Kate & Anna McGarrigle - Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Biography

Kate and Anna McGarrigle was a singer-songwriter duo consisting of sisters Kate (February 6th 1946-January 18th 2010) and Anna (December 4th 1944).

Along with their older sister Jane, the sisters grew up in the small suburb of St-Savour a mile outside of Montreal in Quebec, Canada. Their parents, Frank McGarrigle and Gabrielle ‘Gaby’ McGarrigle Latremouille, taught them to sing and play instruments from an early age, resulting in the siters being talented multi-instumentalists as well as singers and songwriters.

Their first album, self-titled, was released by Warner Bros. in 1975. At that point, the two had already had considerable success as songwriters, including Anna’s ‘Heart like wheel’, which featured as the title track on a 1974 smash-hit album by Linda Ronstadt.

The sisters music is known for the use of traditional instruments, especially the button accordion, and for drawing on their French-Canadian heritage. Most albums mix songs in English and French, but they have also done two albums completely in French: French Record/Entre La Jeunesse Et La Sagesse (1980) and La Vache Qui Pleure (2003).

Besides having their songs covered by artist ranging from Nana Mouskori to Petshop Boys, the McGarrigle sisters are also known for having collaborated with well-regarded muscians such as Emmylou Harris, Richard Thompson and Nick Cave and the Bad seeds.

In 1994, they were made members of the order of Canada, and recived the Governor' general award in 2004. 2010, they were given the MOJO roots award.

Kate Mcgarrigle married American folk singer Loudon Wainwright in 1970. Toghther, they had two children: Rufus Wainwright (1973) and Martha Wainwright (1976). Both are muscians.