Canadian rock singer Sass Jordan, longtime Canadian Idol judge, dies at 65
Sass Jordan performs at Luminato in Toronto in 2010.
Photo credit: Damien D. / Wikimedia Commons
Canadian rock singer-songwriter Sass Jordan, the Juno-winning performer behind Tell Somebody and Racine and a longtime Canadian Idol judge, died Oct. 2, 2026, at 65. Her family announced her death over the weekend, saying she died surrounded by family. No cause of death has been announced.
Born in Birmingham, England, Jordan grew up in Montreal and released her debut solo album, Tell Somebody, in 1988. The album was followed by a 1989 Juno Award for Most Promising Female Vocalist, and she later received Female Vocalist of the Year nominations in 1990, 1993 and 1995.
Jordan’s official discography includes Racine, released in 1992, and Rats, released in 1994, with later work including Bitches Blues in 2022. Her recording career continued across more than three decades while she also worked extensively as a live performer.
Jordan became a familiar presence on Canadian television when she joined Canadian Idol at its launch in 2003. She served as a judge through all six seasons of the series.
One of Jordan’s touring drummers in the mid-1990s was Taylor Hawkins, years before he joined Foo Fighters. Hawkins later credited the job with Jordan as his first major touring opportunity and said the experience taught him how to work in a rock band; Modern Drummer reports that he joined her touring band in 1994.
