BIG POND, N.S. – Relatives, friends and fans of Rita MacNeil have gathered at a funeral service for the singer-songwriter in her Nova Scotia hometown of Big Pond.
People packed St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church to remember the 68-year-old singer, whose cremated remains sat in a teapot alongside a portrait of her.
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MacNeil’s daughter, Laura, said she was overwhelmed by the sympathies that have been extended to her family after her mother’s death.
Premier Darrell Dexter, who was among those who attended the service, said MacNeil was an icon whose contributions to music should be remembered.
MacNeil worked for decades to become a beloved fixture in Canadian culture, with her greatest success coming after she was in her 40s.
Her powerful voice explored genres from country to folk to gospel as she became one of Cape Breton’s most acclaimed performers.
MacNeil died last Tuesday following complications from surgery after a recurring infection.
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