The random thoughts of a genius...er...gene nash.
gloria... your number is up
Published on September 1, 2004 By Gene Nash In Music

        Unlike the William Hung email death rumor, this one is true.

        I found out Monday afternoon that somewhat popular songstress of the early-80's Laura Branigan died last Thursday at the age of 47. The statement on LauraBranigan.com reads:

 

It was confirmed to OneStor earlier today from Joan Di Tursi Laura's previous manager that Laura had passed away in her sleep last night Thursday August 26th of a brain aneurysm.
. . .

Her deep love and warmth made you feel as if you were the most important person in the world. Her vocal talents were known by many, even some who did not even know her by name. When a song like Gloria or Self Control came on, many would sing with smiles and perhaps remember a shared moment that they may have had to that specific song.

 

        Some Laura Branigan songs you may remember: Gloria, How Am I Supposed to Live Without You, Solitaire, The Power of Love (pre-Celine Dion).

 

Just a small town girl in the city lights
The best was yet to come
Then lonely days turned to endless nights
The best was yet to come
How were you to know
That you would be the lucky one
Ain't it funny how time flies
When the best is yet to come
You can cry yourself to sleep at night
You can't change the things you've done
You had it there then it slipped away
Yeah you left the song unsung
-- Laura Branigan

 

        I had a huge crush on Laura Branigan back in my preteen to teen years. Ironically I was thinking about her just the other day.

How am I supposed to live without you
When I've been loving you so long

        Now she's dead.

Oh, if I could touch you,
It'd be a once in a lifetime dream come true,
And oh, if I could have you,
just one night,
just one time,
But I know I'll never get the chance
-- Laura Branigan

        How very, very sad.

 

[Click here for the official press release announcing her death.]


Comments
on Sep 01, 2004

Wow, how very sad indeed!  Her songs always take me back to high school dances.  Only 47?!  It is the most unsettling thing to me when I hear that someone so close to my age died of "natural causes" like cancer or stroke or aneurysm.


Thanks for sharing the sad news.

on Sep 01, 2004
I am being totally serious here. I was just thinking at the beginning of last week, "I wonder what ever happened to Laura Brannigan?"... so I looked it allmusic.com.... and then I heard she died 4 days later. I thought it was a strange coincidence indeed....
on Sep 01, 2004
You know, I saw a retrospective headline about her on Google news a day or two ago and I never considered that it meant she was dead. Really sad. That was a bad time for musicians to get buried under one song and discarded by the industy. A shame.
on Sep 01, 2004
Hey! I was in love with Laura Brannigan too. She was one hot lady for sure, with a powerful voice. I read about it the day she died........and I think a little part of me did too.

As far as Brannigan being buried under one song, (career wise) I had heard that she became quite full of herself after, "Gloria", climbed the charts. I think the, Bigwigs said, ok, see ya!
on Sep 01, 2004
I read she played Janis Joplin near Broadway.
on Sep 01, 2004
That's sad.  She was so young.  Really gives a dose of mortality.
on Sep 01, 2004
wow, that's a shocker. She died way too young.