Canadian folk singer Kate McGarrigle, who enjoyed a long, successful musical partnership with her sister and was the mother of musicians Rufus and MarthaWainwright, has died at the age of 63.McGarrigle had been suffering from clear cell sarcoma, a rare kind of cancer. She died on Monday, January 18. "Sadly our sweet Kate had to leave us last night. She departed in a haze of song and love surrounded by family and good friends. She is irreplaceable and we are broken-hearted. Till we meet again dear sister," Anna McGarrigle, her sister, wrote on their website.
The pair broke into the limelight with their song "Heart Like a Wheel", which US singer Linda Ronstadt turned into a major hit in 1974. It featured on their first album, "Kate and Anna McGarrigle", which was released in 1975 and chosen as best album of the year by music magazine Melody Maker.
The sisters – born near Montreal in French-speaking Quebec – recorded a total of 10 albums, some of them in French. They were known for their inventive style and intricate vocal harmonies when they sang together.
McGarrigle was married to U.S. singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III, with whom she had Rufus and Martha. The pair later divorced.
