Grew up in Consort, a small town in Alberta, Canada

While in college, began career as a performance artist

Formed band k d lang and the re-clines, a country and western band

Wrote the film score for "Walking After Midnight" with her band, the re-clines

Starred in "So in Love" music video (directed by Percy Adlon) for the "Red, Hot & Blue" TV special and disc

Made film acting debut in "Salmonberries", directed by Adlon

Publicly "came out" as a lesbian in an interview with The Advocate, a magazine targeted to a gay and lesbian audience

Engendered controversy when she participated in a "Meat Stinks" advertising campaign sponsored by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

Garnered further publicity when she posed for the cover of Vanity Fair sitting in a barber's chair with Cindy Crawford giving lang a shave

With longtime collaborator Ben Mink, wrote the music for Gus Van Sant's "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues"

Made cameo appearance on the "coming out" episode of "Ellen"

TV acting debut in the CBS miniseries "The Last Don"

Cast in a supporting role in the feature "Eye of the Beholder" (filmed in 1998), alongside Ewan McGregor and Ashley Judd