RIP: Helen Reddy: ‘I Am Woman’ Hitmaker & Feminist Icon Dead at 78

I loved her songs, style, and class.
Our politics were on different planets, but in the old days, people could disagree and still be civil.
This year (2020) has been a tough year all across the Earth.
I'll remember this year for a long time.
We've lost too many people, and far too many of our notables.

Rest in peace, Ms. Reddy, may the Good Lord comfort yoru family and friends as they grieve your passing.

Helen Reddy, the Australian singer whose global hit "I Am Woman" became a feminist anthem and who was the subject of a 2019 biopic of the same title, died today in Los Angeles. She was 78.

"It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved mother, Helen Reddy, on the afternoon of September 29th 2020 in Los Angeles," her children Traci Donat and Jordan Sommers said in a statement. "She was a wonderful Mother, Grandmother and a truly formidable woman. Our hearts are broken. But we take comfort in the knowledge that her voice will live on forever."

Born on October 25, 1941, in Melbourne; Reddy came from a showbiz family and made her debut onstage at age 4. She first hit the U.S. charts in 1971 with "I Don't Know How to Love Him," Mary Magdalene's big song from Andrew Lloyd Webber's rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar. About 16 months and a couple of minor hits later, she hit No. 1 in the U.S. and Canada with "I Am Woman," a pro-feminism song she co-wrote with Ray Burton. It propelled her to international stardom and became an unofficial anthem of the women's rights movement of the 1970s.




Helen Reddy Dead: 'I Am Woman' Hitmaker & Feminist Icon Was 78 – Deadline

Aw, that's sad. I always liked her - I Am Woman came out when I was about 17 and was omnipresent on the radio during my younger years. It resonated with me as I grew through the bumps, setbacks, and roadblocks in my life and became a strong, independent woman raising my children and establishing my career.

She seemed to be a great person and a class act, and it's sad to see her go.

And once again, even though 78 is surely a very respectable age to live to, my first thought was "she was so young!" But that's the way I will remember her - young and with such a powerful voice, both musically and in support of women.

Mac Davis passed away yesterday as well...also 78.

Mac Davis, Pop and Country Singing Star, Is Dead at 78

justblue said:

Mac Davis passed away yesterday as well...also 78.

Mac Davis, Pop and Country Singing Star, Is Dead at 78

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I just saw that one as well.

I didn't always like the songs he wrote for others, but I liked his voice when he sang himself, and I thought he was pretty cute back in the day, too - he was one of my celebrity crushes! He always came across as a nice guy in his personal life.

2020 has taken more than its fair share of notable people from my youth, maybe it could just take the next three months off to give us a respite?

justblue said:

Mac Davis passed away yesterday as well...also 78.

Mac Davis, Pop and Country Singing Star, Is Dead at 78

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I checked to see if I have my legal ducks lined up, because my peers are getting their curtain calls.