Wed 20 Jan 2010 In: International News View at Wayback View at NDHA
Canadian folk singer Kate McGarrigle, the mother of gay singer/songwriter Rufus Wainwright, has died of liver cancer at the age of 63. Died: Kate McGarringle Both her children - Rufus and Martha - have become well-known singers. Rufus Wainwright had cancelled his February concerts in New Zealand and Australia as his mother's condition worsened last week. He paid tribute to his mum: "When inevitably I read in the papers that my mother lost her battle with cancer, I am filled with an immense desire to add that this battle, though lost, was tremendously fruitful during these last three-and-a-half years of her life. "She witnessed her daughter's marriage, the creation of my first opera, the birth of her first grandchild Arcangelo, and gave the greatest performance of her life to a packed crowd at the Royal Albert Hall in London," he added. "Not to mention traveling to some of the world's most incredible places with both my sister, her husband Brad, my boyfriend Jorn and myself. "Yes, it was all too brief, but as I was saying to her sister Anna last night while sitting by her body after the struggle had ceased, there is never enough time and she, my amazing mother with whom everyone fell in love, went out there and bloody did it. I will miss you mother."
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News Staff
First published: Wednesday, 20th January 2010 - 9:34pm