Gloria Gaynor, disco diva, is going to be signing copies of “I Will Survive,” and will see you at the following location:
12/2/13 7:00 PM
Bookends
211 E Ridgewood Ave,
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
Phone:(201) 445-0726
Book Description
I Will Survive is the story of America’s “Queen of Disco.” It is the story of riches and fame, despair, and finally salvation. Her meteoric rise to stardom in the mid-1970s was nothing short of phenomenal, and hits poured forth that pushed her to the top of the charts, including “Honey Bee,” “I Got You Under My Skin,” “Never Can Say Goodbye,” and the song that has immortalized her, “I Will Survive,” which became a #1 international gold seller. With that song, Gloria heralded the international rise of disco that became synonymous with a way of life in the fast lane – the sweaty bodies at Studio 54, the lines of cocaine, the indescribable feeling that you could always be at the top of your game and never come down. But down she came after her early stardom, and problems followed in the wake, including the death of her mother, whose love had anchored the young singer, as well as constant battles with weight, drugs, and alcohol. While her fans always imagined her to be rich, her personal finances collapsed due to poor management; and while many envied her, she felt completely empty inside. In the early 1980s, sustained by her marriage to music publisher Linwood Simon, Gloria took three years off and reflected upon her life. She visited churches and revisited her mother’s old Bible. Discovering the world of gospel, she made a commitment to Christ that sustains her to this day.
About the Author
Gloria Gaynor (born September 7, 1949) is an American singer, best known for the disco era hits “I Will Survive” (Hot 100 number 1, 1979), “Never Can Say Goodbye” (Hot 100 number 9, 1974), “Let Me Know (I Have a Right)” (Hot 100 number 42, 1980) and “I Am What I Am” (R&B number 82, 1983). Gaynor was a singer with the Soul Satisfiers, a jazz/pop band, in the 1960s. As Gloria Fowler she recorded “Will You Be My Guy / Train Of Love” for a small Chicago label releasing a second single “She’ll Be Sorry/Let Me Go Baby” as Gloria Gaynor in 1965.
Her first real success came in 1975 with the release of her album Never Can Say Goodbye, which established her as a disco artist. The first side of this album consisted of three disco songs (“Honey Bee”, “Never Can Say Goodbye” and “Reach Out, I’ll Be There”), with no breaks in between the songs. This 19-minute dance marathon proved to be enormously popular, especially at dance clubs. All three songs were released as singles via radio edits, and all of them became hits. The album was instrumental in introducing disco music to the public, “Never Can Say Goodbye” becoming the first song to top Billboard magazine’s dance chart. Capitalizing on the success of her first album, Gloria Gaynor quickly released her second album, Experience Gloria Gaynor, later that same year. While this album was also successful, it was not quite as popular as her previous album in the mainstream.
Some of her lesser-known singles, due to lack of recurrent airplay — including “Honey Bee” (1974), “Casanova Brown” (1975), and “Let’s Make A Deal” (1976) — became hits in the clubs and reached the Top 5 on Billboard’s disco charts. After her 1976 album, I’ve Got You, Gaynor shifted from her hit production team, to work with other productions. While it seemed like a good move, her subsequent producers did not seem to match Gaynor’s vocal approach and style as well.
Her book is available here for purchase on Amazon.
