ST. LOUIS (KMOX) — How would Laura Branigan feel about her smash hit "Gloria" being used to celebrate the Blues this season?
"She would be very humbled by it, first and foremost, and she would just think it's the greatest," said Kathy Golik, Branigan's most recent manager.Branigan died in 2004.
Branigan's version is a cover — the original wasn't so upbeat. Golik said it just wasn't clicking, so they upped the tempo and rewrote the lyrics.
"Although it's a cover song, the music and the words are all different from the original," Golik said.
Golik created what became Branigan's official website, which still operates, and became Branigan's manager shortly thereafter. She said all the attention on the song as the Blues improved this season is really special.
Out of the office right now and guess what I have playing?? GLORIA, of course!!------ GO @StLouisBlues !!! #LGB #PlayGloria #LauraBranigan #Gloria ~ Kathy, Other Half Entertainment pic.twitter.com/D3xlIWNCEi
— Laura Branigan (@laurabranigan)
May 1, 2019 Golik said Branigan, if still alive, would be tickled by the attention — she was an athlete herself, enjoying swimming and running before she had to give it up to focus on singing.As for Golik herself? She's been having a great time. She especially loves seeing young kids rallying around the song."I can't thank the fans enough," she said. "I feel like I've built a nice rapport with them on social media. As a matter of fact I just had a lady send me a Blues rally towel that looks like the jersey that everyone was swinging around."
A reminder — if the Blues make it to the Western Conference finals, KMOX's sister station Y98 will play "Gloria" for 24 hours straight (Golik is excited about that too).
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