Helen Reddy’s 1971 feminist anthem, “I Am Woman” was a US No. 1 single, defining the sound of an empowerment movement as well as her own personal story of coming up in a music industry steeped in sexism. The story of how she navigated her way from Australian talent shows, to the stages of America, to ultimately becoming a bona fide, Grammy-winning, cultural phenomenon is explored in the upcoming biopic I Am Woman, due out on-demand on September 11th.
The Australian born singer is portrayed by actress, Tilda Cobham-Hervey in the film that picks up in the mid-60s when Reddy found herself a struggling artist in New York, having moved there after winning a recoding opportunity performing on Australia’s own Bandstand. The promised opportunity didn’t eventuate, but undeterred, Reddy powered against the patriarchy, spurred on friend, confidante and fellow Aussie ex-pat, rock journalist Lillian Roxon (played by Danielle Macdonald), and backed by her manager and husband, Jeff Wald (played by Evan Peters).
“Did it ever occur to you men to ask women what they want to listen to?” she fearlessly asks boardroom room full of executives at a major label meeting, who describe “I Am Woman” as “manhating.” Watch below.
I Am Woman [Official Trailer]
Reddy went on to dominate the charts throughout the 1970s with a string of Top 10 hits, including “Angie Baby” and “Ain’t No Way to Treat a Lady,” but none matched the zeitgeist of “I Am Woman.” The film, directed by Unjoo Moon – who also directed the 2012 Tony Bennett documentary, The Zen of Bennett – is out on-demand, September 11th.
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