Helen Reddy (photo: Francesco Scavullo – public domain) I was so sad to hear the news that Australian pop star Helen Reddy passed away on Tuesday at the age of 78. The singer had battled dementia for years. As longtime readers of The Randy Report know, I’m a fan of those pop music voices that are so singular you can recognize them in an instant. Reddy was one of those artists. Her first success in the U.S. came after her future-husband, Jeff Wald, talking Capitol Records into recording a single with Reddy. The release (“I Believe in Music”) was a flop but led to an accidental B-side hit with “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” from the musical Jesus Christ Superstar hitting #13 on the Billboard charts. Of course, Reddy’s biggest hit (and one of the few she co-wrote) was her iconic anthem, “I Am Woman,” from 1971. The hit song made her the first Australian-born singer to reach #1 on the Billboard charts and garnered the Aussie her only Grammy Award (Best Pop Vocal Performance – Female). In accepting the honor, she famously thanked God, saying: “Because She makes everything possible.” She followed that with a string of hits including “Delta Dawn,” “Angie Baby,” “Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress)” and “Ain’t No Way to Treat a Lady” – which would earn a second Grammy nod for the artist in 1975. Hollywood embraced Reddy as well as she appeared in movies and TV shows including starring in Disney’s Pete’s Dragon (featuring Reddy singing the Oscar-nominated “Candle on the Water”) and handling semi-regular hosting duties on the 1970s variety series The Midnight Special. In 1973, she also had her own summer variety show, The Helen Reddy Show.
In the 1980s, she found artistic and financial success starring in stage musicals, most notably taking over the lead role of “Mrs. Johnstone” in Blood Brothers on Broadway. She also starred in productions of Anything Goes, Shirley Valentine and The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Here’s what looks to be press footage from Blood Brothers featuring the star singing “Easy Terms” and the finale, “Tell Me It’s Not True.”
Thanks to those successes, she recorded an album of theater songs for Varese Sarabande Records in 1997 titled Center Stage. My husband, Michael, was the Vice President of Marketing and Publicity at the time and worked with Reddy in promoting the collection, including a cheeky photoshoot with several shirtless hunks (which Reddy LOVED). At the end of the shoot, she told Michael he had to be a part of the shoot and demanded he take off his shirt. And so, this happened. My hubby Michael Caprio with Helen Reddy and friends (photo: Kevin Merrill) I loved the album which featured such wide-ranging songs as “The Writing on the Wall” (Drood), “The Party’s Over” (Bells Are Ringing), “Blow Gabriel Blow” (Anything Goes) and this terrific take on “Knowing When To Leave” from the 1960s hit, Promises, Promises.
Reddy was a singular talent who rightfully deserves her place in music history. Rest in peace, Helen Reddy.
Observed every year on March 8th, the focus of the celebrations range from general celebration of respect, appreciation, and love towards women to a celebration for women’s economic, political, and social achievements.
And then there’s the fab unofficial women’s anthem from the 1970s “I Am Woman.”
Interesting fact – although she had 15 Top 10 hits (eight #1’s), this is the only song Reddy actually wrote that went to the top of the charts. The tune hit number one in December of 1972.
Loved having pop music icon Helen Reddy on The Candi & Randy Show yesterday. I’ve been a fan of her distinct, delicious voice forever.
Helen is currently on a “standing room only” multi-city tour of the US, and is expected to add international dates to her concert schedule soon.
Helen retired from live performance in 2002 and began practicing as a clinical hypnotherapist and motivational speaker. She decided to return to performing after the warm reception she received when she sang at her sister’s birthday party.
A music legend, Helen has enjoyed huge international success, especially in the United States, where she placed fifteen singles in the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. Six of those 15 songs made the Top 10 and three of those songs reached No. 1, including her signature hit “I Am Woman.”
She was the first artist to ever win the coveted American Music Award for “Favorite Pop/Rock Female” artist. She was also the first Australian to win a Grammy Award and to have three #1 hits in the same year.
In television, Helen was the first Australian to host her own one-hour weekly primetime variety show on an American network, along with several specials that were seen in over forty countries.
In 2011, Billboard named her the #28 AC artist (#9 among women) of all time.
Her current collection of greatest hits, The Woman I Am, is currently available at all digital download stores.
For more info about Helen and her touring schedule, visit www.helenreddy.com
