Sister Janet Mead, whose disco-pop version of The Lord’s Prayer topped the charts in 1974, has passed away at the age of 83.
The Catholic nun was the first Aussie artist to have a gold record in the USA and was even nominated for a GRAMMY but lost to Elvis Presley.
Mead pioneered the concept of the rock mass in South Australia and held them regularly in the St Francis Xavier Cathedral in Adelaide.
“We started rock masses in 1970 with the St Aloysius and Christian Brothers College kids preparing the entire mass – the liturgy and the music in a language they could relate to – and it worked better than I could have hoped,” Sister Janet said.
Despite the fame and fortune, Sister Janet disliked being in the spotlight and donated all her royalties to charity.
In 2004, she was named the South Australian of the year for decades of caring for the homeless.
It is understood that the 83-year-old died from cancer.
