[5] Her brother was convicted of the first-degree murder of 21 year-old Carrie Louise Marshall in Creston, British Columbia, and was incarcerated in Alberta in 1992.

With these bands, she would sing cover songs of Led Zeppelin, Tina Turner, and Billie Holiday in a variety of locations including lounges, bars and ski resorts.

[7] During this time, she had attempted to launch a solo singing career but she was battling a bout of alcoholism which held her back.

[8] Arden released her first single, "Never Love a Sailor", on the Canadian label Circa in 1981 under the name Jann Richards.

[11] Arden's 1994 album Living Under June[12] featured her biggest hit to date outside of Canada, "Insensitive",[13] which was released as a single from the soundtrack to the Christian Slater film Bed of Roses (number 12 on the U.S.

In 1998, respondents to Chart magazine's year-end reader's poll named Arden the Canadian celebrity most deserving of her own talk show.

Arden revealed that one of her brothers is serving a life sentence in prison and that her song "Hangin' by a Thread" is dedicated to him.

[17] On the weekend of March 24, 2007, Arden was admitted to intensive care for heart-related concerns, diagnosed as Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, a condition commonly associated with acute stress and exhaustion.

In a CBC interview, she recalled, "My mom and dad both were diagnosed with basically dementia and Alzheimer's and a litany of other things.

[24] In October 2018, it was announced that Arden had been confirmed as a celebrity judge on CTV's music series, The Launch.

[26] In a June 6, 2023, appearance on The Marilyn Denis Show, Arden announced that she had written a novel, which was slated for publication in November.

[27] Arden has also worked as an actress, with supporting or guest roles in the television series Robson Arms, Corner Gas, Hell on Wheels, The Detour, Workin' Moms and Wynonna Earp.

[28] In June 2018, CTV announced that Arden would star in Jann, a comedy television series based on a "fictionalized version" of her own life.

[30] As of March 2019[update], Jann is Canada's most popular comedy TV series, drawing more than one million viewers per episode.

[36] In November 2006, Arden received the National Achievement Award from the Society of Composers, Authors, and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) for having six singles reach the 100,000 airplay mark on Canadian radio.

On December 29, 2017, Arden was appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada for her 'achievements as a singer-songwriter and broadcaster, and for her extensive charitable work.