Canadian rock vocalist and bassist Sass Jordan dies at 63

Canadian rock singer and bassist Sass Jordan died on October 2, 2026, at the age of 63, surrounded by family, according to a statement posted on her social media accounts. The family did not disclose a cause of death.

Born Sarah Jordan in Birmingham, England, in 1962, she moved to Montreal at age three and began playing guitar as a teenager. After performing with local groups and working as a session vocalist, she launched a solo career with the 1988 Atlantic Records debut Tell Somebody, whose title track became a Canadian hit. The following year she received the Juno Award for Most Promising Female Vocalist.

Jordan’s 1992 album Racine, released by MCA, generated several charting singles, including “Make You a Believer,” which reached number 11 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart, and earned her Billboard’s Top Female Rock Artist designation for the year. During that period she toured with major acts such as Aerosmith, the Rolling Stones, AC/DC and Van Halen, and recorded a duet with Joe Cocker for The Bodyguard soundtrack.

Future Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, who joined Jordan’s touring band at age 22, later said, "Sass taught me how to be in a rock and roll band and gave me my first rock and roll check." Hawkins also performed on Jordan’s 1994 album Rats, which she later cited as her favorite record.

Jordan remained active in the Canadian music scene, serving as a judge on Canadian Idol from 2003 and releasing blues-focused albums Rebel Moon Blues (2020) and Bitches Blues (2022), the latter reaching number 15 on Billboard’s Blues Albums chart. In 2023 she issued a live recording from her 1994 tour. In September 2026, her team announced she was stepping back from performances due to a serious medical condition.

She is survived by her husband, musician Derek Sharp, daughter Stella Jordan-Sharp, stepdaughter Brianne Sharp, and brother Daniel Jordan.