Los Angeles (AP) Helen Reddy, who shot to stardom in the 1970s with her feminist anthem I Am Woman and recorded a string of other hits, has died. She was 78. Reddy’s children Traci and Jordan announced that the actress-singer died Tuesday in Los Angeles. She was a wonderful Mother, Grandmother and a truly formidable woman, they said in a statement. Our hearts are broken. But we take comfort in the knowledge that her voice will live on forever. The Australian-born singer enjoyed a prolific career, appearing in Airport 1975 as a singing nun and scoring several hits, including I Don’t Know How To Love Him from Jesus Christ Superstar, Ain’t No Way To Treat a Lady, Delta Dawn, Angie Baby and You and Me Against the World. Reddy’s version of I Don’t Know How to Love Him in 1971 launched a decade-long string of Top 40 hits, three of which reached No. 1.
Two years later she won the best female vocal pop performance Grammy Award for I Am Woman, quickly thanking her then-husband and others in her acceptance speech. I only have 10 seconds so I would like to thank everyone from Sony Capitol Records, I would like to think Jeff Wald because he makes my success possible and I would like to thank God because she makes everything possible, Reddy said, hoisting her Grammy in the air and leaving the stage to loud applause.
I Am Woman would become her biggest hit, used in films and television series. In a 2012 interview with The Associated Press, Reddy cited the gigantic success of I Am Woman as one of the reasons she stepped out of public life.
That was one of the reasons that I stopped singing, was when I was shown a modern American history high-school textbook, and a whole chapter on feminism and my name and my lyrics (were) in the book, she told the AP. And I thought, `Well, I’m part of history now. And how do I top that? I can’t top that.’ So, it was an easy withdrawal. Reddy’s death comes less than three weeks after the release of a biopic about her life called I Am Woman. A performer since childhood, Reddy was part of a show-business family in Melbourne. She won a contest that brought her to the United States and launched her recording career, although she first had to overcome ideas about her sound. In my earlier days in Australia, I was considered to be more of a jazz singer. When I won the contest that brought me to this country, one person said, ‘The judges didn’t feel you could have a recording career because you don’t have a commercial sound.’ Reddy retired from performing in the 1990s and returned to Australia, getting her degree in clinical hypnotherapy.(AP) .
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