Lorrie Church. Photo courtesy of Facebook.
She was the little girl from the Sweetgrass First Nation, who made it big on the country music scene.
Today, friends, family and the country music industry is mourning the loss of Lorrie Church, who lost her two-year battle with bone cancer.
Church grew up in Meadow Lake. She was of Metis and Cree ancestry, and was one of 16 children. She loved to perform — even as a child, and her grandmother predicted greatness. Church first started playing a guitar at the age of 12, and a few years later, put a band together and hit the road, touring Western Canada and even the Northwest Territories.
Lead guitarist, Lance Whitecalf, was part of the road show from 1986 to 1996. He says Church was like a little sister.
“If anybody tried to do something to her on the road, she had four or five guys to back her up,” he said. “We were not just her bandmates, we were like her bodyguards at the same time.”
Whitecalf and Church reunited a few years ago when she learned she had a rare form of bone cancer. He was one of the organizers of a fundraising dinner that was held for her in Meadow Lake last October. Whitecalf is still having trouble coming to terms with her loss.
“A part of me inside didn’t want to believe that anything this bad could happen to a person that was so nice.” he said.
Church won five Saskatchewan Country Music Awards in 1996. Whitecalf was also named best guitarist. Her most recent album was recorded in Nashville.
Church died yesterday. Funeral arrangements are pending.