Grammy-nominated album shines light on transgender pioneer

Grammy-nominated album shines light on transgender pioneer


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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — For decades, Jackie Shane was a musical mystery: a riveting black transgender soul singer who packed out nightclubs in Toronto in the 1960s, but then disappeared after 1971.

But a Grammy-nominated album of her music called "Any Other Way" released in 2017 has awakened a wider interest in the pioneering singer. Now 78, Shane lives a very private life in Nashville, Tennessee, but realized she couldn't stay hidden any longer.

Shane grew up in the Jim Crow-era South, singing with gospel groups and working as a session musician, but found her real home as a singer in Toronto's R&B scene four decades ago. She said she feels overwhelmed at the number of people who are just now discovering her music.

The Grammys will air live on Feb. 10.

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