SYDNEY (AUSTRALIA) – Singer Helen Reddy, known for the 1972 song “I Am Woman” which went on to become a global feminist anthem, passed away in Los Angeles at the age of 78 on Tuesday, her family said.
The family wrote on her official Facebook account, “Our hearts are broken. But we take comfort in the knowledge that her voice will live on forever.”
Reddy, who was born in Australia, shifted to the United States in her early 20s after winning a talent contest. Her claim to success came with the song “I Don’t Know How To Love Him” in 1971.
However, her song “I Am Woman” made it to No. 1 in 1972, which took her to global stardom. It was then followed by hits such as “Delta Dawn”, “Angie Baby” and “Ain’t No Way to Treat a Lady”. She went on to be the anchor of her own TV variety show “The Helen Reddy Show” and starred in Hollywood films.
Reddy, who emerged as the world’s top-selling female vocalist in 1973 and 1974, officially retired in 2002. She was diagnosed with dementia in 2015.