Gaynor, Gloria (1949–)

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Gaynor, Gloria (1949–)

African-American pop singer. Born Gloria Fowles on Sept 7, 1949, in Newark, New Jersey; m. Linwood Simon, 1979.

Worked as an accountant after high school; joined band in Canada; toured for 18 months with band Soul Satisfiers; formed own band and signed with Columbia Records (early 1970s); scored disco hit with 1st single "Honey Bee" (1973); signed with MGM (mid-1970s); released hit cover of "Never Can Say Goodbye" (1975); reached #1 with signature hit, the disco anthem "I Will Survive" (1979); released albums Experience Gloria Gaynor (1975), Glorious (1977), Love Tracks (1979), I Am What I Am (1984), and Love Affair (1992).

See also autobiography I Will Survive: The Book (1997).