Laura's five octave range, and sheer power of her vocal instrument, make it possible to not only fill an arena with the wail of raw emotion, but to also caress a lyric so tenderly it seems to shimmer with sound.  To even the most causal observer it is clear she was meant to sing. Surprisingly though, it was not always clear to Laura. She talks freely about her development as a musician, explaining that it was only after touring with Leonard Cohen as a background vocalist that she realized what she wanted most was to sing. After returning from Europe with Cohen, she met with music industry legends Ahmet Ertegen and Doug Morris.

Branigan then signed on as a backing vocalist for Leonard Cohen, as she toured the world with the renowned singer/songwriter throughout the late '70s; resulting in the singer landing a recording contract on her own with Atlantic Records. But a breach-of-contract lawsuit resulted after Branigan changed management, which held up work commencing on her solo debut. With all issues sorted out by the early '80s, Branigan was now free to launch her solo career, as her debut, Branigan, was issued in 1982.

Pop singer/actress Laura Branigan was born on July 3, 1957, in the upstate New York town of Brewster. It wasn't until her senior year in high school that Branigan thought of pursuing a musical career, after she landed a lead role in a school musical, which led to her acceptance at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City by the mid-'70s. Branigan then signed on as a backing vocalist for Leonard Cohen, as she toured the world with the renowned singer/songwriter throughout the late '70s; resulting in the singer landing a recording contract on her own with Atlantic Records.

Mention Laura Branigan and even the most tone-deaf among us will start to hum Gloria. The chart-topping platinum hit which launched her career. It held its position at the top of Billboard's Top Ten for 22 weeks, so it's not surprising that many consider this to be her signature song. However, Laura Branigan, a four-time Grammy Award nominee with album and single sales exceeding ten million in the United States alone, has had three other top ten hits,  Self Control, How Am I Suppose To Live Without You, and Solitaire, and many other top forty hits including Power Of Love, The Lucky One, and Spanish Eddie, to name just a few.