Helen Reddy – From Melbourne to Broadway

Helen Reddy, a native of Melbourne, Australia has been singing and performing since the age of four thanks to the influence of her showbiz parents.  Mom Stella was a soap opera actress and dad Max a writer/producer/comedian.  By the time Helen had reached her teens she was a star, performing all across the land down under: dancing, singing and acting.  In 1966 she got the bug to travel to the U.S and see if she could make it in "the land of opportunity".  She started out in New York and moved to Chicago in 1967 where she was fortunate to land guest appearances on the Mike Douglas and Steve Allen shows, gaining some national exposure for her music. In 1968 she moved on to L.A. and by 1971 she had a recording contract with Capitol Records and a career that was about to explode.

Her first single for the label was "I Believe In Music" but it was the "B" side that radio D.J.s would find the most appealing.  Taken from the Andrew Lloyd Webber rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar, "I Don't Know How To Love Him" would peak at the No. 13 position in the spring of 1971.  Her first album would contain several more top 75 singles and the original version of "I Am Woman."  Included in the soundtrack to the movie Stand Up And Be Counted, it garnered enough attention to send Reddy back into the studio to enhance the production of her song with a final verse and additional background vocals.  With its message to women worldwide it became the anthem for feminist movements everywhere and climbed the charts steadily until it peaked at the NO.1 position in December of 1972, selling over a million copies.  She was voted the Grammy award the following March for "best female performance" and during her acceptance speech thanked God "because SHE makes everything possible."  If her music had not gotten her noticed her speech certainly would take care of that.

The world of Helen Reddy became a non-stop event of TV appearances and more hit records.  “Delta Dawn" would reach the No.1 spot in the summer of 1973 and she would have her own summer TV show that year.  More Top 10 successes would follow; "Leave Me Alone" (Ruby Red Dress), "You And Me Against The World", and her next No.1 single "Angie Baby" in the closing week of 1974. Movieroles in such features as Airport '75, Pete's Dragon and Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band would follow and in 1975 she was the permanent host of the weekly pop music show The Midnight Special.  Helen Reddy was selling millions of records and had earned her place as one of the true superstars of the music industry.

She would continue to record and have chart success through the late 1970s but by the turn of the decade the hits no longer were coming. Taking a few steps back to enjoy life, Helen Reddy would perform only select dates in the 1980s.  Her roots in the theatre were too strong to ignore and by the early 1990s she was performing in shows such as Anything Goes, Call Me Madam, Blood Brothers and Willy Russell's Shirley Valentine.  Her performances would take her from Broadway to London and she would also perform in concert with
symphony orchestras around the globe.  A resident of California for over 30 years, she became active in community affairs and served for three years as the Commissioner of Parks and Recreation for the state Helen Reddy has had a life and career of amazing success that has endeared her to fans in every corner of the earth and she continues to bring her talent and charm wherever she performs.

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