Laura Branigan

Laura Ann Branigan (July 3, 1957 – August 26, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter and actress. She is best remembered for her 1982 platinum-certified hit "Gloria" and for the Top 5 single "Self Control". Branigan is also remembered for the Top 10 "Solitaire" and for the number-one Adult Contemporary hit "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You", as well as several other U.S. Top 40 hits. As well as her music, she was also known for her powerful, husky alto singing voice which spanned four octaves. Branigan also contributed songs to notable motion picture and television soundtracks, including the Grammy and Academy Award-winning Flashdance soundtrack (1983), the Ghostbusters soundtrack (1984), and the Baywatch soundtrack (1994). Her signature song "Gloria" by Umberto Tozzi stayed on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for 36 weeks, at the time a record for a female artist. The song holds a place in the top 100 singles of both 1982 and 1983. Branigan died at her home in 2004, aged 47, from a previously undiagnosed cerebral aneurysm.