Sr Janet Mead, who turned The Lord’s Prayer into a rock hit, dies aged 84

Jan 28, 2022

ADELAIDE: Sr Janet Mead, the South Australian nun who became internationally famous for her rock rendition of The Lord's Prayer, has died aged 84.

While best remembered for her meteoric rise to fame in the music world, Sr Janet devoted most of her life to helping the homeless and disadvantaged.

She shot into the charts in 1974 with her international hit The Lord's Prayer, putting the Our Father prayer to a rock tune.

The single was distributed to 31 countries and sold more than 2 million copies worldwide.

She was the first Australian artist to have a gold record in the US and was even nominated for a Grammy award but lost out to Elvis Presley.

She pioneered the concept of the rock Mass in South Australia and held them regularly in the St Francis Xavier Cathedral in Adelaide.

Despite the fame and fortune, Sr Janet shunned the spotlight and donated all her royalties to charity.

She continued to teach at St Aloysius College despite the pressure of becoming a chart-topping star.

Sr Janet was named the South Australian of the Year in 2004 for decades of caring for the homeless.

The Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide said she died on January 26. --abc.net.au