Lilith fair goddess Sarah McLachlan has been casting a spell over fans with her brand of pop-tinged folk since 1998. McLachlan was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia where she studied vocal training and took classical piano and guitar lessons before enrolling at the Nova Scotia School of Design to get her art degree. The singer formed new wave band October Game and initially turned down a solo recording deal with Nettwerk Records in favor of continuing her studies; McLachlan reconsidered in 1987 and moved to Vancouver to begin recording her debut album. Touch was released one year later and earned the singer acclaim in her native Canada (reaching gold status) as well as a deal with Arista which brought the album to an international audience. McLachlan's sophomore effort Solace (1991) showcased the singer's strengthened songwriting skills and awarded her with legions of U.S. fans.During a 1992 promotional tour, McLachlan took a detour to Cambodia and Thailand to work on a Canadian-sponsored documentary titled World Vision which exposed child prostitution and rampant poverty of these nations; it would not be the first or last social cause close to the heart of this singer. McLachlan returned to Canada and recorded her next album in a secluded Montreal house with collaborator/producer Pierre Marchland. The resulting album was McLachlan's most personal to date; Fumbling Toward Ecstasy went platinum and was loaded with hit singles "Possession" and "Good Enough." After dabbling with alternate-version releases and remixes, McLachlan released 1997's Surfacing, which debuted at number two on the pop charts.The late ‘90s saw McLachlan lending her vocal talents to several cause-related albums as well as the now-famous track "I Will Remember You" for the film Brothers McMullen. The singer also organized the Lilith Fair tour, an all-female festival that has since seen emerging female performers like Fiona Apple and Dido take the stage, which was commemorated in her 1999 multi-platinum live release Mirrorball. After a short hiatus, female fans rejoiced when McLachlan came out with 2003's four-time platinum selling Afterglow, performed at 2005's Live Aid and G8 Summit, and continued to release albums, including a collection of Christmas covers.