Watch Branigan on the VH-1 show “Where Are They Now: Musicians” At the time of her death, Branigan was working on material for a new album. He died in 1996.īranigan returned to the stage in 2002 to star as Janis Joplin in the off-Broadway rock musical “Love, Janis.” Outside of music, she enjoyed working out, playing tennis, swimming and cooking with friends. She put her performing career on hold, however, to care for her husband Lawrence Kruteck after he was diagnosed with colon cancer. Over the next two decades, Branigan released three Top 20 singles, recorded eight albums and earned three more Grammy nominations. “Gloria” also earned Branigan her first Grammy nomination for best pop vocal performance from a female artist. In 1979, she signed a record deal with Atlantic Records and launched her career as a solo artist.īranigan’s self-titled debut album sped up the charts in 1982 with the release of the song “Gloria.” Her powerful, five-octave voice propelled the platinum hit to #2 on the Billboard pop chart, where it remained for 22 weeks. The New York native attended the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Manhattan, then spent the mid-1970s touring Europe as a backing singer for Leonard Cohen. She signed with Atlantic Records in 1979.Laura Branigan, a Grammy-nominated pop singer, died on Aug. During the late 1970s, she toured Europe as a backing vocalist for Canadian singer and songwriter Leonard Cohen.
She attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Manhattan. Her songs also appeared on soundtracks for the films “Flashdance” and “Ghostbusters.”īranigan was born July 3, 1952, and grew up in Armonk, New York. She also made television appearances, including guest spots on “CHiPs,” and in the films “Mugsy’s Girls” and “Backstage.”īranigan released seven albums after her debut “Branigan.” Other hit singles included “Solitaire,” ″Self Control” and “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You,” for which Michael Bolton had a songwriting credit. “Gloria,” a signature song from her debut album “Branigan,” stayed on the pop charts for 36 weeks and earned her a Grammy nomination for best female pop vocalist, one of two nominations in her career. He said she had complained to a friend of a headache for about two weeks before she died, but had not sought medical attention.
She was 52.īranigan died of a brain aneurysm Thursday in her sleep at her home in East Quogue, said her brother Mark Branigan.
NEW YORK (AP) - Laura Branigan, a Grammy-nominated pop singer best known for her 1982 platinum hit “Gloria,” has died. Laura Branigan, ‘Gloria’ singer, dies at 52 She signed with Atlantic Records in 1979, not 1982, according to the record company.Ī corrected version of the story is below:
What did laura branigan die from full#
The full name of the school she attended is the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, not the Academy of Dramatic Arts. A reference to the latter song should have made clear she was not credited with co-writing it. The titles “Solitaire” and “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You” are songs, not albums. She was nominated for two Grammy Awards, not four. pop chart for 36 weeks, not atop it for that long.