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She had been battling sarcoma, a rare kind of cancer, since 2006.

McGarrigle began performing folk music in the 1960s with the Mountain City Four, a group that also included her sister Anna. In 1975 the sisters recorded as a duo and released their critically acclaimed debut album, Kate and Anna McGarrigle. They recorded 10 studio albums, sung in French and English. Their songs have been covered by artists including Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Billy Bragg, Kirsty MacColl and Elvis Costello.

She made one of her last public appearances six weeks ago at London's Royal Albert Hall, playing a concert with Rufus and Martha to raise money for the Kate McGarrigle Fund, which she set up in 2008 to raise awareness of sarcoma.

Rufus Wainwright paid tribute to his mother in a statement on his website:

"When inevitably I read today in the papers that my mother lost her battle with cancer last night, I am filled with an immense desire to add that this battle, though lost, was tremendously fruitful during these last three and a half years of her life. She witnessed her daughter's marriage, the creation of my first opera, the birth of her first grandchild Arcangelo, and gave the greatest performance of her life to a packed crowd at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Not to mention traveling to some of the world's most incredible places with both my sister, her husband Brad, my boyfriend Jorn and myself. Yes, it was all too brief, but as I was saying to her sister Anna last night while sitting by her body after the struggle had ceased, there is never enough time and she, my amazing mother with whom everyone fell in love, went out there and bloody did it. I will miss you mother, my sweet and valiant explorer, lebwohl and adio. X"

Source: ABC News

More about: 

• Kate McGarrigle
• Rufus Wainwright
• Martha Wainwright
• Loudon Wainwright III

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