Laura Branigan (July 3, 1957 -- August 26, 2004) was a popular American singer and actress of Irish ancestry. She was best known for her 1982 platinum-selling single "Gloria," a major hit throughout the world which spent a record-setting 36 weeks on Billboard's Hot 100. Branigan's vocal performance of the song earned her a Grammy Award nomination in early 1983. Following the massive success of "Gloria," Branigan introduced the ballad "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You", which spent three ...