Dana LaCroix

Dana LaCroix (born April 1, 1966) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. She has released five roots and blues-influenced studio albums that incorporate elements of pop, roots-rock, country and folk music.

LaCroix was born in Toronto, Canada, to Naomi LaCroix (née: Tanaka), a registered nurse and Pat LaCroix, a Canadian musician and photographer who toured in the early sixties with The Halifax Three, a group he founded with Denny Doherty, later of The Mamas and The Papas She cites The Halifax Three as her earliest musical influence. She is the sister of famous Canadian actress, Lisa LaCroix.

Touring since 1993, LaCroix has appeared in the United States, Canada, Norway and Denmark, at venues such as Midtfyns Festival, The Opera House, Regent Theater, and on national media including CBC’s Morningside, This Morning and Morning Edition, and The Artie Lange Show.^[1]

LaCroix began her professional career in her teens as a featured performer at Expo ’86^[2] in Vancouver, Canada, with the Humber College Big Band and went on to work with Motown session guitarist, Leroy Emmanuel,^[3] and Norris Vines,^[4] formerly of The Platters, as a back-up and featured singer in a Motown tribute group that played around Toronto in the late 1980s.

She moved to New York City in 1989 here she worked with Moogy Klingman, and a local 24-piece folk-rock band called The Poppies and others, before relocating Copenhagen, Denmark in 1990. In Denmark she toured with Danish-American guitarist, singer and songwriter, Paul Banks ^[5] and took over for Champion Jack Dupree as the musical partner of Danish bluesman, Kenn Lending.^[6] She worked with Lending under the moniker Lending-LaCroix for two years, releasing a studio recording entitled "Down Home Blues" ^[7] for Olufsen Records.^[8] A noted songwriter, LaCroix was approached by Danish director, Nicolas Winding Refn in 2002 to deliver music to his mystery thriller film, Fear X, starring John Turturro. Two of LaCroix’s self-penned numbers, Lonely Rooms and Pride, from her independent debut release, "Pride", were included in the film. The tracks were produced by Canadian producer, Rick Whitelaw^[9]

LaCroix began working with Spanish bassist, songwriter and producer, Yadam Gonzales,^[10] soon thereafter, co-writing music for Dutch pop star, “Hind’s” 2005 release, "Halfway Home".^[11]

An acclaimed workshop leader, LaCroix has presented at Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts in Odense, Denmark, The Danish Musical Academy^[12] in Fredericia, Denmark, and The Psychotherapy Networker Symposium^[13] in Washington, DC, the largest conference of its kind in the US. Today LaCroix performs with her band in Canada,^[14] the US ^[15] and Denmark,^[16] continues to release cds consisting of mostly original music,^[17] and has begun a duo project^[18][19] with Murali Coryell, son of jazz legend, Larry Coryell.

She resides in Upstate New York with her husband.

Discography

2013 – “Moving On, Looking Back: - Artist: Dana LaCroix – Label: Independent

2011 – “Jump In: - Artist: Dana LaCroix - Label: Independent

2007 – “Faith In You” - Artist: Dana LaCroix - Label: Independent

2005 – “Halfway Home” – Artist: Hind – Label: BMG

2001 – “Down Home Blues” - Artist: Kenn Lending/Dana LaCroix - Label: Olufsen Records

1998 – “Pride” - Artist: Dana LaCroix - Label: Independent

1990 – “The Poppies” – Artist: The Poppies – Label: CBS Records

Filmography

2003 – Fear X – (Contributing Songwriter) Director: Niels Winding Refn – Starring: John Turturro

References