Laura Branigan (1957-2004)

[Gloria]

Brain illness claims Laura Branigan

August 30, 2004

NEW YORK: Pop star Laura Branigan, best known for her 1982 platinum hit Gloria, has died. She was 47.

Branigan suffered a brain aneurysm on Thursday in her sleep at her home in East Quogue, New York, according to 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, was on top of the pop charts for 36 weeks and earned her a Grammy nomination, the first of four 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, born on July 3, 1957, and raised in Brewster, New York, 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 80s, her releases in the early 90s 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 Kathleen, brothers Billy and Mark and sister Susan. Branigan and Kruteck had no children.

[cine]

How fitting for you to post this. I had hoped you would.

[Find Your Magali]

I am truly in morning. What 80s musician will be taken, suddenly, from us next? Somebody from The Outfield? A member of Kajagoogoo?

It's all so freaking unfair...