panel of Canadian Idol — the only woman among the judges — and stayed for all six seasons. For a whole generation of TV viewers, she became the honest, warm, no-nonsense voice of the show. Among the contestants she watched rise were Carly Rae Jepsen and Melissa O’Neil.
She never stopped making music. Her later years brought a full blues reinvention: Rebel Moon Blues (2020) debuted at No. 5 on Billboard’s Blues Albums chart, followed by Bitches Blues in 2022, both made with her husband, musician Derek Sharp. She also played Janis Joplin in the off-Broadway show Love, Janis, and toured with David Bowie’s former bandmates in A Bowie Celebration. She often said she no longer made records to sell them — she made them because she was, first and last, a huge fan of music.
🕰️ Sass Jordan: A Life in Music
🕊️ Survived By
Jordan is survived by her husband Derek Sharp, her daughter Stella Jordan-Sharp, her stepdaughter Brianne Sharp, and her brother Daniel Jordan. The family has asked for privacy and thanked fans worldwide for the love they shared with her.
❓ People Also Ask
When did Sass Jordan die?
On October 2, 2026, peacefully and surrounded by family. Her death was announced on October 3.
How old was Sass Jordan?
She was 65, according to her family, who gave her birth date as December 23, 1960.
What was Sass Jordan’s cause of death?
It has not been made public. She had cancelled Ontario shows in September 2026 due to a medical issue.
What is Sass Jordan’s most famous song?
“Make You a Believer” from the 1992 album Racine, which reached No. 11 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart.
Sass Jordan was more than a ’90s rock hitmaker. She was a Juno winner, a TV judge who shaped a generation of Canadian singers, the mentor who launched Taylor Hawkins, and an artist who reinvented herself in the blues well into her sixties. Her voice is gone — but Racine still plays loud.
