Laura Branigan

Laura Ann Kruteck (née Branigan; July 3, 1952 – August 26, 2004) was an American singer. Her signature song, the platinum-certified 1982 cover of Umberto Tozzi's single "Gloria", stayed on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for 36 weeks, then a record for a female artist, peaking at No. 2. It also reached number one in Australia and Canada. In 1984, she reached number one in Canada and Germany and No. 4 in the U.S. with "Self Control". "Gloria" and "Self Control" were also successful in the United Kingdom, each hitting the top 10 on the UK singles chart.

Her career peaked in the 1980s, with other hits including the top 10 "Solitaire" (1983), the U.S. Adult Contemporary chart number one "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" (1983), the Australian No. 2 "Ti amo" (1984) (another Tozzi cover), her return to the top 40 with "The Power of Love" (1987), and "Shattered Glass" (1987), which reached the top 15 of the U.S. dance chart. Her most successful studio album was 1984's platinum Self Control. She also contributed songs to motion picture and television soundtracks, including the Grammy and Academy Award–winning Flashdance soundtrack (1983), the Ghostbusters soundtrack (1984), and Miami Vice (1984). In 1984, she won the Tokyo Music Festival with the song "The Lucky One".

Her chart success waned as the decade closed, and after her last two albums Laura Branigan (1990) and Over My Heart (1993) garnered little attention, she generally retired from public life for the rest of the 1990s. She returned to performing in the early 2000s, notably appearing as Janis Joplin in the off-Broadway musical Love, Janis. She was recording new music and preparing a comeback to the music industry.

Branigan and her music saw renewed popularity and public interest when "Gloria" was adopted by the NHL's St. Louis Blues as their unofficial victory song as the team won its first Stanley Cup in franchise history in 2019.

Laura Ann Branigan was born July 3, 1952, in Mount Kisco, New York, the fourth of five children born to Irish American parents Kathleen (née O'Hare) and James Branigan Sr., an account executive and mutual funds broker; they later separated. Her younger brother William "Billy" Branigan, also a musician, played guitar in Branigan's backing band early in her career and contributed to her 1993 album Over My Heart as co-producer, arranger, guitarist, bassist, and backing vocalist, in addition to co-writing the track "Over You" with his sister. He died of a heart attack in 2022, aged 65.

Branigan was raised in Armonk, New York, and attended Catholic school in nearby Chappaqua. She attended Byram Hills High School, graduating in 1970.

In 1972, Branigan formed the folk-rock band Meadow. A year later, the group released their debut album The Friend Ship. After Meadow disbanded, Branigan was one of Leonard Cohen's backup singers for his European tour in 1976. In 1979, Branigan was signed by Ahmet Ertegun to Atlantic Records.

Branigan's nine-track debut album, Branigan, came out in 1982. The first single, "All Night with Me", reached No. 69 on the Billboard charts. "Gloria", recorded in 1979 by Umberto Tozzi and a hit in Europe, was the second single. Pop radio was initially unreceptive, but it eventually became one of the biggest hits of the 1980s. The album sold gold, and the single sold platinum (sales of more than two million U.S. copies). Branigan was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance alongside Linda Ronstadt, Olivia Newton-John, Juice Newton, and that year's winner, Melissa Manchester.

Branigan 2 was released in 1983, with her English-language version of "Solitaire", originally written and recorded by Martine Clemenceau, hitting the US top 10. The English translation of "Solitaire" was the first major hit for Diane Warren, and "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" was the first major hit for its co-writer, Michael Bolton.

Having acted on West German television before her singing career took off, Branigan took roles on CHiPs, Automan, and Knight Rider at the height of her career. She later appeared in films, including Mugsy's Girls (1985) and Backstage. She sang on national television and radio campaigns for Dr Pepper, Coca-Cola, and Chrysler, which sponsored her 1985–86 tour.

In 1984, "Self Control", the title track of Branigan's third album, peaked at No. 4 in the US and became her biggest hit internationally. Other hits from Self Control include "The Lucky One" (which won her a Tokyo Music Festival prize), "Ti Amo", which was another Umberto Tozzi cover, and "Satisfaction".

Branigan's live show was recorded twice in 1984, for a nationally syndicated radio special, and for a concert video. Branigan was nominated at the American Music Awards of 1985 for favorite pop/rock female video artist (won by Cyndi Lauper). In 1985, Branigan performed the main theme for the mini-series Hollywood Wives, based on the Jackie Collins novel.

Branigan's seventh and final studio album, Over My Heart, came out in 1993. Branigan had greatest hits collections released in South America, Japan, Germany, South Africa, and the U.S. In 1994, Larry Kruteck, Branigan's husband (m. 1978), was diagnosed with cancer. Branigan nursed him full-time until his death in 1996.

In early 2001, Branigan's return to the stage was postponed when she broke both of her femurs in a fall from a ladder outside her home in New York. In 2002, she performed twice as Janis Joplin in Love, Janis, before dropping out of the role. "I left Janis because the producers failed to file with Equity properly," she told the Sunday News. "I was sort of relieved. My voice isn't anything like Janis Joplin's, and there were 19 of her songs in the show."

Branigan married Lawrence Kruteck in 1978. He was diagnosed with colon cancer in the mid-1990s, and Laura cut back on her entertainment career to take care of him. He died in 1996. She went on to date the drummer in her band, actor/musician Tommy Bayiokos.

Branigan died in her sleep at her lodge in East Quogue, New York, on August 26, 2004, aged 52. The cause was an undiagnosed cerebral aneurysm. It was reported that she had experienced headaches for several weeks before her death, but did not seek medical attention. Branigan was cremated, and her ashes were scattered over Long Island Sound.

At the time of Branigan's death, it was reported that she was 47 years old. The Associated Press issued a correction in 2016.

At Byram Hills High School in Armonk, New York, the Laura Branigan Memorial Scholarship is given annually to a senior for excellence in the performing arts.

The St. Louis Blues NHL team began using Branigan's version of "Gloria" as its unofficial victory song when they went on a franchise-record 11-game winning streak during the 2018–19 season. The team advanced to the 2019 Stanley Cup Final and defeated the Boston Bruins. The bands Phish and Vampire Weekend, both holding concerts in St. Louis the night of Game 7, performed "Gloria" when the Blues won the Cup. The dramatic turnaround in the Blues' fortunes led to "Gloria" being embraced as their new victory anthem, with the song played every time the Blues win a home game. "Gloria" re-entered the Billboard charts and reached No. 3 on the iTunes singles chart.

Branigan's other hits saw significant upticks in streams and downloads, and her management received numerous requests for live performances, necessitating a statement reminding the public that Branigan is deceased. Terming "Gloria" an "unlikely championship anthem", Forbes noted that the Blues' Stanley Cup victory could permanently alter the meaning and legacy of the song, with it forever associated with the St. Louis Blues and hockey in general.