Mary Lu Zahalan

Biography

Mary Lu Zahalan (25 October 1958 – 27 May 2023) was a Canadian rock singer and actress.
Born in Renfrew, Ontario, and raised in Oakville, Zahalan was a Miss Canada finalist in 1975 before embarking on a career as an entertainer. She had entered the contest as a class project while taking a personal improvement class at Sheridan College to overcome her shyness; what she ultimately took away from the competition was an interest in the theatrical production aspects of the experience, so she then enrolled in the college's musical theatre program.
She released her debut album, Think of Me, in 1982, and received a Juno Award nomination for Most Promising Female Vocalist at the Juno Awards of 1983.
In 1985, she performed vocals on Visible, the final album by rock band CANO, and toured with the band to promote the album. In this era, she also had various acting roles in musical theatre.
In 1990, she released the album Zahalan on MCA Records, and enjoyed moderate success with the single "I Can't Forget About You" on Canadian radio.
She later returned to Sheridan College as a music teacher. She also had supporting roles in film and television, including in the television films Woman on the Run: The Lawrencia Bembenek Story and Alley Cats Strike.
In January 2011, Zahalan graduated from Liverpool Hope University with a master's degree in a program that studied the Beatles. She was the first graduate of the program. She subsequently directed Becoming the Beatles, a live musical documentary about the history of the Beatles.
On 27 May 2023, Zahalan died from cancer at the age of 66.