GLORIA GAYNOR
For those who weren't there, it's hard to imagine the impact of
the arrival of Disco. For a decade, it made New York City the
center of the universe, the decadent, dazzling and glamorous
palace of all the night life in the world. It became a whole new
dance floor culture with it's own language and dress and for
thousands, it was the only time they came to life. Disco
created a whole new heaven of stars, and the biggest of these was
Gloria Gaynor.
Lavish, luminous, a powerhouse performer, Gloria Gaynor exploded
onto the scene with the first big Disco hit, "Never
Can Say Goodbye". It was the title track to her 1973
album, the first album of non-stop programmed dance music and this
would pretty much change the face of the record industry. Gloria
would later be listed in the "1982" World Book
Encylopedia as 'proponent of New Music." From that year up
until 1981, she put out an album every year, and every one of them
went "Top 40."
In 1975, she was crowned "Queen of the Discos," in front
of thousands of adoring New York City fans. In 1978, came an album
called "Love Tracks," which featured the era's biggest
dance hit, the inspirational....."I
WILL SURVIVE".
This song resonated among defiant hearts around the world, selling
14 million copies practically overnight, it turned Gloria into not
only one of the biggest stars in the world, winning her the
following year's Grammy Award for Best Disco Record, but an icon.
The song is still today one of the most requested songs of all
time as well as the No. 1 karaoke selection. It's been recorded
since then in some 20 languages, including Arabic, with queen of
Paris nightlife, Regine recording her own version.
Subsequently Gloria's version became No. 1 the Australian charts
after being released from the soundtrack to the smash-hit movie
shot there, "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert".
In 1984, Gloria came out with the terrific album, "I
Am What I Am", with a title song of passionate
affirmation strong enough to musically reunite a culture scattered
by the closing of the clubs and the pall that Aids was now casting
over city night life For Gloria, it would be another big hit.
Gloria had toured the world performing in some 75 countries,
giving concerts before Princess Grace Of Monaco and the families
of President Carter and Sadat, among others. Although Gloria
was all the while performing occasionally in select clubs in the
U.S., she began to spend a great deal of time in Europe, where her
fans, particularly the French and the Italians, worshipped her.
Between 1985 and 1990 she released some 6 albums in Italy. The
albums increasingly reflected her own new music, including some
self-penned and some gospel, and some would include the favorites
her fans wouldn't let die. She continued to perform at major
events, headlining the very first East- West German reunification
concert and sang for Elizabeth Taylor's Aids benefits.
Then, something extraordinary happened. A huge 70s revival started
in America; with it - Disco - and Disco's biggest star.
Gloria appeared in the spectacular, "Celebration of the 70s,
with renditions of "I Will
Survive" and "Never Can Say
Goodbye" that showed she hadn't lost one iota of her
power or her luster. Gloria Gaynor, who never went away, was back!
In 1995, two albums were released: in Europe, "Best Of Gloria
Gaynor" streaking up the charts. It includes a completely
remixed version of "I Will Survive
". Radikal Records put out a double CD, "I'll
Be There", which includes a great duet with Isaac
Hayes on Barry White's classic, "You
Are My Everything", along with some old, some new,
some ballads and some gospel.
Gloria's autobiography for St Martins Press, is called - what
else? - "I Will Survive". In it, she tells you not
only how she survived, but how anyone can survive the struggle and
heartache that life all too often brings. She credits the
happiness and stability she feels today to God's presence in her
life. Gloria believes that her music is the tool He uses to
pierce the flesh to get through to the spirit.
Gloria Gaynor uplifts us all.
