Sisters Kate and Anna McGarrigle earned a loyal international following for their unique and appealing marriage of English and French folk styles, in an era when hard rock and disco dominated. Sticking steadfastly to their own path, Kate and Anna McGarrigle made a lasting mark on roots music across North America and internationally.

Born to a French-Canadian mother and Irish father, Kate (born Catherine Frances McGarrigle in 1946) and Anna Ruth McGarrigle (born 1944) enjoyed a small-town childhood in Saint-Sauveur-des-Monts, Quebec, in a home steeped in French-Canadian folk music and timeless American music including the songs of Stephen Foster. 

The sisters explain how their careers evolved: “We were taught to sing at home, but mostly we sang because we had fun. It wasn’t until much later, in our twenties, that we began singing together.”