Free For All Fridays: I Am Woman

The day where anything goes.

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Cover of 1972 I Am Woman album

I stumbled upon news of Helen Reddy's biopic "I Am Woman," which was made last year. I did not know such a thing had been done and it's about time. At the time of this writing I haven't watched it yet.

For those who don't know who she is, Helen is an extremely successful singer from the 1970's. She was born to a show business family in Australia in 1941 and immigrated to the U.S with her young daughter in 1966 after winning an Australian talent competition. Her signature song, "I Am Woman" came out in 1971 and became the women's rights anthem. The song was a tough sell to the all male record industry who perceived it as too angry and initially refused to produce it. When they gave in, radio stations refused to play it. But demand for it caught on and it became iconic inspiring women to reach for their dreams and do the things they had been told they couldn't do because they are women. Helen, an already seasoned professional, wanted to make a statement about the women's movement. "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." Helen, who wrote the lyrics, states, ""I remember lying in bed one night and the words, 'I am strong, I am invincible, I am woman', kept going over and over in my head. That part I consider to be divinely inspired. I had been chosen to get a message across." "I Am Woman" was neither the beginning, nor the end to her career. She went on to have many hits as well as roles in several movies, most notably as the star in Disney's Pete's Dragon where she sang the Oscar nominated song "Candle On the Water", and as the nun in Airport '75. In the 80's when album sales were down, she reinvented herself on Broadway.

But it's her music she is remembered for at least by those of us who remember her. I was a big fan even though she was not someone teenage girls in the 70's were listening to.

But someone was buying those top selling albums. Hit after hit. I Am Woman, Delta Dawn, Angie Baby, You and Me Against the World, Keep On Singing, Ruby Red Dress (the Leave Me Alone Song), That Ain't No Way to Treat a Lady, I Believe in Music, I Don't Know How to Love Him...

But it is I Am Woman that she is remembered by. We're living in strange times where women are being sent death threats for calling

Cover of 1971 I Don't Know How To Love Him

themselves women, and men are being encouraged to call themselves women. It's bizarre. So it seems appropriate to celebrate this song, at least for today.

Marie Osmond interviewed Helen in 2013 and Helen tells the reason why she wrote the song. Plus she sings a bonus song.

Here's the song that Helen is talking about in the above clip. Born a Woman by Sandy Posey.

From the Midnight Special 1971

Trailer for the biopic that was just recently made.

Bonuses Her appearance on Airport 75 singing a song she wrote.

Candle on the Water from Pete's Dragon

The Leave Me Alone song that Helen hates so much. The phrase "leave me alone" is sung 43 times. And it's actually called "Ruby Red Dress". I like it, but then it wasn't expected of me to sing it every night in concert.

Although she officially retired in 2002, here she is at the 2017 Women's march.

And one more bonus. The song that has been going through my head a lot lately. From the I Am Woman album. Peaceful. I really like the chorus. May you have peace in these troubled times.