Singer Sass Jordan, known for the 1992 hit Make You a Believer and as a judge on Canadian Idol, has died at the age of 65. The star, who was born in Birmingham but later lived in Canada and Los Angeles, died on Friday surrounded by her family.
Tribute to 'an irreplaceable being of light and joy'
A tribute posted to her followers on Instagram alongside a picture of her with a cat read: "On Oct 2 2026, surrounded by her loving family, Sass Jordan peacefully crossed over to the other side. She remains in our hearts, an inimitable force of nature. An irreplaceable being of light and joy!" The tribute also included poetic song lyrics that opened: "I'd rather quit this life, Jumping with both feet, Into the-you know what, Without a backward look."
Career highlights and Canadian Idol
Jordan had many successes in her career. In 1992, she recorded a duet, Trust in Me, with Joe Cocker for the film The Bodyguard, after its star Kevin Costner heard Jordan on the radio while driving. The same year her album Racine sold 450,000 around the world - the biggest of her career - and produced hits I Want to Believe, You Don't Have to Remind Me, Goin' Back Again and Make You a Believer.
US music magazine Billboard named Jordan as its top female rock artist of 1992. In 2003 she joined Canadian Idol, a spin-off of the ITV hit Pop Idol, as one of the four judges. Her success on the show drove her to return to recording and in 2006 she released the album Get What You Give.
Early life and later work
Jordan was born in Birmingham in 1962 and moved to Montreal, Canada, as a child. She began performing there as a teen and was singer and bassist for The Pinups. Her debut album, Tell Somebody, came out in 1988 and the following year she won a Juno award for the Most Promising Female Vocalist of the Year.
After moving to LA in 1990 she recorded the album Racine, which came out two years later. It was followed in 1994 by Rats, in 1997 by Present and in 2000 by Hot Gossip. Her stint on Canadian Idol followed. In 2020, she released her first blues album, Rebel Moon Blues. No cause of death has been released.
