"We all look different in this world and should have the right to do what we love to do, no matter what," said the award-winning singer to World & I contributor Linda Joyce Forristal. MacNeil took the often malicious attacks and jokes about her weight in stride, working throughout her 20-year career to overcome preconceptions. As David Napier in Saturday Night noted, "it's the music-heart-wrenching lyrics backed by a haunting voice-that has brought the middle-aged mother of two to the brink of international stardom." Nonetheless, MacNeil understands the pressures of working in a business set on appearances, even though such factors have nothing to do with her music.
A large woman with a faint yet noticeable cleft palate who has battled a weight problem along with teasing throughout her life, MacNeil has yet to find her place in an image-conscious industry, despite her wide-ranging talents. Most agree that her absence in the American market comes down to externals. But while her popularity soared over the years-not only in Canada, but in other countries across the globe as well-one would find it all but impossible to locate a Rita MacNeil album in the United States, except through her website. Addresses: Record company-EMI-Capitol Music Group, 1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York City, NY 10104 Phone: (212) 253-3000.Īgainst the odds and following years of determination, singer and songwriter Rita MacNeil has become one of the biggest, brightest, and most beloved stars in her native Canada, where many considered her a musical legend. Born on May 28, 1944, in Big Pond, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada daughter of Renee and Neil MacNeil siblings: three brothers, four sisters married and divorced children: Laura and Wade.
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