Anne Murray
Morna Anne Murray CC ONS (born June 20, 1945) is a Canadian singer of pop, country, and adult contemporary music, who has sold over 55 million album copies worldwide during her over 40-year career.[1][2][3] Murray has won four Grammys including the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1979.
For other people named Anne Murray, see Anne Murray (disambiguation).Morna Anne Murray
June 20, 1945
Springhill, Nova Scotia, Canada
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Singer
Vocals, guitar
1967–2008
- Arc
- Capitol
- Capitol Nashville
- Liberty
- SBK
- EMI Canada
- Straightway
- Manhattan
Murray was the first Canadian female solo singer to reach No. 1 on the U.S. charts and also the first to earn a Gold record for one of her signature songs, "Snowbird" (1970).[4] She is often cited as one of the female Canadian artists who paved the way for other international Canadian success stories such as k.d. lang, Céline Dion, and Shania Twain.[5][6] Murray is well known for her Grammy Award-winning 1978 number-one hit (in several countries) "You Needed Me", and is the first woman and the first Canadian to win Album of the Year at the 1984 Country Music Association Awards for her Gold-plus 1983 album A Little Good News.
Besides four Grammys, Murray has received a record 24 Juno Awards, three American Music Awards, three Country Music Association Awards, and three Canadian Country Music Association Awards. She has been inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame, the Juno Hall of Fame, the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, and Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame.[7] She is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame Walkway of Stars in Nashville and has her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles and on Canada's Walk of Fame in Toronto.[8]
In 2011, Billboard ranked her 10th on their list of the 50 Biggest Adult Contemporary Artists Ever.[9]
Early life[edit]
Morna Anne Murray was born in the coal-mining town of Springhill, Nova Scotia, to Dr. James Carson Murray, the town's physician, and Marion Margaret (née Burke) Murray, a nurse involved in community charity work. Anne has five brothers. Murray's father died of leukemia aged 72 in 1980; her mother died on April 10, 2006, aged 92 after a series of strokes during heart surgery. Murray's youngest brother Bruce died of pancreatic cancer aged 69 on September 15, 2020.[10]
After expressing an early interest in music, she studied piano for six years. By age 15, Murray took a bus ride every Saturday morning from Springhill to Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia, for singing lessons. One of her earliest performances was of the song "Ave Maria"[a] at her high school graduation in 1962.[10] Following high school, Murray attended Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax for one year. She later studied Physical Education at University of New Brunswick in Fredericton. After receiving her degree in 1966,[11] Murray taught physical education at Athena Regional high school in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, for one year.
Her brother Bruce Murray released several recordings of his own[12] with several songs on the RPM charts between 1976 and 1982.[13]
Career[edit]
Early years[edit]
In 1965, Murray appeared on the University of New Brunswick student project record "The Groove" (500 pressed). She sang two songs on the record – "Unchained Melody" and "Little Bit of Soap". On the label, her name was misspelled "Anne Murry".[14] While there, she was encouraged to audition for the 1960s CBC musical variety television show Singalong Jubilee, but was not offered a singing position.
After a summer of singing in local venues across the Maritimes, Murray began teaching physical education at the high school in Summerside, Prince Edward Island. After one year of teaching, she was cast for Singalong Jubilee. As a regular member of the "Singalong Jubilee" cast, Murray appeared on the Singalong Jubilee Vol. III soundtrack and Our Family Album – The Singalong Jubilee Cast records released by Arc Records. The show's musical director, Brian Ahern, advised Murray that she should move to Toronto and record a solo album. Her first album, What About Me, was produced by Ahern in Toronto and released in 1968 on the Arc label.
Anne Murray won four Grammys (including one in the pop category), three American Music Awards, three CMA Awards, and a record 24 Juno Awards.
In 1995, Murray received a Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement, Canada's highest honour in the performing arts.[48]
Murray was ranked No. 24 in Country Music Television's 40 Greatest Women of Country Music in 2002.[49]
Murray was invested as an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1975 and promoted to Companion of the Order of Canada in 1984,[50] the second highest honour that can be awarded to a Canadian civilian. She was also one of the first recipients of the newly established Order of Nova Scotia in 2002.[51]
In 2006, the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame chose her and Leonard Cohen as recipients of the Legacy Award for their contributions to and support of the Canadian songwriting industry. Murray was recognized for her support of Canada's songwriters, through her performances and her recordings.[52]
On June 29, 2007, Canada Post issued the limited edition Anne Murray stamp. She was recognized along with three other Canadian recording artists: Paul Anka, Gordon Lightfoot, and Joni Mitchell.[53]
On May 20, 2016, Anne Murray was granted an honorary degree by Mount Saint Vincent University.[54]
Grammy Award Nominations/Wins:
Billboard Top 100 Year-End Rankings:
