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Gloria Gaynor              

Grammy Award-Winning Disco Singer Known for "I Will Survive"; Speaker on Domestic Violence

Gloria Gaynor is a Grammy Award-winning disco singer known for her smash hit "I Will Survive." "I Will Survive" has become an empowerment anthem for all sorts of people, including survivors of domestic violence and the LGBTQ community. Gaynor herself has survived a lot -- having grown up in poverty, she's the survivor of childhood sexual abuse. Most notably, she had an accident before recording "I Will Survive" that left her temporarily paralyzed from the waist down.

Gaynor today is as active as ever, performing live concerts, appearing on national TV, releasing new CDs, and she's more positive than ever. Whatever Gloria sets out to do, you can be sure it will reflect the same deep spirit and transformative ability as the music and life within her.

She was 19 when she signed her first record contract. In 1973, Gaynor made history as Billboard gave birth to the Disco Action Charts. "Never Can Say Good-Bye" peaked at #1 on the charts. In March 2001, her single, "Just Keep Thinking About You," topped the Billboard Dance/Club charts at #1, while her international hit "Last Night" with Giorgio Moroder debuted at #1 throughout Europe. Gaynor was the first to record an album especially for clubs, and the first to do a mega-extended dance medley party mix, releasing 12" dance singles that are now high-end collector's items.

In September 2002, Logic Records/BMG released the highly anticipated U.S. LP entitled "I Wish You Love." That was her first worldwide release in 15 years. It gave birth to four #1 dance singles on Billboards Dance Charts as well as her first top ten, "I Never Knew," on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Charts. She also recorded a new version of "I Will Survive" in Spanglish, recorded live in Brazil.

Her popularity has continuously flourished into the new millennium. In 2002, she was honored at the World Music Awards in Monte Carlo with the coveted LEGEND award presented by long-time fan Prince Albert. She made a splash on Broadway in the longest-running musical revue, "Smokey Joes Cafe," and on national TV, as a guest star on such popular programs as "That '70s Show," "Ally McBeal" and more, introducing her to a whole new generation of fans.

The film industry continues to feature "I Will Survive," on the soundtrack of more than a half dozen major motion picture releases. VH-1 honored Gaynor with the #1 spot during their countdown of the Top 100 Dance Records of All Time for "I Will Survive."

In 2005, Gaynor, along with her hit song "I Will Survive" was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame during a ceremony that took place in New York City.

Gaynor even found time to write an autobiography, 1997's "I Will Survive," which is a revealing trip through her life's journey.

News


Gloria Gaynor serenades CBS News' Jim Axelrod "I Will Survive,"
"I Will Survive," the legendary anthem sung by Gloria Gaynor, was recently added to the Library of Congress. Jim Axelrod made a trip to her New Jersey home to ...
Gloria Gaynor on the lasting legacy of "I Will Survive" - CBS News
GREEN BROOK, N.J. -- When you're in Gloria Gaynor's recreation room, listening to her jukebox, what song do you think you're gonna hear? Her 1978 hit "I Will ...
Gloria Gaynor: How I Survived
The "Queen is dead," was the report rumored to be circulating around my record company. Three months of physical therapy fraught with uncertainty about my ...

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