Lee Aaron

Active on the Canadian rock scene since the early 1980s, Lee Aaron first made her mark as a glam-inflected hard rock and heavy metal singer, earning the nickname “Metal Queen.” Born Karen Lynn Greening in Belleville, Ontario, and raised in Brampton, she began young in local bands before recording The Lee Aaron Project in 1982, followed by Metal Queen in 1984, which cemented her profile on North American and European rock stages. The ensuing period—with Call of the Wild (1985), the self-titled Lee Aaron (1987), and Bodyrock (1989)—saw her move toward a more melodic brand of hard rock, defined by hook-laden choruses and a commanding stage presence, frequently touring the festival and rock-venue circuits in Canada and Europe. In the mid-1990s, Lee Aaron steered her music toward alternative rock and, with Slick Chick (2000) and Beautiful Things (2004), explored a jazz and crooner repertoire that spotlighted nuance and phrasing in her vocals. Based in British Columbia, Lee Aaron later returned to a more straightforward rock sound with Fire and Gasoline in 2016, then Diamond Baby Blues (2018), Radio On! (2021), and Elevate (2022), blending classic hard rock, blues rock, and contemporary touches while maintaining a steady presence onstage and across the festival circuit.