Laura Branigan

Laura Ann Branigan (July 3, 1952 – August 26, 2004"Obituary: Laura Branigan," Daily Post (Liverpool, England), September 1, 2004 ) was an American singer, songwriter and actress. 
Overview
Branigan was best known for her 1982 platinum hit Gloria. She also starred on several television shows. Branigan's songs were featured in soundtracks for the movies Flashdance and Ghostbusters.

Early life
Branigan was born on July 3, 1952 in Mount Kisco, New York, United States. Her father was an account executive and mutual funds broker. In 1970, she graduated from high school and attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City (NYC)."Laura Branigan", Contemporary Musicians Vol. 2  (Detroit: Gale, 1989) Biography in Context, Web. 22 August 2015

Career
Branigan toured Europe as a backup singer with Leonard Cohen. She started her solo career in 1982. Her first album, Branigan, was released in 1982. A song Gloria from that album stayed on top of the pop charts for 36 weeks. It reached number six on the British pop charts. It was a remake of an Italian song from the 1970s. The song got her a nomination for a Grammy for best female pop singer. She was nominated for three more during her career. 

She released seven more albums. She co-wrote the song How Am I Supposed To Live Without You? with a then unknown Michael Bolton. In 1981, Branigan appeared on German television in An American Girl in Berlin. She was a guest on the American TV show CHiPS. 

She starred in the movie Mugsy's Girls in 1984. She also appeared in the 1988 movie Backstage. In 2002, she starred in the Off-Broadway production of Love, Janis, playing Janis Joplin. She received rave (very good) reviews for her performance.

Personal
In 1981, Branigan met Larry Kruteck, an attorney, at a party in Manhattan. They married that same year, when she was 29 years old and he was 44. In 1994 her husband was diagnosed with colon cancer. She quit singing to take care of him full time. Kruteck died in 1996. 
Health decline
In 2001, as she was just returning to singing again, she fell from a ladder at her home and broke both her legs. Branigan was in physical therapy for six months.

Death
On August 26, 2004, Branigan died of a brain aneurysm. She died in her sleep at her home in East Quogue, New York. She was 52 years old.
References

Category:1952 births
Category:2004 deaths
Category:Artists from New York (state)
Category:Singers from New York (state)
Category:Deaths from intracranial aneurysm
Category:Actors from New York (state)
Category:People from Mount Kisco, New York