Jackie Shane was a Black transgender woman and music artist best known in the 1950s and 1960s for her captivating performances of soul and R&B music. She is considered to be one of the first transgender performers, a pioneer transgender artist.

She grew up in the United States in the South during the Jim Crow years. In the 1950s, she was able to move to Ontario, where she began to perform on stage. One of Jackie’s more touching cover songs, “Any Other Way” which was her top hit, features lyrics including the phrase. “Tell her that I’m happy/Tell her that I’m gay” playing on the double meaning of the term gay which at the time was not in mainstream usage to mean homosexual but only happy. She is known as a cult heroine and led most of her later life in seclusion giving very rare and few interviews.

During one live performance in a monologue she is quoted to have said, “You know, you’re supposed to live, As long as you don’t force your will and your way on others, forget ‘em, baby, you don’t need ‘em.” Her gender was not confirmed during her career and she was generally miscategorized and misgendered by media outlets. She confirmed her gender as a trans woman via phone interview in 2017.