Branigan was best known for her 1982 hit “Gloria”, which landed on the charts for 36 weeks and earned her one of her four Grammy Award nominations. 

Branigan was a senior in high school when she first began to dream a career in music. After landing the lead in a school musical, she began to pursue her career by studying at the Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. Her first professional job was as a backup singer for Leonard Cohen.  She kicked off her solo career in 1982 with the release of her self-titled debut album, which spawned the hit “Gloria”.  She would go on to release six follow-up albums and contribute to a number of film soundtracks including Flashdance, Ghostbusters and a duel with David Hasselhoff for the Baywatch soundtrack. 

Her second album also spawned two hit singles for “Solitaire" and "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You". The latter, a song co-written by Michael Bolton, that he later rode to the top of the pop charts in 1990.  Her 1987 album, Touch, included the song “Power of Love”, which Celine Dion made a hit in 1994. 

That same year, Branigan dropped out of the music scene to spend the next two years helping her husband Larry Kruteck in his unsuccessful fight with colon cancer. For the next six years, Branigan remained off the radar but returned to the spotlight with her critically acclaimed off-Broadway portrayal of Janis Joplin in Love, Janis in 2002. 

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