The old saying goes, “It ain’t over ’til the fat lady sings.” Maybe no one considered that one day the lady wouldn’t be there to sing. I must apologize for using the adjective “fat” however, it is one of the obstacles, among many, that Rita MacNeil overcame in her long struggle to be a successful singer.
On April 16, 2013, in Sydney, NS, a piece of Canada, Rita MacNeil, died at the age of 68. Prior to her late-in-life fame, Rita surmounted obstacles, such as, a cleft palate, an impoverished childhood, sexual and physical abuse, depression, addiction and obesity to become a recognized entertainer at the age of 42.
Her forte was folk songs, particularly those of her beloved Cape Breton. She often sang with a choir of former miners, The Men of the Deeps. Like many, who struggle, she found that music was a great escape.
Here is a favourite of mine.
The songs she wrote and sang are her legacy. She will live on in them. The music never dies.