The Contending chats with music icon Gloria Gaynor about her Lifetime biopic Robin Roberts Presents I Will Survive: The Gloria Gaynor Story and the documentary Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive.
Gloria Gaynor has many distinctions. She’s the “Queen of Disco,” a 2020 Grammy winner for her Gospel album Testimony, and like her iconic song, she’s also a survivor.
In Lifetime’s Robin Roberts Presents I Will Survive: The Gloria Gaynor Story, Joaquina Kalukango stars as Gaynor, following the songstress’s life through the death of her mother, rise to superstardom, and relationship with her tempestuous husband Linwood (Lance Gross).
I had the honor of chatting with the music legend about the Lifetime movie, what it was like seeing her life on display, and what disco and gospel music have in common.
The Contending: It’s a biopic where you really have your real raw self on display. What was it like seeing your decisions on display that aren’t always good ones?
Gloria Gaynor: Well, it was kind of cathartic, you know? Yeah. But it’s also satisfying in that I believed, and it was my purpose, to help people to realize that, I always tell people, I’m not smart enough to make an original mistake. So somebody else has been there, done that. And people need to recognize that you’re not alone in your problems. And other people have had these problems and have managed to solve them. And you can as well. So I wanted it to be inspiring, uplifting, encouraging, you know, to other people.
The Contending: And it is, yeah. How do you feel about Joaquina Kalukango’s performance of you? I thought she was incredible.
Gloria Gaynor: I did too. I thought she was awesome. And then I met her, and she’s such a lovely girl. She’s a sweetheart. And I liked the idea that she researched me and saw my performances and my interviews and things like that so that she was able to portray me as closely as possible to, you know, the real me. So that was great.
The Contending: I saw a lot of people commenting on how much you guys look alike, too. Was that kind of surreal?
Gloria Gaynor: Yeah, it was, especially the hospital scene. And then at the end, when she goes to the piano, she definitely looked like me. It’s really, like you say, surreal to see somebody look that much like you.
The Contending: I also watched another Gloria Gaynor movie, your documentary, Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive. And I know that this biopic doesn’t deal with your sexual abuse. But I was wondering whether that was a deliberate choice? Because I know you talked about it in the documentary.
Gloria Gaynor: No, I think it just wasn’t time. You know, you can’t tell anybody’s whole story in an hour and a half, so it wasn’t a deliberate choice because this has happened to so many people. And I just want people to see someone else, see an example of someone overcoming all of that and recognizing that they can as well.
The Contending: It’s so hard to watch you with your ex-husband. You’re with him for a long time. Was that hard to relive on screen? And do you ever think, like, get out now? What was it like seeing that relationship play out?
Gloria Gaynor: It wasn’t really difficult for me to see. And what I kept screaming was, you’re so stupid. My God. I tell my friends, I say, I think God said, I’m going to have to drop a house on my baby girl because she’s stupid. But everybody’s been through those things, though. That’s why it is so relatable, like, you know, not being able to get out, too.
The Contending: Was that something that you asked yourself? ‘What made me stay?’
Gloria Gaynor: Well, a few things made me stay. One was, as a Christian, I know God hates divorce. And so I needed to be sure that I had given 100% to making it work. And then I really loved him. And I saw in him what he couldn’t see in himself. You know, and I wanted to bring that out. And we often think that women are trying to change men. And men think that women are trying to change them. We’re not trying to change them. We’re trying to help them reach the potential that we see they have. But we don’t realize that we can’t help them reach the potential that they don’t recognize themselves. They have to recognize it first themselves. And then we can come alongside and help them. But I was going to help him. And God said to me very plainly, you didn’t save yourself. What makes you think you can save him?
The Contending: I was thinking about your love of gospel music. You’re the queen of disco. Do you think there’s a similar joy in gospel and disco music?
Gloria Gaynor: Oh, absolutely. Well, gospel music is dance music for the soul. And I dance like David danced, you know, in the Bible. And I dance to gospel music and I dance to disco music. And it’s not the same, but both of them bring joy, you know?
The Contending: If gospel music is dance music for the soul, is disco just dance music for physicality?
Gloria Gaynor: Yeah, for the body. For the body.
The Contending: I love that.
Gloria Gaynor: But it also transcends that as well. You know, they are very, very similar because while disco music doesn’t make you think about God, it certainly makes you use everything he gave you.
The Contending: Oh, my God. I love this. This is already my favorite interview. I can’t believe people didn’t want a gospel album from you. But do you sometimes feel like you work best with your back against the wall? I mean, you won a Grammy for Testimony.
Gloria Gaynor: It’s not the gospel music. It’s the gatekeepers, what I call it. You know, those who let you in, those who let you out or keep you out. And they just decided that Gloria Gaynor is a disco singer and let her be happy doing that. She thinks she can do gospel music? What does she know about gospel music? I’m like, honey. I know more about God than you do. You wouldn’t be trying to keep me from using the gifts talents and abilities that he’s given me to uplift and inspire and encourage his people.
The Contending: How much do you think your film is also the biopic is also about like the power of female friendship and sisterhood? Stephanie, your manager, is with you during tough times and when you win the Grammy. Plus, your sister Irma is your champion.
Gloria Gaynor: You’re so right. I’m so glad you recognize that because it is. They are my rocks. At least my sister was and now Stephanie. I had a mural done of the five women in my life whom each one I call my rock. And I had them done, they look like Mount Rushmore.
The Contending: Do you have this in your house? Is this in your house? Oh my gosh, that’s so cool.
Gloria Gaynor: It’s got the rocks behind them, and it looks like they’re carved into the rocks like the presidents. I call it the Fab Five.
Gloria Gaynor movies Robin Roberts Presents I Will Survive: The Gloria Gaynor Story and Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive air on Lifetime.
