The WOMAN behind the ANTHEM

To the world she was a feminist icon, whose song I Am Woman became a rousing call to arms. But in her ’70s heyday, for one young girl, Helen Reddy was simply “Mum”. Traci Donat shares her mother’s life story with Elaine Lipworth.

- Traci Donat

Dazzling in a flowing magenta gown, Australian singer Helen Reddy’s smile was equally bright as she strode on stage to accept the Grammy Award for her global hit, I Am Woman, on March 3, 1973. Having beaten out stiff competition in the form of icons Barbra

Streisand and Aretha Franklin, the 31-year-old thanked her husband, Jeff, “because he makes my success possible”. Then, without missing a beat, she continued, “And I would like to thank God, because she makes everything possible”.

Polite applause followed, but many in the crowd were visibly shocked. The televised ceremony was held in Nashville that year, the traditionally conservative home to country music, and the atmosphere in the city’s Tennessee Theatre was tense. For while the singer’s words, spoken with conviction, delighted her fans, not everyone appreciated them.

Courageous and audacious in equal measure, Helen, who was the first Australian to win the prestigious award, had earnt a place in music history. Cementing her reputation as a champion of feminism, she went on to smash stereotypes, galvanising a generation of women in their fight for equal rights. Going on to become the top-selling female singer in the world, with a slew of hits including Ain’t No Way to Treat a Lady, Delta Dawn and Angie Baby, and hosting her own TV show, Helen retired 18 years ago, coming back with one final live performance in 2017, fittingly singing I Am Woman.

Now, a new audience is discovering her fascinating life and songs with the film I Am Woman, starring a luminous Tilda Cobham-Hervey as the charismatic singer.