Helen Reddy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Helen Reddy
Helen Reddy in concert, 1974
Background information
Born	(1941-10-25)25 October 1941 Melbourne, Australia
Died	29 September 2020(2020-09-29) (aged 78) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	Pop, Adult Contemporary, Easy Listening
Occupation(s)	Singer, actress
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	1970–2002, 2011
Labels	Fontana Records Capitol MCA Helen Reddy Inc.
Associated acts	Olivia Newton-John

Helen Reddy (born October 25, 1941, died September 29, 2020) was a famous singer and actress from Australia. She was also an activist, meaning she worked to bring about change. She had citizenship in both Australia and the United States.

Her most famous song, "I Am Woman," became a powerful song for women's rights. Many people called her a "feminist icon" because she inspired so many. She was known as the "Queen of '70s Pop" and was recognized as one of the top adult contemporary artists ever.

Early Life and First Steps

Helen Reddy was born in Melbourne, Australia, into a family that worked in show business. She began performing at just four years old.

She sang on radio and television shows. In 1966, she won a talent contest on an Australian TV program called Bandstand. Her prize was a trip to New York City and a chance to audition for a record deal. However, that audition was not successful.

Singing Career Highlights

Helen Reddy, 1975

To follow her dream of an international singing career, Helen moved to Chicago. Later, she moved to Los Angeles. There, she released her first songs, "One Way Ticket" in 1968 and "I Believe in Music" in 1970.

The other side of the "I Believe in Music" record was a song called "I Don't Know How to Love Him". This song became very popular in Canada. Because of its success, she signed with Capitol Records a year later.

Success in the 1970s

During the 1970s, Helen Reddy became very famous around the world, especially in the United States. She had 15 songs that reached the Top 40 on the Billboard music chart. Six of these songs made it into the Top 10, and three even reached No. 1. Her most famous No. 1 hit was "I Am Woman".

She also had 25 songs on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. Fifteen of these made the Top 10, and eight reached No. 1. Six of her songs hit No. 1 one after another!

In 1974, Helen won the award for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist at the very first American Music Awards. She was also the first Australian to host her own weekly TV show in America. Her TV specials were watched in over 40 countries.

Later Career and Return to Music

Between the 1980s and 1990s, her song "I Can't Say Goodbye to You" was her last to appear on the US charts. She then started acting in musicals and recording albums like Center Stage. She stopped performing live in 2002.

After retiring, she went back to university in Australia and earned a degree. She worked as a hypnotherapist (someone who uses hypnosis to help people) and a motivational speaker. In 2011, she sang with her half-sister, Toni Lamond, for Toni's birthday. This made Helen decide to start performing live again.

Personal Life

Citizenship and Community Work

Helen Reddy became a citizen of the United States in 1974. Later, when it became possible to have citizenship in both countries, she also got her Australian citizenship back.

She was very involved in community work. In the 1970s, she helped raise a lot of money for political candidates from the Democratic Party. In 1977, the Governor of California, Jerry Brown, asked Helen to join a special group that looked after California's parks. She served on this commission until 1980.

Family Life

Reddy and Wald with Betty Ford in 1976

When Helen was 20, she married Kenneth Claude Weate. They separated soon after their daughter, Traci, was born.

In 1968, she married Jeff Wald. Before marrying him, she converted to Judaism. They had a son named Jordan, who was born in 1972. Helen and Jeff divorced in 1983.

In June 1983, she married Milton Ruth, who was a drummer in her band. They divorced in 1995.

Her Passing

Helen Reddy passed away on September 29, 2020, in Los Angeles. She was 78 years old. In her later years, she had Addison’s disease and dementia.

About Her Life in Film

A movie about Helen Reddy's life, called I Am Woman, was released in 2019. In the film, actress Tilda Cobham-Hervey played the role of Helen Reddy.

Images for kids

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  Reddy in 1974

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  Reddy (second from right) in early 2007 with students at a Women's Leadership conference in Sydney

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  Reddy (right) with Carol Burnett, 1973

See also

In Spanish: Helen Reddy para niños