In The 1970s Helen Reddy

Helen Reddy, the Australian singer behind feminist anthem I Am Woman, has died aged 78. Reddy died on Tuesday in Los Angeles, her family said in a statement on Facebook. Her children Traci Donat and Jordan Sommers described her as a "wonderful mother, grandmother, and a truly formidable woman". "Our hearts are broken. But we take comfort in the knowledge that her voice will live on forever." Reddy, who had Addison's disease and was diagnosed with dementia in 2015, spent the last years of her life in a celebrity care home in Los Angeles. She had a string of pop-rock hits in the 1970s, but is best known for the 1972 anthem I Am Woman - which became prominent in the women's liberation movement.

Helen Reddy was born in 1941, and her Australian roots kept her securely grounded for the fame that was to come. Her parents and brothers and sisters were all in the showbiz game, so Helen was well suited for the stardom that will engulf her.

In 1969 Helen moved to LA and was signed up by Capitol Records, and after a bumpy start she had her first hit In 1971 from Jesus Christ Superstar called  I Don't Know How To Love Him written by Webber and Rice.


Her next record was going to be the big one. It was actually recorded in 1970, but I Am Woman crashed into the worldwide charts in 1972, and for this record Helen won a Grammy for best female performance.

Helen once said  "Women have always been objectified in showbiz. I'd be the opening act for a comic and as I was leaving the stage he'd say, 'Yeah, take your clothes off and wait for me in the dressing room, I'll be right there'. It was demeaning and humiliating for any woman to have that happen publicly."

Lyrics to "I Am Woman"

Helen was a huge success in the 1970s in the U.S., with several top three hits including Delta Dawn, which was co-written by Alex Harvey, later to become a star himself in the Sensational Alex Harvey Band.

This was followed by Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress) which was a poor UK hit in 1973, but a deserved No.1 in the U.S. and Canada.
Lyrics to Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress)

It was 1974 when Angie scored big in the U.S. and in the UK with Angie Baby. Written by Alan O'Day, this went into the No. 5 position in the UK and No. 1 in the U.S. pushing Neil Sedaka out of position.

The song was loosely about a a lady with some small mental problems, and the name "Angie" was inspired by the Rolling Stones hit.
Lyrics to Angie Baby.

The followup in the U.S. was Emotion, and a few singles later she scored another huge international hit with Ain't No Way To Treat A Lady from the album No Way To Treat A Lady. The song was written b y Harriet Schock who wrote it about an ex lover.

Lyrics for Ain't No Way To Treat A Lady.