Laura Branigan was a Grammy-nominated pop singer, songwriter, and actress. She rose to prominence through her cinematic, synth-driven, club-friendly dance-pop songs. Her song ‘Gloria’ reached number one in Australia and Canada. It also stayed on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for 36 weeks. Two of her songs were selected for the movies ‘Flashdance’ and ‘Ghostbusters.’
Music career
Before entering the music world, Laura worked as a waitress. In 1972 she met guitarists Walker Daniels and Chirrs Van Cleave, and they formed a flock-rock band named ‘Meadow.’ The group released their first album ‘The Friend Ship’ in 1973. The album failed to gain any attention, and eventually, the band broke up. In 1982, she made her first song, ‘Looking Out for Number One,’ in the album ‘Silver Dreams.’ It made a brief appearance on the U.S. music chart reaching No. 60. A year later, she released another album ‘Branigan.’ The album earned four subsequent Grammy nominations for Best Pop Vocal Performance. In 1983, she released another album ‘Branigan 2’ and it also gathered a vast audience from all across the world. Throughout the 1980s, Branigan released several superhit albums and songs. Her popularity began to decline in the early 1990s, and she released her final album ‘Over My Heart’ and it went unnoticed and failed to get any attention. She left the music industry in 1994 after seven years.
Acting career
Branigan made her acting debut in 1981 with a TV show, ‘An American Girl in Berlin.’ After her single ‘Gloria,’ she made several guest appearances on many American TV series including ‘Chips,’ ‘Monsters,’ and ‘Knight Rider.’ She also appeared in movies including ‘Mugsy’s Girls (1984)’ and ‘Backstage (1988)’.
Personal life
Laura Branigan married Larry Ross in 1978. He was a lawyer and died of colon cancer on Ju15, 1966. She left music behind to care for him. Branigan also had a relationship with the drummer of her band Tommy Bayiokos.
Laura Branigan’s death
Branigan suffered a brain aneurysm and died in her sleep at 52 in East Quogue, New York, on August 26, 2004. She had been experiencing headaches for several weeks before her death but did not seek medical attention. Her ashes were scattered over Long Island Sound.
Here are some beautiful photos of Laura Branigan from her early life and music career.
