Laura Branigan, The #79 Female Artist of the Rock Era

Laura Branigan was born in Brewster, New York.  She joined the group Meadow, which recorded one 1973 album The Friend Ship. After the group split, Branigan became a backing singer for Leonard Cohen for his European tour.

In 1979, Laura signed a recording contract with Atlantic Records. She released the single "Looking Out For Number One', which received some airplay on the Dance chart. Branigan released her debut album Branigan in 1982, but "All Night With Me" at #69 was the best she could do.

Then, Branigan released the single "Gloria". Initially, "Gloria" was only popular in dance clubs, but eventually radio became receptive to it and it reached #2 for a solid three weeks, sold over two million copies and helped the album go Gold. "Gloria" was on the chart for 36 weeks, at the time a record for a female artist. Branigan was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female at the Grammys.

After the success of "Gloria", Branigan acted in the television shows CHiPS and Knight Rider.

In 1983, Laura released the album Branigan 2.  In addition to establishing herself as a legitimate star, the two hits on Branigan's second album began the careers for two then-unknowns who went on to become songwriting legends.  Diane Warren translated the French song "Solitaire" into English and Branigan's four-octave alto voice propelled her version to #7.

From there, Laura released "How Am I Supposed To Live Without You", the first major hit for its co-writer, Michael Bolton.  Branigan hit #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart for three weeks and #12 overall. 

  Branigan contributed a song to the Grammy Award-winning, six-million selling "Flashdance" Soundtrack, "Imagination".  In 1984, Laura released the album Self Control.  The title song became a huge worldwide hit, rocketing to #1 for six weeks in West Germany, topping the Austrian chart and becoming a Top 10 hit in over 10 countries, including peaking at #4 in the United States.

"The Lucky One" was a big Dance hit and reached the Top 20, plus it earned Branigan a Tokyo Music Festival prize.

  Umberto Tozzi, who had written the original version of "Solitaire", also wrote "Ti Amo" for her.  Branigan's next effort made it to #2 in Australia and was an Adult Contemporary hit.

In 1985, Branigan was nominated for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Video Artist, and she recorded the theme for the television mini-series Hollywood Wives.

From the album Hold Me, "Spanish Eddie" became her sixth hit in two-and-a-half years, reaching #8 in Austria and becoming another AC hit.

  Branigan took another Bolton song, "I Found Someone" and enjoyed a hit with it before Cher did.  She also took the Jennifer Rush song "The Power Of Love" to #19.

Branigan released several more albums and singles and received some Dance and international airplay, but she did not reach the Top 20 again.    

Branigan died at her home in East Quogue, New York, on August 26, 2004, of a previously undiagnosed cerebral aneurysm.  She was 52 years old.  At her high school (Byram Hills High School in Armonk, New York), the Laura Branigan Memorial Scholarship is awarded annually to a senior for excellence in the Performing Arts.

In her career, Branigan amassed 13 hits, with three Top 10's.  She scored 12 Adult Contemporary hits, with three Top 10 songs and one #1.