Complex sentence: In the 1970s, Riley became a born-again Christian, and started to sing gospel music and briefly distanced herself from the song, however contrary to rumor, she never dropped the song from her concerts and it was always her most requested and popular number.
Split into simpler sentences: In the 1970s, Riley became a born-again Christian, and started to sing gospel music and briefly distanced herself from the song. However, she never dropped the song from her concerts and it was always her most requested and popular number.