Branigan, Laura (1957–2004)

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Branigan, Laura (1957–2004)

American singer. Born July 3, 1957, in Brewster, NY; died of a brain aneurysm, age 47, Aug 26, 2004, in East Quogue, NY; attended Academy of Dramatic Arts; m. Lawrence Kruteck (lawyer, died 1996).

Powerful singer with a 5-octave range, toured Europe as a backup vocalist for Leonard Cohen; signed with Atlantic Records (1982); released debut album Branigan (1982), which featured the pop hit "Gloria" and earned her a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocalist; had other hit singles with "Solitaire" (1983), "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" (1983), "Self Control" (1984) and "The Power of Love" (1988); starred as Janis Joplin in off-Broadway musical, Love, Janis (2002). Other albums include Branigan 2 (1983), Self Control (1984), Hold Me (1985), Touch (1987), Laura Branigan (1990), Over My Heart (1993) and The Best of Branigan (1995).