Jane McGarrigle
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Laury Jane McGarrigle (April 26, 1941 – January 24, 2025) was a Canadian musician and music publisher, known mainly for her work with her younger sisters, singers Kate & Anna McGarrigle. She was the co-author of a book about the three sisters' childhood and musical experiences.
Early and personal life
McGarrigle was born and grew up in Montreal, Quebec, with her sisters Kate and Anna.<ref name="memoir"/><ref>Griffin, John (December 6, 1986). "The McGarrigles: Montreal's singing sisters are on the road again, and while music is their message, their family is still their life", The Gazette, p. G1.</ref>
After an early marriage to David Dow, with whom she had two children, in the 1960s, she returned to Montreal after the couple's divorce.<ref name=kelly>Brendan Kelly, "Obituary: Jane McGarrigle was never far from her sisters". Montreal Gazette, February 1, 2025.</ref> She was later in a common law relationship with Peter Weldon, who had been a bandmate of her sisters in Mountain City Four.<ref name=kelly/>
She died on January 24, 2025, aged 83, of ovarian cancer.<ref name=kelly/>
Career
When McGarrigle's younger sisters formed a singer-songwriter duo, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Jane wrote and performed several songs with them,<ref>"The McGarrigles' laid-back act goes south", The Globe and Mail, August 24, 1985. p. 11.</ref> including the organ parts on their debut album.<ref name=wheeler>Brad Wheeler, "Savvy manager Jane McGarrigle oversaw careers of her folk-playing sisters, Kate and Anna McGarrigle: The eldest of the three, she was also musically talented, singing backup and playing keyboards on the road and in the studio, as well as handling the business side of things for her quirky, mischievous siblings". The Globe and Mail, February 7, 2025.</ref>
She produced their album Love Over and Over.<ref>Pareles, Jon (February 6, 1983). "In Pop, the McGarrigle Sisters Know No Bounds", The New York Times, p. A21.</ref><ref name="memoir">Christopher Loudon, "Anna and Jane McGarrigle’s memoir overflows with wit" Template:Webarchive. Maclean's, November 7, 2015.</ref>
The song "Love Is", which she co-wrote, has been recorded by Nana Mouskouri, Emmylou Harris, and Renato Russo (who also recorded the co-written "Man Is an Island").<ref name=SOCAN>(July 1994). "SOCAN's new Board of Directors", Words & Music 1 (7): 6.</ref> She served as her sisters' music manager for a time,<ref name=ahearn>"McGarrigle sisters tell family and folk music history with 'Mountain City Girls'" . CTV News, Victoria Ahearn, November 16, 2015</ref> and also managed producers Pierre Marchand (Sarah McLachlan) and Robbi Finkel (Cirque du Soleil) and the group Three O'Clock Train,<ref>Lepage, Mark (November 4, 1989). "Derailed Three O'Clock Train tries to get back on a good sound track", The Gazette, p. H1.</ref><ref>Metella, Helen (January 19, 1992). "Mack MacKenzie and Three O'Clock Train", Edmonton Journal, p. C5.</ref> as well as singer-songwriters Perry Blake and Carole Pope.<ref name=wheeler/>
McGarrigle co-composed, with her sisters, the scores to the Canadian film Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveller<ref>Schnurmacher, Thomas (November 22, 1988). "Demers children's film is a family affair for all... the McGarrigles", The Gazette, p. F7.</ref> and its sequel The Return of Tommy Tricker.
She appeared in the 1999 film The McGarrigle Hour, a collection of concert footage.<ref>https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-2000-01-27-0001271012-story.html Template:Webarchive " ALL IN THE MCGARRIGLE FAMILY HOUR"]. Roger Catlin, THE HARTFORD COURANT, January 27, 2000.</ref>
McGarrigle was a member of the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) and served on its board of directors from 1990 to 2000.<ref>(July–August 1998) "Members gather in Toronto for 1998 AGM", Words & Music 5 (7): 3</ref> She was also on the board of the Songwriters Association of Canada. In 2013, she was part of a SOCAN representative group for a streamed panel, "Can the Music Industry be Saved?"<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
With her sister Anna, she co-authored Mountain City Girls, a family memoir published in 2015 by Random House Canada.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>"Review: The McGarrigle sisters look back on their careers in Mountain City Girls" Template:Webarchive. The Globe and Mail , Brad Wheeler, December 11, 2015</ref> The book contains stories about the childhood and musical careers of the three sisters.<ref name=ahearn />