Sass Jordan, Rock Singer Who Helped Launch Taylor Hawkins’ Career, Dead at 65

Sass Jordan, a Canadian singer who scored a few mainstream rock hits in the early ’90s and helped launch the career of late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, died October 2nd at the age of 65.

Jordan had canceled her remaining 2026 performances after playing her last show in July, with a statement from her team citing a “serious medical condition” at the time. No specific cause of death has been revealed, but her family announced her passing as follows: “On Oct 2 2026, surrounded by her loving family, Sass Jordan peacefully crossed over to the other side. She remains in our hearts, an inimitable force of nature. An irreplaceable being of light and joy!”

Jordan, who was born in England but raised in Canada after her family moved there when she was 3 years old, scored numerous rock hits in Canada from 1988 to 1998. She broke through in the United States with her 1992 sophomore album, Racine, which yielded the Mainstream Rock hits “Make You a Believer” and “You Don’t Have to Remind Me.” She also reached the Top 10 of the rock chart with “High Road Easy” off her following album, 1994’s Rats.

On the road, Jordan toured with the likes of Aerosmith, The Rolling Stones, Van Halen, and AC/DC. She also recorded the duet “Trust in Me” with Joe Cocker for the mega-selling soundtrack to the movie The Bodyguard.

In a statement, Jordan’s publicist Eric Alper stated, “Over four decades, she gave Canadian rock one of its most recognizable voices, carved out space for women in a genre long dominated by men, and opened doors for the young musicians who came through her band.”

One of those young musicians was Taylor Hawkins, whom Jordan took out on tour as her drummer in the early ’90s. Hawkins would then go on to tour with Alanis Morissette, before eventually joining Foo Fighters.

At a 2015 Foo Fighters concert, Hawkins and Dave Grohl welcomed Sass Jordan to the stage, with Grohl telling the crowd, “If it weren’t for Sass Jordan, Taylor Hawkins wouldn’t be in Foo Fighters.”

Jordan, who served as a judge on Canadian Idol from 2003 to 2008, was married to Derek Sharp, who was the lead singer of The Guess Who from 2008 to 2024. She is also survived by her daughter Stella and stepdaughter Brianne.

Our condolences go out to Sass Jordan’s family and friends during this difficult time. Watch the video for “Make You a Believer” and see footage of Foo Fighters welcoming her to the stage below.

@billyvh

A lot of you know the story of Sass Jordan, that would have been weird, but who knows, it might have been cool if she was number 3 .. Rest In Peace, Sass #vanhalen #billyvh #billyvh2 #music

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