Susan Jacks Dead at 73: Poppy Family Singer Succumbs While Awaiting Transplant

Susan Jacks, Poppy Family's lead singer, has died. She was 73.

Jacks' death came as a shock, especially since her colleagues and fans were expecting her to feel well after her first kidney transplant over a decade ago.

But things related to her health took a wild turn when she died in a hospital in British Columbia on Monday.

Her bandmate and ex-husband, Terry Jacks, first confirmed the news on Facebook, expressing how saddened he feels by her passing.

Meanwhile, her older brother Rick Pesklevits revealed Susan Jacks' cause of death in a statement to CBC. He revealed that his sister passed away while awaiting her supposed second kidney transplant, adding that the singer had been suffering from kidney disease.

"Singing in school brought her to the attention of various high school bands and so they often invited her as the 'chick singer.' Gradually, she became known through that exposure and kind of broke in through the side door," Pesklevits said. "She was overwhelmed by infection, and her heart stopped."

Pesklevits previously gave her one of his kidneys during a transplant in 2010. However, the recent complications led her to her death.

Following the emergence of the news, Jacks' friends and fans spoke up about their sadness and heartbreaks in their tribute messages for the late singer.

Susan Jacks' Legacy Explored

Jacks notably started her career at the age of 15. At that time, she continuously appeared on the Canadian TV show, "Music Hop."

Three years later, she asked Terry Jacks to collaborate with her for some performances. Craig McCaw eventually joined them to play the lead guitar.

From there, the three-piece began performing under the name Eternal Triangle and Powerline before coming up with the Poppy Family. Only a year after the collaboration began, Jacks and Terry got married. McCaw then added drummer Satwant Singh to their group.

They immediately made a successful debut with the release of their first album "Which Way You Goin' Billy?" in 1966. Two of its songs scored the No. 1 spot in Canada Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

Their next and final album, "Poppy Seeds," gave hit songs to the public, like "Good Friends?" "No Good to Cry," and "Where Evil Grows."

Although Poppy Family never returned after the project, Jacks continued her solo career and dropped her solo debut album, "I Thought of You Again." Before her death, she was still reportedly working on a new album.