Gloria Gaynor, whose 60th birthday it is today, was a bonafide soul singer when she began her long showbiz career in the late 60s. However it was the Disco era that brought fame and fortune to this particular diva, "topping and tailing" it as she did - with Never Can Say Goodbye in the mid 70s, and of course her classic I Will Survive at the end of the decade, keeping the flame alive into the 80s with her upbeat version of I Am What I Am.
Unfortunately coinciding with this later success, Miss Gaynor well-and-truly blotted her copybook with her number one buying audience, the gays, when she became a bible-thumper and allegedly said a few disparaging remarks that immediately lost her that treasured "gay icon" status.
So, in this 30th anniversary year of the song - and in honour of my tacky music tradition on a Monday - I thought it best to focus on the (now well-and-truly clichéd) anthem for which she remains famous, in its many incarnations (but not that awful Sugababes song)...
And, finally, the original...
Happy birthday, Glo! Even if you're a silly bitch who thinks we all "should be led to your God", we continue to ignore your misguided comments as we lip-synch along to your songs...
