'I Am Woman' singer Helen Reddy dies at 78
Helen Reddy, the Grammy Award-winning singer whose hit "I Am Woman" became a feminist anthem, died Tuesday in Los Angeles. She was 78.
Reddy's death was announced by her children Traci and Jordan, who said in a statement she was a "truly formidable woman," and while their "hearts are broken" they "take comfort in the knowledge that her voice will live on forever."
Born in Australia, Reddy began singing as a child, and rose to stardom in the United States in the early 1970s after winning a contest that let her launch her recording career. She had three No. 1 hits, but the biggest one by far was "I Am Woman," which earned Reddy the 1973 best female vocal pop performance Grammy.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The song has been used in countless movies and television shows, and Reddy told The Associated Press in 2012 that she decided to stop performing in the 1990s after seeing her name and the lyrics to "I Am Woman" in a high school textbook's chapter on feminism. "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," she said. After her retirement, Reddy earned a degree in clinical hypnotherapy.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Supreme Court allows purge of Virginia voter rolls
Speed Read Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) is purging some 1,600 people from state voter rolls days before the election
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'Shale is crucial to the US economy'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - October 31, 2024
Cartoons Thursday's cartoons - cosplayer-in-chief, one more gaffe for the road, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published