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Fabulous Shadow
08-29-2004, 01:07 AM
'Gloria' Singer Laura Branigan Dies at 47

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NEW YORK - Laura Branigan, a Grammy-nominated pop singer best known for her 1982 platinum hit "Gloria," has died. She was 47.

Branigan died of a brain aneurysm Thursday in her sleep at her home in East Quogue, said her brother Mark Branigan. He said she had complained to a friend of a headache for about two weeks before she died, but had not sought medical attention.

"Gloria," a signature song from her debut album "Branigan," stayed atop the pop charts for 36 weeks and earned her a Grammy nomination for best female pop vocalist, the first of four nominations in her career.

She also made television appearances, including guest spots on "CHiPs," and in the films "Mugsy's Girls" and "Backstage."

Branigan released seven albums after her debut "Branigan," including "Solitaire," "Self Control," and "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You," which was co-written with Michael Bolton. Her songs also appeared on soundtracks for the films "Flashdance" and "Ghostbusters."

Branigan was born July 3, 1957, and grew up in Brewster, N.Y. She attended the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Manhattan. During the late 1970s, she toured Europe as a backing vocalist for Canadian singer and songwriter Leonard Cohen. She signed as a solo artist with Atlantic Records in 1982.

After her run of success in the 1980s, her releases in the early 1990s attracted little attention. In 1994, she sang a duet with David Hasselhoff called "I Believe" for the soundtrack of the television show "Baywatch." She released a 13-track "Best of Branigan" LP the next year.

After the death of her husband, Lawrence Kruteck, in 1996, Branigan stopped performing but returned to the stage in 2001. In 2002 she starred as Janis Joplin in the off-Broadway musical "Love, Janis," which earned her rave reviews.

Branigan recently had been working on material for a new release.

She is survived by her mother, two brothers and a sister. Funeral services were scheduled for Monday.

I always liked her... Hey... "I think I got the alias, that you been living under" new motto for WARF? ;)

bueno bob
08-29-2004, 01:27 AM
Well, shit, that's a drag.

There was another thread over in House of Music about her...

SoCalChelle
08-29-2004, 12:59 PM
Steve Savicki will be heartbroken. :(

Viking
08-29-2004, 03:33 PM
Man, what a way to go, popping your plumbing like that. My first wife's dad died the same way........

Ally_Kat
08-29-2004, 07:16 PM
Originally posted by SoCalChelle
Steve Savicki will be heartbroken. :(

He was the first thing I thought of when I heard this on the news last night.

SoCalChelle
08-29-2004, 09:41 PM
I hope he's ok.

SoCalChelle
08-30-2004, 01:22 PM
Steve just posted at my site...he's ok

BRANDON
08-30-2004, 01:25 PM
god bless laura ....rip