Trailblazing singer Helen Reddy dies at the age of 78, family announce

Trailblazing singer Helen Reddy dies at the age of 78, family announce

Celebs

Helen Reddy dead: trailblazing singer dies at the age of 78

The Melbourne-born star was diagnosed with dementia in 2015 and had been living in a nursing home for retired Hollywood stars in Los Angeles when she passed away

Australian singer Helen Reddy has died aged 78 in America.

Her children – Traci Donat and Jordan Sommers – confirmed her death in a statement on the star’s official Facebook page.

Helen, who was best-known for her hit I Am Woman, died in Los Angeles.

The trailblazing songstress and activist’s life was recently crafted into the hit movie I Am Woman.

“It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved mother, Helen Reddy, on the afternoon of September 29th 2020 in Los Angeles,” the family wrote.

“She was a wonderful Mother, Grandmother and a truly formidable woman. Our hearts are broken. But we take comfort in the knowledge that her voice will live on forever.”

Earlier, her son posted a picture with his mother captioned with three purple hearts.

Diagnosed with dementia five years ago, she had been living in a nursing home for retired Hollywood stars in LA.

She found fame after arriving in New York as a 24-year-old single mother with only $200 to her name.

Helen went on to become the world’s top-selling female singer in 1973 and then again in 1974.

She won a Grammy for I Am Woman and it quickly turned her into a feminist icon.