![]() ![]() Upon leaving the hospital, she teamed with the writing and production duo of Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris to create "I Will Survive." A declaration of resilience and phoenix-like rebirth in the wake of a lover's betrayal, as a triumph of the spirit the song boasts so much attitude and sass that it veers dangerously close to pure camp - Gaynor wrings every last drop of drama from the lyrics, bolstered by a sweeping string arrangement ripped directly from the show tune tradition. From there it got worse: While performing in Europe in the spring of 1978, Gaynor slipped off the stage, suffering a severe spinal injury that kept her bedridden for nine months around the same time, she lost her mother as well. Gaynor didn't need to look far for inspiration: After scoring her first hit, 1974's "Never Can Say Goodbye," she was crowned the Queen of Disco, but subsequent singles stiffed and soon her throne was usurped by Donna Summer. ![]() Equal parts dancefloor juggernaut and Broadway show-stopper, Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" remains the disco era's definitive expression of feminine empowerment, a gloriously over-the-top celebration of strength, independence, and finger-wagging defiance in the face of heartbreak and loss. ![]()
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