Singer best known for the disco classic "I Will Survive," released in 1978. The song received a Grammy Award for Best Disco Recording in 1980.
She took business courses and went to beauty school to appease her mother.
Her first hit, "Never Can Say Goodbye," made her an overnight disco star. She is also known for "Let Me Know (I Have a Right)" from 1979 and "I Am What I Am" from 1983,
She married Linwood Simon in October 1979, and they divorced in 2005.
She has appeared on The Wendy Williams Show.