Background

Gloria Gaynor was born on September 7, 1949 in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey, United States. She is the daughter of Daniel Fowles and Queenie Mae Proctor. She has five brothers and sister.

Education

In 2012 Gloria Gaynor received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Walden University.

Career

Gloria 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). Her first real success came in 1975 with the release of her album Never Can Say Goodbye, which established her as a disco artist. The first side of this album consisted of three disco songs ("Honey Bee", "Never Can Say Goodbye" and "Reach Out, I'll Be There"), with no breaks in between the songs. This 19-minute dance marathon proved to be enormously popular, especially at dance clubs. All three songs were released as singles via radio edits, and all of them became hits. "Never Can Say Goodbye" became the first song to top Billboard magazine's dance chart. So, in that sense, she was the first. Capitalizing on the success of her first album, Gloria Gaynor quickly released her second album Experience Gloria Gaynor later that same year. While this album was also successful, it was not quite as popular as her previous album in the mainstream.

After her 1976 album, I've Got You, Gaynor shifted from her hit production team, to work with other productions. While it seemed like a good move, her subsequent producers did not seem to match Gaynor's vocal approach and style as well. This caused her the albums that followed such as 1977's Glorious and 1978's Park Avenue Sound to be regarded as merely good albums instead of excellent albums.

In late 1978, with the release of her album Love Tracks, she climbed the pop charts again because of her song "I Will Survive". The song was awarded the first and only Grammy Award for Best Disco Recording in 1980 (the category was discontinued upon disco's fall from favor shortly afterward). In late 1979, she released the album I Have A Right which contained her next disco hit, "Let Me Know (I Have The Right)", which featured Doc Severinsen of The Tonight Show fame, on trumpet solo. In 1999, Pixar animator Victor Navoneused this song to create an alien music video which for a time was a minor Internet phenomenon.

In September 2002, Logic Records/BMG released the highly anticipated United States LP entitled "I Wish You Love." That was her first worldwide release in 15 years. It gave birth to 4 #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 Joe's Café", and on national TV, as a guest star on such popular programs as "That '70's Show" , "Ally McBeal" and more, introducing her to a whole new generation of fans.

Gloria is finishing a new album of inspirational songs "Testimony". She spent time in Nashville during 2014 and 2015 co-writing and collaborating with Grammy Winning Contemporary Christian Music songwriters and producers.

Achievements

• In March of 2001, Gloria Gaynor's single, "Just Keep Thinkin’ About You," topped the Billboard Dance/Club charts at #1, while her international hit "Last Night" with Giorgio Moroder debuted at #1 throughout Europe. In keeping with the theme of #1, Gloria 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 collectors items.
  
  On September 19, 2005 Gloria, along with her Hit song "I Will Survive" were inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame during a ceremony that took place in New York City.
  
  On May 16th, 2015 Dowling College presented Gloria with an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Music. In 2016, Gaynor's "I Will Survive" was selected for induction into the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry.
  
  From individuals triumphing over illness to those suffering from the painful loss of a loved one to others piecing their lives together after bearing witness to a national tragedy, "I Will Survive", has become an emotional anthem for them and for millions of Gloria's adoring fans around the world.

Works

More photos

• book

  • We Will Survive: True Stories of Encouragement, Inspiration, and the Power of Song

    (Over the years, the disco legend has received thousands o...)

    2013
  • I Will Survive

    (This is the story of Gloria Gaynor, America's "Queen of D...)

    1997

• music

  • Never Can Say Goodbye 1975
  • Experience Gloria Gaynor 1976
  • I'Ve Got You 1976
  • Glorious 1977
  • Park Avenue Sound 1978
  • Love Tracks 1978
  • I Have a Right 1979
  • The Best Of Gloria Gaynor 1977
  • Stories 1980
  • I Kinda Like Me 1981
  • Greatest Hits 1982
  • I Am Gloria Gaynor 1983
  • The Power of Gloria Gaynor 1986
  • Gloria Gaynor '90 1990
  • Love Affair 1992
  • I'll Be There 1995
  • The Answer 1997
  • I Wish You Love 2002
  • Christmas Presence 2007
  • We Will Survive 2013

Religion

Gloria Gaynor is a Christian. She released a Contemporary Christian album in late 2013.

Views

Quotations: "There's nothing to compare to live music, there just isn't anything."

"The better your audience, the more energy you have, and the more energy you have, the better show you do. The better show you do, the more they love it, and the more energy they give back to you."

Personality

Gloria Gaynor possesses a great talent for creativity and self expression, typical of many accomplished writers, poets, actors and musicians. She is also witty, owns the gift for gab, and savors the limelight. Gaynor is optimistic and masters the resilience to overcome many setbacks. Thanks to her gift for self expression, she can be the life of the party, and the center of attention.

Interests

• music

Connections

In October 1979 Gloria Gaynor married Linwood Simon, a music publisher. They divorced in 2005.

Father:

Daniel Fowles

Mother:

Queenie Mae Proctor

Spouse:

Linwood Simon

References

• Contemporary Authors
  1998