Sass Jordan, Canadian Idol Judge and Singer, Dies at 65
Sass Jordan, the singer, songwriter and longtime “Canadian Idol” judge, died on Oct. 2. She was 65. Her family confirmed her death, noting that she “died peacefully” and was “surrounded by those who loved her most.”…
Source: Variety Feed · October 4, 2026 at 6:32 PM · AI-assisted report
Single-sourceMONTREAL, LOS ANGELES, BIRMINGHAM (ENGLAND), CANADA, 5 OCTOBER 2026 —
Sass Jordan, the Canadian singer‑songwriter and longtime “Canadian Idol” judge, died on 2 October at the age of 65, her family said.
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The family confirmed she “died peacefully” and was “surrounded by those who loved her most,” adding that she will be remembered as “an inimitable force of nature” and “an irreplaceable being of light and joy.” Jordan’s death marks the loss of a figure who shaped Canada’s rock scene and television music talent shows for more than two decades.
Jordan began her recording career in 1986 as co‑lead vocalist on “Come On (Baby Tonight)” from Bündock’s album Mauve. She quickly became a sought‑after session singer in Montreal, notably appearing on The Box’s breakthrough “L’Affaire Dumoutier (Say To Me…)” and in the band’s video for “Closer Together.” As a songwriter, her composition “Rain” was taken to the Canadian charts by Michael Breen in 1987.
In 1989 she won the Juno Award for Most Promising Female Vocalist of the Year after releasing her debut album Tell Somebody.
After moving to Los Angeles in January 1990, Jordan released Racine in March 1992. The album sold an estimated 450,000 copies worldwide, including 100,000 in Canada, propelled by singles such as “Make You a Believer,” “I Want to Believe,” “You Don’t Have to Remind Me” and “Goin’ Back Again.” “Make You a Believer” reached number 11 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart, and Billboard named her its top female rock artist of 1992.
She followed with the 1993 release Who Do You Think You Are.
Jordan joined “Canadian Idol” as a judge in 2003, the sole woman on the panel, and remained for all six seasons. She continued performing and releasing music for two more decades. Reflecting on her career, she once said, “If you love music and you’ve been around as long as I have, you pretty much do what you got to do… But I love music. I am a huge, gigantic fan.”
Born Sarah Jordan on 23 December 1960 in Birmingham, England, she was the daughter of French literature professor Albert Jordan and former English ballerina Jean Lanceman. By age 16 she was fronting bands in downtown Montreal clubs and later became singer and bassist for the local group The Pinups. She is survived by her husband Derek Sharp, daughter Stella Jordan‑Sharp, stepdaughter Brianne Sharp and brother Daniel Jordan.
Jordan’s death closes a chapter on a career that linked Canadian rock music with mainstream television, a legacy noted by fans across North America and beyond.
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