Born in the Great White North 82 Years Ago, the “First Lady of Song” Who Outsold Both Garth Brooks and Clint Black

While country music is often considered a uniquely American phenomenon, some of the genre greats hail from the Great White North. Canada has given us Hank Snow, Shania Twain, and Rita MacNeil, born on this day (May 28) in 1944. While MacNeil’s name may not surface in conversations as frequently as the other two, she was beloved in her home country. With songs like the 1987 hit “Flying On Your Own”—later covered by fellow Canadian songstress Anne Murray—she outsold every other country artist in Canada in 1990, including U.S. powerhouses Garth Brooks and Clint Black.

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Rita MacNeil, known to many as “Cape Breton’s First Lady of Song,” died at age 68 due to complications from surgery on April 16, 2013. Today, we’re remembering this fierce women’s advocate and cherished singer-songwriter on what would have marked her 82nd birthday.

Rita MacNeil Rose Above Her Tough Upbringing

The fifth of eight siblings, Rita MacNeil was born in the tiny community of Big Pond, Nova Scotia, Canada. Her childhood wasn’t an easy one, facing poverty, abuse, and multiple surgeries to repair her cleft lip and palate.

A painfully shy child, MacNeil would only sing to her mother, Renee, in the kitchen growing up. Although she did not live to see her success, Renee knew that her daughter had a gift, which she encouraged her to share at every turn.

Desperate to escape her small-town background, MacNeil moved to Toronto at age 17, hoping to launch her music career. Instead, she found herself married, then divorced and supporting two children through a mix of odd jobs and welfare payments.

Giving Women a Voice

After a number of false starts in the music business, Rita MacNeil fell into the burgeoning women’s movement that was finding its footing in Canada in 1971.

Struck with newfound inspiration, MacNeil began writing feminist protest songs, including “Born a Woman” (1972). Three years later, she released her debut album of the same name, paying tribute to all those pushing for equal rights across Canada.

By 1979, MacNeil’s career was taking off. Apart from her crossover Top 40 hit “Flying On Your Own”, she wrote “Working Man” in 1981 in honor of Canada’s coal miners. The song reached number 11 in the United Kingdom.

Despite early obstacles and cruel comments about her unconventional appearance, Rita MacNeil racked up more than a dozen hits, starred in her own variety TV series, earned three Juno Awards, and received her home country’s highest honor, the Order of Canada.

[RELATED: Anne Murray Looks Back on Her Historic 40 Years as One of Music’s Most Legendary Artists]

She was also a two-time Entertainer of the Year at the Canadian Country Music Association Awards, taking home back-to-back honors in 1991 and 1992.

Featured image by Jeff Goode/Toronto Star via Getty Images