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News 12 Staff

322spotlightnj2_2025-03-22-12-29-05

The song I Will Survive is a global anthem. It is the signature song for two-time Grammy Award winning singer Gloria Gaynor, a native of Newark. We talked about the story behind this song at her home in Bergen County. You came out with the anthem. I will survive. Did you know that was gonna be that big a song? Well, I didn't know how big, but I did know it was gonna be big because I recognized when I was recording it. My thought was I'm relating to this, this fact that I'm in a, a back brace right now and hoping that I'll survive this surgery. My mother had only passed away a few years prior. Something I never thought I'd survive, so I'm thinking I'm relating all of this personal stuff to this song. Everybody's gonna do that. They're gonna hear these words and they're gonna relate whatever it is they're going through. They, they're feeling at the moment is insurmountable and yet hoping they'll survive. So yeah, I knew it was gonna be huge. I didn't know how far the record company would take it, you know, what, where they would release it. And all of that, but I didn't know that it would be popular wherever it was, wherever it was heard and for as long as it's played. Is it true you're the one who saw that it was more than just a B-side song? Oh yeah. Oh yeah, when I first, when I first read the lyrics, I'm reading the lyrics and I'm looking at them going, what are you nuts? You're gonna put this on the B side? They said, well, that's the deal we made. I said, well, if it's left to me, it's not gonna stay on the B side. And so we brought it back to New York and, and told them to play it, you know, this should be the A side. They wouldn't even listen to it. And so then we took it to Studio 54. Yes, because this is like the most jaded audience in the entire world. If it passed that test, then I'm right. And the audience stormed the dance floor with the first playing of that song, and I'm like, yeah, this is, I'm right. Did you love that reaction? Oh, of course, of course. I was over I was in Britain. I was over the moon. I was so elated, you know, with that. It was such validation for me.

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323spotlightnj3_2025-03-23-08-45-36

Two time Grammy Award winner Gloria Gaynor has a gospel album out called Testimony, a passion she's carried in her heart for years. When we chatted at her home in Bergen County, she explained what motivated her. That was an inspiration that came to me many years before I ever got to do it. It was something I'd wanted to do ever since I've finally decided to become serious about my faith in Christ and um so I was asking my manager, you know, I wanna do a gospel album I was writing gospel songs, and he was like, yeah, OK, we'll do that, we'll do that one, yeah, yeah, sure, soon as we finish this. And that just went on and on and on. And finally I got new management who respects my, my wishes and my designs and desires for my own career. And and is willing to help me with whatever I wanna do. So finally I got the opportunity. She made the opportunity for me to do it. I like that she made the opportunity. What is the message you want people to walk away with from that music? I want them to recognize that. As he said himself, Christ is the truth, the truth, the life in the way. And, and there just isn't anything else. But if you turn to him. Just like my life completely changed. I completely changed. They became a whole new and better version of myself. That's what he helps you to do. Because he created you, he gave you your gifts, your talents, your abilities, and he will help you to hone them and bring them to the best that you can possibly be. Everything that you in your heart of hearts, want to be. You also share that message in your biopic and your documentary both are wonderful. We learned so many things about you that we didn't know you went through, Gloria. Yeah, well, we all go through stuff, you know, we don't all tell it. You were more than just an assistant, Steph. Now you had my back when we first met. I want to rebuild my career. And you've got the vision, the drive, and most importantly, I trust you. Will you be my manager? Yeah. Yeah, let's do this.

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323spotlightnj4_2025-03-23-10-56-21

Two-time Grammy winner Gloria Gaynor went through a lot to become successful. She says she had bumps along the road that changed her perspective on life and made her who she is. We sat down at her home in Bergen County. People say, well, you know, your experiences what made you who you were. See, I just feel like if you wanna go, I often say if you wanna go from New York to Florida, you don't need to go by way of California. And I kinda went by way of California, you know, and most of us do, most of us do. And why did you feel now was the right time to share your story? Well, because it's about to culminate at some point, you know, I mean, not a whole lot of people live. Beyond my age and doing what I'm doing and having the audience that I'm having at this point. So if I'm gonna reach the the greatest amount of people, I think this is the time. What do you say to people about aging, you know, is it a state of mind? What to let them know it doesn't have to stop you from doing what you love, your passion or who you are, no, doesn't change who you are, shouldn't change who you are doesn't have to stop anything. I'm doing more of the same, of course I'm doing it in different ways and and I'm having to compensate. For physically for things that I was, was, was not what was able to do before that I'm unable to do now because of the surgeries that I've had accidents that I've had different things that I've gone through, but it's not because of my age, it's because of things that have happened to me. These things happen to young people, you know, I never forget I was sitting in physical therapy and I was complaining about my knees and how I wasn't able to do. I had surgery on my knee. And uh how I wasn't able to do the things that I was able, you know, that I wanted to do and I was a young man in the area just in front of me and he was standing there trembling, trying to put 1 ft in front of the other. And I just cried. I was like, how dare you? How dare you feel sorry for yourself. This boy is just starting his life and is unable to move the way he wants to move and you're sitting here complaining because you've gotten to be 65 and you're having a problem. Come on. You know, and I just like pulled myself up out of that and I thought, wherever you are, do the best that you can do, be the best that you can be and that's all you or anyone else can or should ask of you.

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323SPOTLIGHTNJ5_2025-03-23-13-08-04

Singer Gloria Gaynor is involved with a cause that's special to her heart. One adorable pet sat with us for this whole interview at her home in Bergen County. This cutie belongs to her manager, Stephanie Gold. Gloria Parker is so adorable, isn't he? He's a rescue. Yes, he is. Tell me about it from Dan and Ron's rescue in, in, uh, South Carolina. Parker is, has, um, had a, uh, ACL torn, um, and he had to have surgery and so now he's going through physical therapy and hydrotherapy and, and different kinds of therapy and he's very good with it too. He of course the um. The technician, the person who's treating him loves him, you know, no one wants to finish the, the, the treatments because he's just, he's just the sweetest thing. He's he's wonderful. You two help each other with the recovery, yes, yes, yes. I'll never forget I was having a Christmas party and one of my friends, um. Had had surgery or something. she was in pain. Parker came down the stairs, all these people, he ran right to her and just snuggled up against her. I was like, it's so sweet. It's comforting her pain. Jesus, it's, it's very sensitive and gentle caring spirit. Why do rescues mean so much to you and this cause? Well, I just think that I, I love, I love animals. I love all animals. I especially love dogs, and I just think it's wonderful when somebody. Uh, takes care to find homes for these animals. They, they didn't ask to come into the world any more than we did, and they certainly they don't ask to come into the world and be abandoned as they so often are, you know, and people get rid of them in some of the most horrific ways, you know, sometimes, and then you have people who are, uh, like the puppy mills, you know, and the, the animals have to be rescued from the puppy mills and all of that and then in the. And Ron do all of that, um, their rescue is, they have I think over 100 dogs of their own that they've kept because they haven't been able to find homes for them, so they just keep them.

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She joined News 12’s Della Crews to discuss her latest EP “FIDA Known.”

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