Mary Lu Zahalan

{{short description|Canadian rock singer and actress}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Mary Lu Zahalan

| image =

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| background = solo_singer

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| birth_date = {{birth year|1958}}

| birth_place = Renfrew, Ontario, Canada

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| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2023|05|27|1958}}

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| genre = Country, pop, rock

| occupation = Singer, actress, author, professor

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| website = {{url|https://www.maryluzahalan.com}}

}}

Mary Lu Zahalan (25 October 1958 – 27 May 2023) was a Canadian rock singer and actress.Paul Benedetti, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-hamilton-spectator/149501393/ "Mary Lu Who? It's Zahalan and she knows where she's going"]. Hamilton Spectator, 8 October 1982.

Born in Renfrew, Ontario, and raised in Oakville, Zahalan was a Miss Canada finalist in 1975 before embarking on a career as an entertainer.[https://www.newspapers.com/article/north-bay-nugget/149500851/ "Miss Nova Scotia wins Canadian beauty pageant"]. North Bay Nugget, 4 November 1975. 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.{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ESQEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22Mary+Lu+Zahalan%22&pg=PT84|title=Loverboy, Rush are top Juno nominees|last=Farrell|first=David|date=19 March 1983|magazine=Billboard|page=56|accessdate=29 May 2010}}

In 1985 she performed vocals on Visible, the final album by rock band CANO, and toured with the band to promote the album."Bravo CANO! Local fans revel in revitalized band". Toronto Star, 14 February 1985. In this era, she also had various acting roles in musical theatre.Greg Burliuk, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-kingston-whig-standard/149501777/ "Popular Recordings: Zahalan"]. Kingston Whig-Standard, 22 December 1990.

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.Randy Boswell, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/calgary-herald/149501655/ "Canadian earns first Beatles degree"]. Calgary Herald, 27 January 2011. 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.{{fact|date=June 2024}}

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.Graham Rockingham, "The men behind the music of the Beatles: Local musician creates live show telling the behind-the-scene stories of the Fab Four". Hamilton Spectator, 3 December 2020.{{Cite web |title=Becoming {{!}} Haley Marie {{!}} Home |url=https://www.haley-marie.com/ |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=Haley Marie |language=en}}

On 27 May 2023, Zahalan passed away from cancer at the age of 66.{{cite news | url=https://www.kincardinenews.com/news/local-news/live-musical-documentary-set-for-kincardine-stage-this-july | first=Kelly | last=Kenny | title=Live musical documentary set for Kincardine stage this July | newspaper=Kincardine News | date=13 June 2024 | accessdate=17 June 2024 }}