Gloria Gaynor - Definition and Overview

Gloria Gaynor (real name Gloria Fowles, born September 7, 1949) is a U.S. singer best-known for the disco hit songs "I Will Survive" (1979) and "Never Can Say Goodbye" (1973).

Born in New Jersey, Gaynor was a singer with the Soul Satisfiers, a jazz/pop band, in the 1960s. Her first solo single was "She'll Be Sorry"/"Let Me Go Baby" (1965).

The lyrics of "I Will Survive" are written from the point of view of a woman, recently dumped, telling her ex-lover that she can cope without them and doesn't want anything more to do with them. The song has become something of an anthem of female emancipation, and is still a staple of office parties and karaoke nights, not to mention an anthem in North American gay culture. She also sang on lesser-known disco songs like "Honey Bee" (1973), "Casanova Brown" (1975), and "I Am What I Am" (1983).

She continued recording for many years, releasing "Last Night" in 2000, "Just Keep Thinking About You" in 2001, and "I Never Knew" in 2002.