Woman of the Week, August 16, 2010: Sass Jordan

By Taz Adamjee

She’s charming, she’s talented, she’s gorgeous…she’s Sass. Sass Jordan that is. Yes, Juno and Billboard award winning singer/songwriter. And yes, former judge on Canadian Idol. She can also add Women's Post Woman of the Week to her bio.

I had the pleasure of chatting with Sass this past Friday. Was I a little nervous? Maybe. But, I was quickly calmed by her smooth tone and laidback charm. It’s always interesting to know where artists like Sass start their journeys and how they end up where they are today. Growing up, Sass describes herself as artsy, fartsy, always into the ‘creatif’ (singing, writing, poetry) with one ultimate goal in mind: The opportunity to make others feel great.

Sass depicts music in the 70s as a different place. With not as great of a variety of venues to get involved in (i.e. Twitter, MySpace), the ambience of the music biz saw its foundation primarily built through vinyl records and sold-out concerts. Music was surrounded by mystery and fascination; intriguing audiences happened simply through pure artistic creativity. With the ability to transcend limitations and penetrate boundaries, as a young artist Sass found it imperative to find a way to express herself through her music; to find somebody to understand, so to speak (something we all crave).

As for her journey, well, there’s no real way to get into the business of performing. Some attend school, but the only way to learn how to perform is to…perform. Like any other job in the "real" world, Sass found her way into the business organically, through a series of choices. Many like to call it “learning by doing.”

Still, the journey, as Sass puts it, is a whole lot less glamorous than how it may appear. Like any other industry, there are a number of challenges; there often isn’t any job or financial security. And what people don’t realize is that it takes a lot of money to make records. Similar to most industries, there has to be a demand for the entertainment services you provide. If people don’t respond, you can often find yourself out of a job, notes Sass.

The key to success? Having the balls to do what you love regardless of the outcome and the strength to deal when things aren’t quite going your way.

Now obviously, I couldn’t go an entire conversation with Sass without asking her about Canadian Idol. She recalls her fondest memories spent with both cast and crew. She describes the group as a close-knit bunch, and although they worked together for incredibly long hours, she says, “We laughed ourselves silly.” As with any television show though, Sass insists it’s always a challenge entertaining an audience, but an even greater challenge holding an audience’s attention once you’ve grabbed it. In a lot of ways, the show was analogous to a “summer camp” with a "work hard, play hard" mentality.

Currently, Sass continues to stay busy working on a number of different projects. Her latest album, From Dusk 'Til Dawn, is now available in stores and online.

In her pastime, Sass enjoys reading, traveling (when it’s not for work), and landscape gardening. She has a passion for life that easily vibrates through the way she speaks. The simplest way to put it: The best way to live is to just…live.