Helen Reddy, 78: 1970s hitmaker
LOS ANGELES >> Helen Reddy, who shot to stardom in the 1970s with her rousing feminist anthem “I Am Woman” and recorded a string of other hits, has died. She was 78.
Reddy’s children Traci and Jordan announced that the actor-singer died Tuesday in Los Angeles. “She was a wonderful Mother, Grandmother and a truly formidable woman,” they said in a statement. “Our hearts are broken. But we take comfort in the knowledge that her voice will live on forever.”
Reddy’s 1971 version of “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” from the musical “Jesus Christ Superstar” launched a decadelong string of Top 40 hits, three of which reached No. 1.
T he Australian- born singer enjoyed a prolific career, appearing in “Airport 1975” as a singing nun and scoring several hits, including “Ain’t No Way to Treat a Lady,” “Delta Dawn,” “Angie Baby” and “You and Me Against the World.”
In 1973 she won the best female vocal pop performance Grammy Award for “I Am Woman,” quickly thanking her then- husband and others in her acceptance speech.
“I only have 10 seconds so I would like to thank everyone from Sony Capitol Records, I would like to think Jeff Wald because he makes my success possible and I would like to thank God because she makes everything possible,” Reddy said, hoisting her Grammy in the air and leaving the stage to loud applause. She also performed the song at the ceremony.
“I Am Woman” would become her biggest hit, used in films and television series.
In a 2012 interview with T he Associated Press, Reddy cited the gigantic success of “I Am Woman” as one of the reasons she stepped out of public life.
“That was one of the reasons that I stopped singing, was when I was shown a modern American history high-school textbook, and a whole chapter on feminism and my name and my lyrics (were) in the book,” she told the AP. “And 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.”