Thursday, August 09, 2007

Biography of the Day - Laura Branigan

Laura Branigan was a popular American singer/actress from Armonk, New York, best known in the U.S. for the song "Gloria" (1982). She received the first of four Grammy Award nominations for that 1982 hit and the following year, Branigan introduced the ballad "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" (1983), which hit #1 on the U.S. Adult Contemporary chart. The same year, she had another Top-10 hit with "Solitaire". "Self Control" (1984) was her biggest-selling album, and the title track became an international smash. Her other Top-40 hits included "The Lucky One", "Spanish Eddie", and "The Power of Love".

Her sudden death on August 26, 2004 was attributed to a brain aneurysm, which was also how her father and her paternal grandfather had died. Branigan was cremated, and her ashes were distributed over Long Island Sound.

In 2005, a memorial for her friends and fans was held on the anniversary of her death near the Long Island home in which she was caring for her mother at the time of her death. Its success made it an annual event, with a second such gathering in 2006 as a celebration of her life and the legacy of her passionate vocal performances and the heartfelt connection she made with her fans, to whom, in several interviews and from the stage, she would refer as "my other half."

Gloria

Self Control

No comments: