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Women of the year throwback: 8 Canadians who rocked the ’80s and ’90s

Since 1979, Chatelaine has honoured many Women of the Year. To celebrate this year's list, we chose a few highlights from the archives.

By Katie Underwood Updated November 24, 2016

Since 1979, the year Chatelaine introduced its very first Woman of the Year (Diane Jones-Konihowski, a champion pentathlete), we’ve awarded the title to superstars spanning the arts, politics, business and beyond. Cultural heavyweight Margaret Atwood (1981), Kim Campbell, Canada’s first female prime minister (1994) and emerging country star k.d. lang (1988) have all held the honour. Here, a few of our most memorable covers.

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The woman: KD Lang

The year: 1988

The exuberant headline “Yippee-I-O KD!” introduced Chatelaine readers to the pride of Consort, Alta., then a country-style crooner with a “don’t-mess-with-me tomboy alto” trying to break big in Nashville. Also in Lang’s vocal repertoire, according to writer Jay Scott: growling “like a bulldog,” yodelling “like a hillbilly on a Saturday night” and soaring “operatically like a diva.” What range!

More:
Women of the year: 12 Canadians who rocked 2016
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FILED UNDER: archives