Gloria Gaynor is an American disco singer. To understand what the singer Gloria is singing about, it is enough to include her two musical compositions I Will Survive and Never Can Say Goodbye.
The above hits don't have an "expiration date". The compositions will be relevant at any time. Gloria Gaynor is still releasing new tracks today, but none of them has been as popular as I Will Survive and Never Can Say Goodbye.
Childhood and youth of Gloria Gaynor
Gloria Fowles was born on September 7, 1947. She is from Newark, New Jersey. Gloria spoke about the fact that she lacked the care and attention of her parents. The girl was raised by her grandmother, who often turned on the radio. Little Fowles eventually learned a few songs and sang them in front of a mirror.
Interestingly, the head of the family, Queenie Mae Proctor, was listed in the Step'n'Fetchit team. The creative atmosphere that reigned at home shaped Gloria's musical taste.
“All my conscious childhood and youth, I dreamed that I would sing on stage. My relatives did not realize that I cannot imagine myself without music and dream of becoming a singer…”, says Gaynor in his autobiographical book.
Gloria's parents dreamed that she would master a serious profession. There was no question of any stage and career as a singer. In order not to cause negative emotions, the girl began to perform in local clubs in secret from her relatives.
Fowles began her professional career in the early 1970s. A star named Gloria Gaynor "lit up" in 1971. Since then, the black woman has been on everyone's lips. It took her 10 years to secure the status of a legendary disco performer.
The creative path and music of Gloria Gaynor
In the early 1960s, a black girl was part of the R'n'B group Soul Satisfiers. In the mid-1960s, under the pseudonym Gloria Gaynor, she released her debut collection. We are talking about the album She'll Be Sorry / Let Me Go Baby.
The singer enjoyed real popularity after 10 years. It was then that Gloria signed a contract with the popular label Columbia Records. Soon her discography was replenished with the first professional album Never Can Say Goodbye. The collection came out in 1975.
One side of the compilation was Honey Bee, Reach Out, I'll Be There and the title track Never Can Say Goodbye. Each of these tracks played an important role in the development of disco. By the way, the songs resonated with music lovers. They were played endlessly in local clubs.
On the wave of popularity, the singer's discography was replenished with another album, Experience Gloria Gaynor, which was released in the same 1975, many tracks from it topped the dance charts and were successful internationally. Three more years passed and the performer recorded an "immortal super hit".
Three years later, Gloria presented the collection Love Tracks. The top track of the collection was the track I Will Survive. The composition did not do without a strong woman who was left without her beloved, but said that she would do everything in order to save herself and be strong. The composition became an unspoken anthem for women's liberation.
Interestingly, the song I Will Survive was originally recorded on the B-side. The singer did not expect the track to be successful. Gloria made a bet on the song Substitute. Boston DJ Jack King once said:
“It makes me sick to realize that the record label decided to 'bury' this masterpiece on the 'B' side. This song is just the bomb. I regularly play this track at my performances ... ".
When the founders of the record company heard the opinion of the DJ, they decided to listen to him. Love Tracks listed I Will Survive on the "A" side. Jack King from 1979 to 1981 was awarded the prestigious Disco Masters award in recognition of his importance in the "promotion" of the musical composition of Gloria Gaynor.
For the sake of the song I Will Survive, the Grammy Awards even introduced a separate nomination for Best Disco Recording. It was after the release of this song that Gloria Gaynor gained recognition and popular love.
It is said that the star gained recognition after cover versions began to be recorded on her tracks. I Will Survive has been covered a thousand times. And this is not an exaggeration. Considerable attention should be paid to the "rehashings" of the Cake group, performers Diana Ross, Robbie Williams, Shantay Savage and Larisa Dolina. Interestingly, the Valley released a video clip starring Gloria.
The success of the song I Will Survive repeated the track I Am What I Am. The composition was released in 1983. Interestingly, the song has become the unspoken anthem of the LGBT community.
Gloria Gaynor's personal life
It is impossible to say exactly how Gloria Gaynor's personal life developed. Down the aisle, the star went only once. Linwood Simon became her chosen one. The lovers officially got married in 1979.
This union resembled a "storm". The relationship of lovers cannot be called “smooth” - they either parted, then reconciled, then publicly accused each other of treason. Gaynor and Linwood soon decided to divorce. Their marriage ceased to exist in 2005.
It is noteworthy that since then the singer has not started novels. The reason for the lack of privacy is hidden in religiosity.
In 1982, the celebrity revised her outlook on life, deciding to add a little spirituality to it.
Music is not the only hobby that gives the singer pleasure. According to Gloria herself, she loves to spend time reading books. She also does not ignore long walks.
Unlike many celebrities, she does not get tired of cooking. Gloria loves to gather guests at her home, feeding them delicious dishes of her own cooking.
Gloria Gaynor today
In 2018, the performer underwent a severe surgical intervention, during which her spine was broken and re-fused. This operation was caused by an injury that Gloria received back in 1978.
Surgical intervention did not affect the singer's work. In 2019, Gloria Gaynor released a new album, Testimony, the 18th album in the singer's discography.
Despite her age (the singer recently turned 72), she is in excellent physical shape. Gloria does not ignore social networks, it is there that you can see the latest news from the life of your favorite star.
In 2020, it became known that Gloria Gaynor joined the "Safe Hands" flash mob, announced by the WHO and launched to promote self-defense in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Not so long ago, the performer uploaded a video in which she washes her hands under the song with the symbolic title I Will Survive (“I will survive”).
