# Helen Reddy has died at age 78 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** celebrity-death\ **Created:** [September 30, 2020, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/helen-reddy-has-died-at-age-78/921860 "2020-09-30T03:09:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/helen-reddy-has-died-at-age-78/921860/1 "2020-09-30T03:09:31Z")
I had heard recently that she was ill, although it didn’t go into specifics. Apparently, she had an unspecified form of dementia. > **[Helen Reddy | Death](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Reddy#Death)** > > Reddy died at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Calabasas, CA on 29 September 2020, at the age of 78. She suffered from Addison's disease and dementia in her later years. No cause of death was given. Man, this year just continues to suck. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/helen-reddy-has-died-at-age-78/921860/2 "2020-09-30T04:26:37Z")
https://www.youtube.com/embed/HOVqwqnQ7a4?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&list=OLAK5uy_n5YkGvas_HZDCkWGBd_x4uz2hAMuIkYxA ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/helen-reddy-has-died-at-age-78/921860/3 "2020-09-30T04:42:39Z")
The Wikipedia article says Reddy was diagnosed with dementia in 2015 and had moved into a medical center. But it also says that she performed for 750,000 people at the Woman’s March event in 2017. How was somebody who was so ill they spent the last five years of their life in a medical facility able to go out and perform before a massive live audience? ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/helen-reddy-has-died-at-age-78/921860/4 "2020-09-30T04:51:04Z")
That must have been added after I saw the site, or I missed it while skimming the site before posting it. Glen Campbell was still performing when he barely knew who he was. Musical ability seems to be retained the longest. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/helen-reddy-has-died-at-age-78/921860/5 "2020-09-30T05:05:03Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > How was somebody who was so ill they spent the last five years of their life in a medical facility able to go out and perform before a massive live audience? Obviously, none of us know the details about what her health was like in 2017, but the fact that she was in an assisted-living facility (and apparently had been for a couple of years) doesn’t necessarily mean that she was unable to function. Also, it doesn’t sound like she performed a concert then; the article says that she sang one song. [Here’s footage of her appearance that day](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0ZATRdI19c) – she certainly seemed to be in good form then. And, as @nearwildhaven notes, Glen Campbell was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease in 2010, but continued to perform for two more years. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/helen-reddy-has-died-at-age-78/921860/6 "2020-09-30T05:23:34Z")
And now she’s … never to be found … 🤫 ---
**Author:** ![LLCoolL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/llcooll/32/3596_2.png) [@LLCoolL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LLCoolL)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/helen-reddy-has-died-at-age-78/921860/7 "2020-09-30T09:59:56Z")
I’m bummed. Growing up in the 70s, I mostly knew her for “I am Woman”. Recently, I’ve gone back and listened to more of her stuff, and she was a lot better than I’d given her credit for. Now she’s gone. Yeah, this year stinks. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/helen-reddy-has-died-at-age-78/921860/8 "2020-09-30T10:51:09Z")
“I Am Woman” was a big part of my childhood. I remember hearing it once in the 90s, after not hearing if for more than 10 years, and just sobbing. I wasn’t even sure why. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/helen-reddy-has-died-at-age-78/921860/9 "2020-09-30T11:34:08Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > How was somebody who was so ill they spent the last five years of their life in a medical facility able to go out and perform before a massive live audience? Glen Campbell did it and was awesome, even though confused at times. ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/helen-reddy-has-died-at-age-78/921860/10 "2020-09-30T13:26:53Z")
Aw, what a shame! Always liked her. Great voice! I enjoyed her music. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/helen-reddy-has-died-at-age-78/921860/11 "2020-09-30T13:37:26Z")
It was the most meaningful song to come along in our lifetimes. The great thing is that Helen wrote it herself! ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/helen-reddy-has-died-at-age-78/921860/12 "2020-09-30T14:56:36Z")
Playing a nun in, “Airport '75”? Did she lose a bet? ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/helen-reddy-has-died-at-age-78/921860/13 "2020-09-30T16:23:17Z")
She was also in _Pete’s Dragon._ She must’ve lost more than one bet. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/helen-reddy-has-died-at-age-78/921860/14 "2020-09-30T16:37:02Z")
78… I always had her pegged as 10 or more years older than that. She was a slightly older contemporary of my parents, not in my aunt and uncle’s generation like I thought. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/helen-reddy-has-died-at-age-78/921860/15 "2020-09-30T19:35:44Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > And now she’s … never to be found … 🤫 I always liked Angie Baby better. ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2020, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/helen-reddy-has-died-at-age-78/921860/16 "2020-10-01T21:15:43Z")
Like most people I roll my eyes and plug my ears when the schmaltz songs are played. But I make an exception for “You and me against the world” ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/helen-reddy-has-died-at-age-78/921860/17 "2020-10-03T22:19:21Z")
> [@K364](#): > > Like most people I roll my eyes and plug my ears when the schmaltz songs are played. Hey, that ain’t no way to treat a lady. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/helen-reddy-has-died-at-age-78/921860/18 "2020-10-03T22:21:25Z")
An oldies station in my old town, that we sometimes listened to when I worked at the satellite hospital pharmacy, played her remake of “Fool On The Hill” every mid-afternoon. You could almost set your watch to it.