Sass Jordan, a Canadian rock singer-songwriter known for her success in the 1990s and her role as a judge on Canadian Idol, has died at the age of 65. She passed away on October 2, surrounded by her family, according to a statement shared on social media. No cause of death has been disclosed.

Born in Birmingham, England, in 1960, Jordan moved to Montreal during her childhood when her father, a French academic, accepted a position at Concordia University. She began performing as a teenager and gained recognition in her early twenties when she contributed a song for singer Michael Breen that reached the Canadian Top 40 charts.

Jordan’s career took a significant step forward in 1988 after signing with Atlantic Records. Her debut album, *Tell Somebody*, featured two singles—“Tell Somebody” and “Double Trouble”—which narrowly missed the Canadian Top 10. In 1989, she won a Juno Award for Most Promising Female Vocalist, marking her rising profile in the Canadian music scene.

Her 1992 album *Racine* produced four Canadian Top 20 hits, further establishing her success. Around this time, Jordan relocated to Los Angeles and signed with RCA Records. Her inclusion on the bestselling soundtrack of the film *The Bodyguard* helped introduce her to a broader U.S. audience. The 1994 single “Sun’s Gonna Rise” from her album *Rats* became her only entry on the U.S. Hot 100 chart, peaking at number seven in Canada. During this period, Taylor Hawkins—who later became the drummer for Foo Fighters—performed as her live drummer.

Jordan’s contract with RCA later ended, and she expressed dissatisfaction with the more polished production of her subsequent albums. However, her visibility increased when she served as a judge on the television talent competition Canadian Idol for six seasons. She resumed recording with the 2006 album *You Get What You Give*. In 2001, Jordan also portrayed Janis Joplin in the off-Broadway musical *Love, Janis*.

In later years, Jordan adopted a blues-influenced style. Her 2020 album *Rebel Moon Blues* reached the top five on the U.S. blues chart, followed by *Bitches Blues* in 2022, her most recent studio release. In September 2026, she canceled tour dates due to a “serious medical condition,” though further details were not provided.