Anne Murray’s signature voice has graced recordings since 1968 and is recognized worldwide as one of Canada’s most enduring treasures. In a business that measures itself in quick trends, Anne Murray is practically timeless. Because she has never sought to be musically fashionable, she has never been out of fashion.
Born in Springhill, Nova Scotia, she is one of six children and the only daughter of Dr. Carson and Marion Murray. Success came quickly: Her debut album, What About Me, was released in 1968 and generated an instant Canadian hit with the title track. Soon after, she signed with Capitol Records and recorded “Snowbird” for her second album — the song would be certified gold by the RIAA, the first in history for a Canadian artist. From there, hit after hit reached the top of both country and pop charts.
With four Grammy Awards and a combination of 26 RPM and JUNO Awards to her credit, Murray is justly celebrated. She holds the record for the most JUNO wins of any entertainer in history. Her many hits include “Snowbird” (1970), the Grammy-winning “Love Song” (1974), “You Needed Me” (1978), “Could I Have This Dance” (1980), “A Little Good News” (1983), “Nobody Loves Me Like You Do” (1984), and the number-one single “Now and Forever” (1986).
She has released dozens of singles and more than 30 studio albums, and her sales exceed $24 million. She was a mentor on Canadian Idol in 2008, and in 2010, she helped carry the Olympic flag for the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver Winter Games.
Murray is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame Walkway of Stars in Nashville, and has her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles. In 2011, Billboard ranked her No. 10 on its list of the 50 Biggest Adult Contemporary Artists Ever.
In addition to her musical career, Murray has been involved with numerous charities. A collection of memorabilia from her personal and professional life opened in Springhill in 1989: the Anne Murray Centre is a registered charity that helps promote tourism to Nova Scotia and contributes to the local economy. Murray also helped build the Dr. Carson and Marion Murray Community Centre, which opened in her hometown in 2004. It has an NHL-sized rink and seats 800 people. Murray is also the Honorary National Chairperson of the Canadian Save The Children Fund, and has been a spokeswoman for many charities, including Colon Cancer Canada.
Murray is a serious golf aficionado. Her Anne Murray Charity Golf Classic raised thousands of dollars for Colon Cancer Canada over its 10 years. She is the first woman to score a hole-in-one on the 108-yard, par 3, 17th hole at the Kaluhyat Golf Club in Las Vegas. And in 2007, she was named the world’s best female celebrity golfer by Golf for Women magazine.
Murray released her autobiography, All of Me, in 2009.
