Â鶹ӰÊÓ

Skip to main content

Transgender soul pioneer Jackie Shane subject of Heritage Minute

The late transgender soul singer Jackie Shane is the focus of a new Heritage Minute, as shown in this handout image. (THE CANADIAN PRESS / HO-Gillian Map) The late transgender soul singer Jackie Shane is the focus of a new Heritage Minute, as shown in this handout image. (THE CANADIAN PRESS / HO-Gillian Map)
Share
TORONTO -

Groundbreaking transgender soul singer Jackie Shane is the focus of a new .

as the latest in its ongoing series of minute-long shorts celebrating influential figures and accomplishments in Canadian history.

Shane, who was born in Nashville but thrived in the Canadian R&B music scene, was selected for her contributions to "the Toronto sound," a version of electric soul shaped in the early 1960s.

But she's also considered a trans pioneer at a time when few held visible positions in the local community. She performed on stage as an androgynous man, but in her private life had come out as trans to her mother when she was 13 years old.

Shane played clubs in Montreal and Boston, but her home was at Toronto's Saphire Tavern until she suddenly quit music in 1971.

She died three years ago at age 78 shortly after the retrospective "Any Other Way" was nominated for best historical album at the Grammys.

Two of Shane's songs, "Any Other Way" and "New Way of Lovin'," are featured in the Heritage Minute.

The singer is played by African-Mohawk two-spirit trans activist Ravyn Wngz who narrates a script penned by JP Larocque, a writer on "Sort Of" and "Coroner."

The Heritage Minute, released before the start of Transgender Awareness Week on Nov. 20, is co-directed by newcomer Ayo Tsalithaba and Pat Mills, known for the LGBTQ Lifetime movie "The Christmas Setup."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 2, 2022

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

The British Columbia election campaign is set to officially start today, with Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin issuing the writ for the Oct. 19 vote.

A northern Ontario man is facing a $12,000 fine after illegally shooting a moose near the Batchawan River.

Unusual flippered feet are making their way into the Saint Lawrence River this weekend. Led by underwater explorer and filmmaker Nathalie Lasselin, volunteer divers are combing the riverbed near Beauharnois in Montérégie to remove hundreds of tires that have been polluting the aquatic environment for decades.

A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.