Gloria Gaynor
Gloria Gaynor (real name
Gloria Fowles, born
September 7,
1949 in
Newark, New Jersey) is a singer best-known for the
disco hits
I Will Survive (
Hot 100 #1,
1979) and
Never Can Say Goodbye (Hot 100 #9,
1974).
Gaynor was a singer with the
Soul Satisfiers, a
jazz/pop band, in the 1960s. Her first solo single was "She'll Be Sorry / Let Me Go Baby" (
1965).
The lyrics of "I Will Survive" are written from the point of view of a woman, recently dumped, telling her ex-lover that she can cope without him and does not want anything more to do with him. The song has become something of an anthem of female
emancipation, and is still a staple of office parties and
karaoke nights. In
1999,
Pixar animator
Victor Navone used this song to create an
alien music video which for a time was a minor
Internet phenomenon.
An interesting piece of trivia about "I Will Survive" is that it was originally the
B-side when
Polydor Records released it in late
1978. The
A-side, a song called
Substitute, was considered to be more "radio friendly." Radio
DJs flipped the record over and audience response forced the record company to flip the songs and subsequent copies of the single listed the more popular song on the A-side.
"Never Can Say Goodbye" was the first song to top
Billboard magazine's
dance chart.
Some of her lesser-known disco songs include
Honey Bee (
1974),
Casanova Brown (
1975), and
I Am What I Am (
1983).
During the late 1990s she dabbled in acting for a while, guest starring on
The Wayans Bros,
That '70s Show, and
Ally McBeal before doing a limited engagement performance in
Broadway's Smokey Joe's Cafe.
She returned to the recording studio in
2002, releasing her first album in 20 years entitled,
I Wish You Love. The two singles released from the album,
Just Keep Thinking About You and
I Never Knew, both topped the
Billboard's
Dance chart. The latter song also charted #30 on
Billboard's
Adult Contemporary chart.
Over 25 years after its release, Gaynor continues to ride the success of "I Will Survive", touring the country and the world over and performing her signature song on dozens of TV shows. This song along with "I Am What I Am" made Gaynor an
icon to millions of young gay people all over the world in a period where the seminal
gay rights movement had done its impact on the
Western world and living
in the closet was no longer the only option as societies gradually were mitigated in their
taboo on the so-called gay lifestyle.
On September 19,
2005, Gaynor was honored twice when she and her music were inducted into the
Dance Music Hall of Fame. She was inducted in the Artist Inductees category along with fellow disco legends
CHIC and
Sylvester and her classic anthem, "I Will Survive", was inducted under the Records Inductees category.
*
Never Can Say Goodbye*
Experience Gloria Gaynor*
I've Got You*
Glorious*
Park Avenue Sound*
Love Tracks*
I Have A Right*
Stories*
I Kinda Like Me*
I Am Gloria Gaynor*
I Wish You Love*
(If You Want It) Do It Yourself*
Ain't No Bigger Fool*
All I Need Is Your Good Loving*
All I Need Is Your Sweet Lovin'*
All My Life*
America*
Anybody Wanna Party?*
Anybody Wanna Party? (12" Remix)*
As Time Goes By*
Be Mine*
Broken Wings*
Bullseye*
Casanova Brown*
Chain Of Whispers*
Chasin' Me Into Somebody Else's Arm*
Do It Right*
Don't Read Me Wrong*
Eeny Meeny Macker Rack*
Even A Fool Would Let Go*
Every Breath You Take*
Everytime You Go Away*
False Alarm*
Feel So Real*
Fingers In The Fire*
For You, My Love*
Goin' Out Of My Head*
Hands Of Time*
Hits Medley*
Honey Bee*
How High The Moon*
I Am What I Am*
I Can Stand The Pain*
I Kinda Like Me*
I Let Love Slip Right Through My Hands*
I Love You 'Cause*
I Never Knew*
I Said Yes*
I Want To Know What Love Is*
I Will Survive*
I Will Survive (Extended Mix)*
I Will Survive (Remix)*
I'll Be There*
I'm Still Yours*
I've Been Watching You*
I've Got You Under My Skin*
Let Me Know (I Have A Right)*
Let's Make A Deal*
Let's Make Love*
Let's Mend What's Been Broken*
Life Ain't Worth Living*
Lock Me Up*
Love Me Real*
Luckiest Girl In The World*
Mack-Side*
Make Me Yours*
More Than Enough*
Most Of All*
Never can say goodbye*
Nothing In This World*
On A Diet Of You*
Only In A Love Song*
Please Be There*
Prettiest Face I've Ever Seen*
Reach Out And Touch (Somebody's Hand)*
Reach Out, I'll Be There*
Real Good People*
Runaround Love*
Searchin'(song)*
So Much Love*
Stop! In The Name Of Love*
Stoplight*
Strive*
Substitute*
Suddenly*
Sweet Sweet Melody*
Talk, Talk, Talk*
Tease Me*
Tell Me How*
The Heat Is On*
The Power Of Love*
The Story Of The Jones*
This Love Affair*
This Side Of The Pain*
Touch Of Lightning*
Walk On By*
We Belong Together*
We Can Start All Over Again*
What'll I Do*
When You Get Around To Do It*
Why Should I Pay*
Yesterday We Were Like Buddies*
You Can Exit*
You're All I Need To Get By*
List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)*
List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart*
List of number-one dance hits (United States)*
List of number-one hits (United States)*
Official web site* http://www.dmhof.com Official site of the Dance Music Hall Of Fame
