Mary Lu Zahalan

Mary Lu Zahalan (25 October 1958 – 27 May 2023) was a Canadian rock singer and actress.^[1]

Born in Renfrew, Ontario, and raised in Oakville, Zahalan was a Miss Canada finalist in 1975 before embarking on a career as an entertainer.^[2] She had entered the contest as a class project while taking a personal improvement class at Sheridan College to overcome her shyness;^[1] 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.^[1]

She released her debut album, Think of Me, in 1982,^[1] and received a Juno Award nomination for Most Promising Female Vocalist at the Juno Awards of 1983.^[3]

In 1985 she performed vocals on Visible, the final album by rock band CANO, and toured with the band to promote the album.^[4] In this era, she also had various acting roles in musical theatre.^[5]

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.^[5]

She later returned to Sheridan College as a music teacher.^[6] 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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^[6] She subsequently directed Becoming the Beatles, a live musical documentary about the history of the Beatles.^[7][8]

On 27 May 2023, Zahalan passed away from cancer at the age of 66.^[9]