What was the cause of Laura Branigan death?

Branigan began her career as a backup singer for Leonard Cohen before releasing her 1982 self-titled, solo debut. The album featured “Gloria,” a remake of a Seventies Italian pop song, that propelled her to the top of the charts and earned her a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocalist. Branigan received four Grammy nominations throughout her career.

Branigan spawned a handful of successful singles over the course of her seven albums. Her second record, 1983’s Branigan 2, included “Solitaire,” which peaked at Number Seven, and the Michael Bolton cowritten “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You.” Her other hits included 1984’s “Self Control” and “Spanish Eddie.”

Her work also appeared on movie soundtracks including “Imagination,” her Grammy nominated contribution to the Flashdance soundtrack. And Branigan dabbled in acting from her guest stint on CHiPs to roles in films Delta Pi and the drama Backstage.

During the Nineties, Branigan teamed with David Hasselhoff to record a duet, “I Believe,” which appeared on the Baywatch soundtrack. She returned to the studio in 2001 and hit the stage that year to portray Janis Joplin in the off-Broadway musical, Love, Janis. In 2002, Branigan issued The Essentials, a greatest hits collection.

With the 11th anniversary of Laura Branigan’s death on Wednesday, fans of the “Gloria” singer want to set the record straight. She wasn’t 47 when she died of a brain aneurysm, she was 52.

One superfan in Sweden, Stig Persson, told me he spent a year researching her childhood in Armonk during the ’50s: her years at Byram Hills High School, where she graduated in 1970, and her time at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, which she graduated from in 1972.

“Laura’s biography was a mess. Much was written to suit a history that Laura was born in 1957,” Persson said.

“Please let fans, readers and the rest of the world know that Laura Ann Branigan was born July 3, 1952.”

The 11th annual “Spirit of Love” celebration honoring Branigan is Saturday at the Hilton Garden Inn in Ronkonkoma, LI.

Laura Branigan, a Grammy-nominated pop singer best known for her 1982 platinum hit "Gloria," has died.

By Billboard Staff

08/30/2004

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Laura Branigan, a Grammy-nominated pop singer best known for her 1982 platinum hit “Gloria,” has died at the age of 47. Branigan died of a brain aneurysm Thursday in her sleep at her home in East Quogue, N.Y., said her brother Mark Branigan. He said she had complained to a friend of a headache for about two weeks before she died, but had not sought medical attention.

“Gloria,” a signature song from her debut album “Branigan,” stayed atop the pop charts for 36 weeks and earned her a Grammy nomination for best female pop vocalist, the first of four nominations in her career.

She also made television appearances, including guest spots on “CHiPs,” and in the films “Mugsy’s Girls” and “Backstage.”

Branigan released seven albums after her debut “Branigan,” including “Solitaire,” “Self Control,” and “How Am I Supposed To Live Without You,” which was co-written with Michael Bolton. Her songs also appeared on soundtracks for the films “Flashdance” and “Ghostbusters.”

Branigan was born July 3, 1957, and grew up in Brewster, N.Y. She attended the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Manhattan. During the late 1970s, she toured Europe as a backing vocalist for Canadian singer and songwriter Leonard Cohen. She signed as a solo artist with Atlantic Records in 1982.

After her run of success in the 1980s, her releases in the early 1990s attracted little attention. In 1994, she sang a duet with David Hasselhoff called “I Believe” for the soundtrack of the television show “Baywatch.” She released a 13-track “Best of Branigan” LP the next year.

After the death of her husband, Lawrence Kruteck, in 1996, Branigan stopped performing but returned to the stage in 2001. In 2002 she starred as Janis Joplin in the off-Broadway musical “Love, Janis,” which earned her rave reviews. Branigan recently had been working on material for a new release.

She is survived by her mother, two brothers and a sister. Funeral services are scheduled for today (Aug. 30).

Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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