Who was Helen Reddy?
Helen Reddy was an Australian-American singer from Melbourne, best known for the 1972 song I Am Woman, which became an anthem of the women's liberation movement and won her a Grammy Award.
Born in Melbourne in 1941 into a show business family, Reddy performed from childhood. She won a talent contest in 1966 that took her to New York, where she pursued a singing career.
I Am Woman, which she co-wrote, reached number one in the United States in 1972. Accepting her Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, she famously thanked God because she makes everything possible.
Hits and legacy
Reddy had a string of hits in the 1970s, including Delta Dawn, Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress) and Angie Baby. She also hosted the TV music show The Midnight Special.
She later returned to Australia for a time and worked in theatre and as a clinical hypnotherapist. She later lived in Australia again for some years before returning to the United States, where she spent her final years in Los Angeles.
Reddy died in 2020. A biographical film, I Am Woman, starring Tilda Cobham-Hervey, was released the same year.
Did You Know?
I Am Woman was chosen as the theme for the United Nations International Women's Year in 1975.