Lorraine P. Segato CM[1] (born June 17, 1956, in Hamilton, Ontario)[2] is a Canadian pop singer-songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist for and a principal songwriter of new wave and pop rock group The Parachute Club, with which she continues to perform.
Lorraine Segato | |
|---|---|
 Segato at a fundraiser in Toronto, 1993. | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Hamilton, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | New wave, pop rock |
| Occupation(s) | Songwriter, vocalist |
| Years active | 1970s–1990s, 2005–2008, 2011–2014 |
History
Segato initially became known in the late 1970s as the vocalist in the Toronto rock band Mama Quilla II.[3] This band formed the core membership of The Parachute Club. The Parachute Club was particularly active in the 1980s, initially breaking up in 1989. Segato co-wrote nearly every song the band released, including all their singles. A reconstituted version of the band, including Segato, commenced performing in 2005 and continued to perform somewhat sporadically through 2014. After the initial break-up of Parachute Club, Segato released a solo album, Phoenix, in 1990.[3]
In 1990 she collaborated on the one-off single "Can't Repress the Cause", a plea for greater inclusion of hip hop music in the Canadian music scene, with Dance Appeal, a supergroup of Toronto-area musicians that included Devon, Maestro Fresh Wes, Dream Warriors, B-Kool, Michie Mee, Lillian Allen, Eria Fachin, HDV, Dionne, Thando Hyman, Carla Marshall, Messenjah, Jillian Mendez, Lorraine Scott, Self Defense, Leroy Sibbles, Zama and Thyron Lee White.[4]
Her second solo album, Luminous City, followed in 1998.[3]
She has also worked in film production, writing and directing a documentary on Toronto's late 1970s/early 1980s Queen Street West scene, Queen Street West, The Rebel Zone, and appearing in the documentary film The Pinco Triangle,[5] and as a lecturer and social justice activist. Segato also appeared on the science fiction show Lexx, singing a song as the "Time Prophet" on the episode "Brigadoom".[6]
She performed "Rise Up" at the state funeral of Jack Layton on August 27, 2011, supported by the choir of the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto.[7] In 2014, the surviving band members released a contemporary dance remix of the song in conjunction with Toronto's hosting of the 2014 edition of WorldPride.[8]
Her third solo album, Invincible Decency, was released in 2015. She is also preparing Get Off My Dress, a loosely autobiographical one-woman theatrical play.[3]
Segato was one of the people named to the Order of Canada on December 29, 2022, citing "her contributions to the Canadian music scene and culture as a pioneer in 2SLGBTQI+ Canadian history."[9]
Personal life
Discography
All songs co-written by Lorraine Segato
Singles (Parachute Club)
| Release date | Title | Chart peak | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada RPM | |||
| July 1983 | "Rise Up" | 9 | The Parachute Club |
| 1983 | "Alienation" | ||
| 1984 | "Boy's Club" | ||
| October 1984 | "At the Feet of the Moon" | 11 | At the Feet of the Moon |
| February 1985 | "Act of an Innocent" | 61 | |
| June 1985 | "Sexual Intelligence" | ||
| October 1986 | "Love Is Fire" | 24 | Small Victories |
| February 1987 | "Love and Compassion" | 81 | |
| May 1987 | "Walk to the Rhythm" | 90 | |
| January 1988 | "Big Big World" | 86 | Non-album single |
| June 2014 | "Rise Up (WorldPride Remix)" | — | Non-album single |
Albums
With Mama Quilla II
- 1982 – KKK//Mama Quilla/Angry Young Woman Tupperwaros; EP.
With The Parachute Club
- 1983 – The Parachute Club Current/RCA
- 1984 – At the Feet of the Moon Current/RCA
- 1985 – Moving Thru the Moonlight Current/RCA; remixes
- 1986 – Small Victories (1986) Current/RCA
- 1992 – Wild Zone: The Essential Parachute Club BMG; reissued 2006 by EMI International[11]
Solo
- 1990 – Phoenix Warner Bros. Records
- 1998 – Luminous City True North
- 2015 – Invincible Decency
References
- ^ "Order of Canada appointees – December 2022". The Governor General of Canada. December 29, 2022. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
- ^ "The Parachute Club". Encyclopedia of Music in Canada. Retrieved August 20, 2019.
- ^ a b c d "Lorraine Segato: Emerging from the Shadows". Music Express, February 7, 2014.
- ^ "Urban Music" at Encyclopedia of Music in Canada
- ^ "Steelworkers, miners & faggots. Oh my". Daily Xtra, May 19, 1999.
- ^ Ross, Becki. The House That Jill Built: A Lesbian Nation in Formation, University of Toronto Press, 1995, ISBN 0-8020-7479-0, p281
- ^ "An Anthem to Remember". CBC News Network, August 27, 2011.
- ^ "The Parachute Club releases remix version of 'Rise Up'". Toronto Star, June 23, 2014.
- ^ "Order of Canada appointees – December 2022". GG.ca, December 29, 2022.
- ^ Andrea Houston, "‘Rise Up’ composer would welcome partnership with WorldPride". Xtra!, January 22, 2013.
- ^ Particulars via www.amazon.com; accessed 09-02-07.
External links
- Lorraine Segato's Official website
- Lorraine Segato Website; not updated since 2004
- Parachute Club Website/Blog