Sass Jordan, Canadian rock singer and Idol judge, dies at 65

Sass Jordan, the rock and blues singer known to television audiences as a longtime judge on Canadian Idol, has died at 65. She died on Oct. 2, surrounded by her family, Billboard reported.

Her family confirmed her passing in an Instagram post on Saturday, Oct. 3. The same family statement was shared on her official Facebook page. It said that on Oct. 2, 2026, surrounded by her loving family, Jordan “peacefully crossed over to the other side.”

No official cause of death had been disclosed at press time. The age of 65 was reported by both Billboard and Variety, while CTV News also carried 65 in its headline and report.

The one-day gap between the date of death and the family announcement is the reason the two dates have both appeared in early reports. The death occurred on Oct. 2. The public confirmation followed on Oct. 3.

Jordan was born Sarah Jordan on Dec. 23, 1960, in Birmingham, England. She was raised in Montreal. That Birmingham birth and Montreal upbringing placed her early life on both sides of the Atlantic, before a Canadian recording career.

That career spanned nearly four decades, according to CTV News. A span of that length covers changes in how records are made, sold and heard, from record shops through to streaming. It also means several generations of listeners encountered her work first-hand.

She won the 1989 Juno Award for most promising female vocalist, an early-career honour. The Juno Awards are Canada’s national music awards, recognising recordings and performers across the country. Jordan was then nominated for female vocalist of the year in 1990, 1993 and 1995.

The pattern shows recognition that continued after her breakthrough win. Three further nominations in the female vocalist category followed across five years. Each nomination is decided through the awards process for that year, rather than carrying over from a previous result.

Jordan joined Canadian Idol as a judge in 2003. The programme was a televised singing contest, in which contestants performed each week and the public voted. She remained with the show for all six seasons.

A judging role of that kind involves assessing live performances, offering criticism and helping narrow the field. Staying for six seasons meant she was present for the full run of the programme in that form. For many viewers, that seat was their main point of contact with her.