37 Facts About Jackie Shane

Jackie Shane was an American soul and rhythm and blues singer, who was most prominent in the jazz music scene of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in the 1960s.

Jackie Shane began performing locally in the 1950s wearing long hair, make-up, and jewelry.

From a young age, Jackie Shane knew that she was different from other children her age.

Femininity was one of the ways that Jackie Shane expressed herself, wearing dresses and growing out her hair.

Unlike many children, and some adults, Jackie Shane was sure of herself and her outward expression of femininity that she presented within her physical appearance.

Jackie Shane did not take recognition for her self assuredness, but credited her aunt, and her grandmother, as they both accepted, as well as supported Jackie Shane through her early self discovery.

Jackie Shane was not one to cower away from conflict, so to solve this act of discrimination, she took a jump rope and whipped him.

Jackie Shane began her music career as a young teen.

Jackie Shane was not signed by big record labels, however.

In 1960, Jackie Shane moved to Montreal, Quebec, where saxophonist "King" Herbert Whitaker invited her along to watch the popular band Frank Motley and his Motley Crew at the Esquire Show Bar.

Jackie Shane was the band's lead vocalist, and relocated to Toronto with them in late 1961.

Jackie Shane returned several times to the United States, on tour with the Motley Crew, to New York to record, to visit her family and old friends and perform on a TV show in Nashville, or to live and work in Los Angeles where she played drums in recording sessions.

Jackie Shane considered herself friends with Little Richard when she lived in Nashville and played drums in his backing band on occasion.

Jackie Shane identified herself as male in two early quotes to the Toronto Star, but more often appeared to simply dodge questions about her gender altogether.

Many claim this is where Jackie Shane resembled a masculine or butch lesbian, as she wore glittering suits on stage and wore her hair up.

Jackie Shane never crumbled to public scrutiny about her gender identity and physical appearance, avoiding conformity to choose either masculine or feminine societal norms and choosing how she presents herself to the public in her own way.

Jackie Shane was born in Nashville, which was considered a part of the Jim Crow South.

Jackie Shane witnessed this man violently beaten and then carelessly thrown into a dumpster nearby.

Jackie Shane left the Jim Crow South, migrating north out of the United States to Canada, with the belief that the racial tensions would be left within the States and that Canada would bring on a new environment.

Jackie Shane constantly reiterated the fact that her experience as a black, trans woman was not as most expected, not filled with violence and verbal threats.

Jackie Shane was not an individual to shy away from conflict, so to put an end to the harassment, she found a jump rope and whipped it in his direction.

Just as when she was a child, Jackie Shane was able to successfully handle the situation by making a snarky joke and maturely walking away.

Jackie Shane continued with her career, not letting the violent acts determine her career within the music industry.

Jackie Shane recorded several tracks in 1960, including a cover of Barrett Strong's "Money " and a version of Lloyd Price's "I've Really Got the Blues".

In 1962, Jackie Shane was performing at Toronto's Saphire Tavern, specializing in covers of songs by Ray Charles and Bobby Bland.

Jackie Shane faded in prominence after 1971, with even her own former bandmates losing touch with her; soon after returning to Los Angeles, she turned down an offer to be a part of George Clinton's band Funkadelic.

Jackie Shane began caring for her aunt, Jessie Shane, who lived in Los Angeles.

Jackie Shane kept in touch with Frank Motley, who put a Toronto record collector in touch with her in the mid 1990s.

Jackie Shane was not directly a part of the Gay Liberation Movement, or any transgender movements, but her presence and silent activism prior to the emergence of these movements paved the way for many transgender individuals.

At the time, nobody involved in the documentary, the executive producer of which was Steve Kennedy's wife, had been able to determine whether Jackie Shane was still alive; but she was found, still living in Nashville.

Jackie Shane Live was reissued as a bootleg in 2011 on Vintage Music as Live at the Saphire Tavern, although the reissue was inaccurately labelled as being from 1963.

The album marked the first time since her final single in 1969 that Jackie Shane was directly involved in the production and release of a reissue of her music.

In 2019, Shane granted a broadcast interview to CBC Radio One's Q The interview was conducted by Elaine Banks, who had been the producer and host of "I Got Mine", and was Shane's first broadcast interview since the end of her performing career.

In 2022, Jackie Shane was the subject of a Heritage Minute segment, in which she was portrayed by transgender activist Ravyn Wngz.

Jackie Shane had been previously featured in their 2021 Sounds Like Toronto digital exhibit.

Jackie Shane died in her sleep, at her home in Nashville, on February 21,2019.

Jackie Shane's death was reported to media the following day.