Photo: Universal Pictoral Press / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Laura Branigan had one of the most physically powerful voices of the 1980s, and I think she remains underrated as an interpreter. Gloria was an Umberto Tozzi cover, yet she owned it so completely that 36 weeks on the Hot 100, then a record for a female artist, felt inevitable. Her gift was urgency: every chorus sounded like a matter of survival. I love that she won at the 1984 Tokyo Music Festival, a small bridge to Japan. Her death in 2004 cut the story short, but the enduring life of Gloria in films and stadiums proves the voice outlived its era.
Overview
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.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Laura Branigan
- Name (Japanese)
- ローラ・ブラニガン
- Reading
- ろーら・ぶらにがん
- Born
- July 3, 1952 – August 26, 2004
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Cancer / Dragon
- Origin
- Mount Kisco, New York, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- singer / stage actor / television actor / pianist / film actor
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Byram Hills High School
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1983
- 1984 Tokyo Music Festival
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Singer — see all → · Stage actor — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-11
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.