I Will Survive: The Book [Hardcover]

Gloria Gaynor (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 1997

I Will Survive is the story of America's "Queen of Disco." It is the story of riches and fame, despair, and finally salvation. Her meteoric rise to stardom in the mid-1970s was nothing short of phenomenal, and hits poured forth that pushed her to the top of the charts, including "Honey Bee," "I Got You Under My Skin," "Never Can Say Goodbye," and the song that has immortalized her, "I Will Survive," which became a #1 international gold seller. With that song, Gloria heralded the international rise of disco that became synonymous with a way of life in the fast lane - the sweaty bodies at Studio 54, the lines of cocaine, the indescribable feeling that you could always be at the top of your game and never come down. But down she came after her early stardom, and problems followed in the wake, including the death of her mother, whose love had anchored the young singer, as well as constant battles with weight, drugs, and alcohol. While her fans always imagined her to be rich, her personal finances collapsed due to poor management; and while many envied her, she felt completely empty inside. In the early 1980s, sustained by her marriage to music publisher Linwood Simon, Gloria took three years off and reflected upon her life. She visited churches and revisited her mother's old Bible. Discovering the world of gospel, she made a commitment to Christ that sustains her to this day.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The legions of baby boomers active in the infamous disco scene during the 1970s remember Gaynor as the creator of such pop hits as "Honey Bee." Here, Gaynor tells of her fall from grace after the collapse of disco and the faith that helped sustain her.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

A tired and preachy autobiography from one of the first queens of disco. This is the kind of celebrity autobiography that serious readers have come to dread--the ``become famous, hit bottom, find God'' kind. We're told all about Gaynor's ``dark'' past, which included two abortions, drug use, and marital problems, but all this has become rather trite. Gaynor's tendency toward clich‚ is only compounded by the extremely poor detail that is given about any of these experiences. The abortions are mentioned without anything about the discovery of pregnancy; the drug use seems limited completely to marijuana--rather minor in an age in which cocaine and especially crack have taken a much more serious toll. Gaynor is also unable to turn the camera outward, with her analysis of disco music and its impact on popular music in general limited to a few pages. What hampers this autobiography beyond anything else, however, is Gaynor's relentless proselytizing for her newly found Christianity. While normally a reader might feel happy that a person who had suffered had found solace through religion, Gaynor's endless insistence that only through Jesus can one find salvation is egregiously offensive. Even her own brother, one of two of her siblings to join the Nation of Islam, is depicted in the book as being brushed off by her for rejecting Christianity. How this jibes with Gaynor's admission that her own husband is not yet born again is unclear. All of this, on top of the conversations that she claims to regularly have with God (in which the Almighty is an active participant), seems just a little too crackpot for believability. It's ironic that Gaynor states, ``There's been a lot of interest in a seventies revival in recent years''; if there were not, this book might never have been published. (16 pages photos, not seen) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press; First Edition edition (September 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312168691
• ISBN-13: 978-0312168698
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,015,480 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Gloria started the disco phenomenon, the book ignores this., October 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: I Will Survive: The Book (Hardcover)

I bought I Will Survive, the book, with sincere enthusiasm. I wanted to know everything about how this legend started the entire disco scene, afterall she was/is the very first disco queen. And whilst the book provides the reader with a good insight into Gloria's religious convictions and all the many challenges that success and plain old life has sent her way, the book doesn't seem to capture the excitement that the great lady caused around the world with her pioneering disco beat. Frankly, I was left feeling a little let down by the time I reached the end of the book. If anyone is best placed to write the definitive book about the 70's disco scene, it is Gloria Gaynor. I hope she will have another go, because whilst disco was condemned by many in its day (they were jealous), the music has since become highly respected and sought after over the years. I love you Gloria Gaynor, you are my idol, but please 'dish the dirt' on disco in your next book (now there's some encouragement)and tell us a lot more about what went on behind the scenes. I Will Survive, thanks to you. Love always, Vernal Scott, London, UK. 6.10.99

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Personal insight to a highly sensitive individual, June 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: I Will Survive: The Book (Hardcover)

Having met Gloria and her husband, Linwood, the book pieced the entire puzzle together. A surprising love story that truly sustained thick and thin.

I have realized a new found respect for this couple. Not in their sucess and the legendary status of Gloria Gaynor, but in how very "normal" they are as people, just like us.

3.0 out of 5 stars A big disappointing, February 28, 2011

By 

Charles Habersham "sham" (Beacon, New York USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: I Will Survive: The Book (Hardcover)

I remember Gloria Gaynor. I danced to her music in Disco's back in the day and I really thought this book would contain more than it did. The religious aspect turned me off, but it is interesting reading if you're interested in music and things of the past. It was okay.