Sass Jordan, the Juno Award-winning singer, songwriter and longtime Canadian Idol judge, died peacefully on October 2, 2026, surrounded by those who loved her most. Her family shared the news in a statement and remembered her as a singular presence in music and in their lives. She was 65.
“On Oct 2 2026, surrounded by her loving family, Sass Jordan peacefully crossed over to the other side,” her family said. “She remains in our hearts, an inimitable force of nature. An irreplaceable being of light and joy!”
Fellow musicians responded to the news with tributes. Glenn Hughes wrote that the loss caught him off guard.
“So suddenly, I’m heartbroken,” Glenn Hughes said. “A true friend, We had so much love, joy & laughter, & music together. RIP My Sasseroonie Girl.”
John Corabi also paid tribute. He recalled their friendship and her talent.
“R.I.P. Sassy!” John Corabi said. “This woman was and always will be remembered as a fierce force of nature, a gifted songwriter, singer and just an all around beautiful HUMAN! I was honoured to have been in her ‘Make You A Believer’ video, and truly blessed to call her my friend.”
He continued, “The type of person you didn’t have to see, or speak with for a bit, and then talk on the phone or see each other and it was like we saw each other every day! I will miss her laugh, and wicked sense of humour, but mostly her music and lyrics that I truly thought were brilliant! My deepest condolences to her husband Derek, and daughter Stella, and to all of the people that embraced and loved her gifts she gave all of us.”
Jeff Scott Soto also wrote about Jordan. His post gave her age as 63, which differs from the age confirmed by her publicist.
“Gutted to hear the wonderful Sass Jordan has passed at the young age of 63,” Jeff Scott Soto said. “This was the only album I had of hers, a very talented woman and artist, I have many friends who worked, wrote and toured with her, condolences to her family, friends and fans.”
Jordan is survived by her husband, Derek, and her daughter, Stella.
The tributes from Hughes, Corabi and Soto reflect a career that spanned nearly four decades and reached well beyond the Canadian rock scene. That career began with a young singer fronting clubs in Montreal.
Jordan was born in Birmingham, England. She moved to Montreal with her family as a child. She was performing in the city’s clubs by the age of 16.
She later sang and played bass with the local band The Pinups. She also became a sought-after session vocalist.
Her recording career began in 1986, when she sang co-lead vocals on “Come On (Baby Tonight)” from Bündock’s album Mauve. Her session work in Montreal also included recording with The Box. These early credits built her reputation before she launched a solo career.
Her debut solo album, Tell Somebody, arrived in 1988. It established her as one of Canada’s rising rock voices and earned her the Juno Award for Most Promising Female Vocalist in 1989. She was later nominated several times for best female vocalist.
Her biggest commercial success came with her second album, Racine, released in 1992. The album included “Make You a Believer,” the song Corabi mentioned in his tribute. It sold an estimated 450,000 copies worldwide and reached No. 2 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart. Over the following years, Jordan released a catalogue that also included Rats, Present, Hot Gossip and Rebel Moon Blues.
