What is Gloria Gaynor's Net Worth?
Gloria Gaynor is an American singer who has a net worth of $20 million. Gloria Gaynor is best known for recording such hit disco songs as "I Will Survive," "Let Me Know (I Have a Right)," and "I Am What I Am." She also had a major hit with her cover of "Never Can Say Goodbye," which was featured on her debut studio album of the same name. Gaynor's other albums have included "I've Got You," "Love Tracks," "I Am Gloria Gaynor," "I Wish You Love," and "Testimony."
Early Life
Gloria Gaynor was born as Gloria Fowles on September 7, 1943 in Newark, New Jersey to Queenie and singer and musician Daniel. She had five brothers and a sister. Gaynor loved listening to the radio growing up, and also enjoyed records by such artists as Sarah Vaughan and Nat King Cole. As the family was not the most well off financially, they moved to a housing project in 1960. Gaynor went to South Side High School as a teen, and sang in local nightclubs.
Recording Career
After years of singing with the jazz and R&B group the Soul Satisfiers, Gaynor began her professional recording career when she signed to Columbia Records in the early 70s. However, when she struggled to achieve success there, she moved to MGM Records. On that label, Gaynor released her hit debut studio album, "Never Can Say Goodbye," in early 1975. Peaking at number 25 on the Billboard 200, it launched three hit singles: the title song, "Honey Bee," and "Reach Out, I'll Be There." Gaynor quickly followed this with her second album, "Experience Gloria Gaynor." In 1976, she released her third album, "I've Got You"; she subsequently released "Glorious" and "Gloria Gaynor's Park Avenue Sound." Gaynor had her biggest hit yet in 1978 with her album "Love Tracks," which made it to number four on the Billboard 200. Moreover, it spawned the most successful single of her career, "I Will Survive," which topped the charts in the US, UK, and Ireland.
Following the smashing success of "I Will Survive," Gaynor released the album "I Have a Right," which launched her next hit song, "Let Me Know (I Have a Right)." This was followed by the albums "Stories" and "I Kina Like Me," both of which were largely ignored in the US due to the disco backlash of the early 80s. Gaynor returned to success in 1984 with her cover of the "La Cage Aux Folles" tune "I Am What I Am," which was included on her album "I Am Gloria Gaynor." The song went on to become a gay anthem, making Gaynor a gay icon in the process. In 1986, she released the album "The Power of Gloria Gaynor," which was mostly comprised of covers. This was followed by "Love Affair," "I'll Be There," and "The Answer" in the 90s. Gaynor's albums in the 21st century include "I Wish You Love" and "Testimony."
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Acting Career
As Gaynor's career was gaining a new wind in the late 90s, the singer began acting in guest roles on a variety of television shows. Her credits included the sitcoms "The Wayans Bros." and "That '70s Show" and the legal dramedy series "Ally McBeal." Gaynor also did a limited engagement performance on Broadway in the musical revue "Smokey Joe's Cafe." Among her later credits, she appeared as a flight attendant in a Capital One television commercial in which Spike Lee, Samuel L. Jackson, and Charles Barkley sang "I Will Survive."
Collaborations
In 2021, Gaynor collaborated with Australian singer Kylie Minogue on the song "Can't Stop Writing Songs About You," which was included on the reissue of Minogue's album "Disco." The same year, Gaynor collaborated with the Christian band MercyMe to record the song "Brand New."
Honors and Accolades
In addition to winning a pair of Grammy Awards 40 years apart, Gaynor has received a myriad of honors over the years. Among them, she was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame in 2005 along with her anthem "I Will Survive." A little over a decade later, "I Will Survive" was inducted into the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry. Gaynor subsequently performed with her band at the Library's disco music celebration in 2017. Among her other honors, Gaynor received an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Dowling College in New York.
Personal Life
In 1979, Gaynor wed her first husband, Linwood Simon, who was also her manager. The pair later divorced in 2005. Gaynor does not have any children, a fact she attributes to Simon's disinterest in having kids.
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