Alannah Myles
Her smoky, powerful voice turned 'Black Velvet' into a rock and roll anthem, defining a moment in music and earning her a Grammy.
Born 1958 (age 68)·Canadian singer-songwriter·Birthday: December 25·Baby Boomers
Biography
Alannah Myles spent years grinding in the Toronto music scene before a song about Elvis Presley made her an international star. Working with songwriter Christopher Ward, she helped craft 'Black Velvet,' a slow-burning blues-rock tribute to the King's Southern roots. Released in 1989, the track was a seismic hit, its sultry vocals and grinding guitar riff dominating radio and MTV, topping the Billboard Hot 100, and winning the 1991 Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female. The success of her self-titled debut album was meteoric but created a towering shadow. Subsequent releases, while critically respected for their gritty rock and blues authenticity, struggled to match that commercial peak. Myles's career became a testament to the power of a singular, era-defining song and the challenge of navigating its aftermath, all while maintaining a fiercely independent artistic spirit.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Alannah was born in 1958, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alannah Was Born
The biggest hits of 1958
#1 Movie
South Pacific
Best Picture
Gigi
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Alannah's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1958Born
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1963Started school
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1971Became a teenager
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Could drive
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1976Could vote
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Turned 21
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1988Turned 30
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 40
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 50
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 60
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 68 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female in 1991 for her signature song 'Black Velvet'.
- 'Black Velvet' reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1990.
- Her self-titled debut album sold over six million copies worldwide.
- Won multiple Juno Awards, including Single of the Year and Most Promising Female Vocalist in 1990.
Did You Know?
The music video for 'Black Velvet' was filmed in Memphis, Tennessee, at locations including the Peabody Hotel.
She turned down a recording contract with Geffen Records early in her career to maintain creative control.
Myles performed the theme song for the television series 'Due South'.
She is a trained visual artist and has exhibited her paintings.
“Black velvet in that little boy's smile.”
