Helen Reddy’s ex-husband Jeff Wald has spoken out following the Australian singer’s death on Tuesday at the age of 78.
Wald released a statement on Twitter shortly after it was announced the I Am Woman singer had died following a battle with dementia.
‘I am very sad to announce that my first wife of 18 years and the mother of my two oldest Traci and Jordan has died,’ he began.
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Making a statement: Helen Reddy’s former husband Jeff Wald has spoken out following the announcement of the iconic singer’s death on Wednesday. Pictured together at the Oscars in Los Angeles in 1980
‘Traci spent the morning with Helen and she passed soon after under the excellent care of the Motion and Television Home,’ he added.
The 76-year-old producer was married to Reddy from 1966 until 1983, and their often tumultuous relationship was documented in this year’s biopic I Am Woman.
Australian actress Tilda Cobham-Hervey portrays Reddy in the film, which follows her rise to fame in the 1970s, while American actor Evan Peters plays Wald.
‘Very sad’: Jeff made a statement on Twitter, shortly after it was announced the 78-year-old I Am Woman singer had died following a battle with dementia
‘I am [very] sad to announce that my first wife of 18 years and the mother of my two oldest Traci & Jordan [has died],’ he began. Pictured together at a movie premiere in Los Angeles in April 1978
Reddy died in Los Angeles on Tuesday afternoon, five years after she was diagnosed with dementia.
In addition to her feminist anthem I Am Woman, the Melbourne-born songstress was also known for her hits Delta Dawn and Ain’t No Way to Treat a Lady.
Helen’s two children, Traci Donat and Jordan Sommers, announced their mother’s death on Facebook.
RIP: It was revealed Helen had died in Los Angeles on Tuesday afternoon, five years after she was first diagnosed with dementia. Pictured on a TV special
They wrote in a joint statement: ‘It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved mother, Helen Reddy, on the afternoon of September 29, 2020, in Los Angeles.
‘She was a wonderful mother, grandmother and a truly formidable woman. Our hearts are broken. But we take comfort in the knowledge that her voice will live on forever.’
Her cause of death has not yet been confirmed.
Ups and downs: The 76-year-old producer was married to Helen from 1966 until 1983, and their often tumultuous relationship was well-documented in this year’s biopic, I Am Woman. Pictured together at a television taping in New York City in November 1977
Since her dementia diagnosis in 2015, Helen had been living in a nursing home in LA for retired Hollywood talent.
Media commentator Peter Ford said on 6PR: ‘She has been in not great health for several years now. You may be aware that dementia struck her about three years ago and she’s been getting progressively worse.’
Helen was a pioneer behind the women’s rights movement of the 1970s, and her death comes just months after the biopic I Am Woman depicted the many social changes her music inspired throughout her career.
Reel life: Australian actress Tilda Cobham-Hervey portrays Helen in I Am Woman, the 2020 biopic about Helen’s rise to fame, while American Horror Story actor Evan Peters plays Jeff. Pictured, a still from the movie
Her hit song, I Am Woman, became an anthem for the movement, but success didn’t come easy for Helen, who had to convince record executives of its value.
She also had to fight for fair pay, after learning her all-male band was earning more money than she was.
The biopic has as its centerpiece Helen’s famous Grammy Awards acceptance speech after she won Best Female Pop Vocal.
Paving the way: Helen was a pioneer behind the women’s rights movement of the 1970s, and her death comes just months after the biopic I Am Woman depicted the many social changes her music inspired. Pictured with Jeff at a Hollywood wrap party in LA in February 1978
‘I’d like to thank God, because she makes everything possible,’ she memorably said.
The director of I Am Woman, Unjoo Moon, said after Reddy’s death: ‘When I first met Helen Reddy, she told me that I would be in her life for many years.
‘What followed was an amazing seven-year friendship during which she entrusted me with telling her story in a film that celebrates her life, her talents and her amazing legacy.
Loss: Helen’s two children, Traci Donat and Jordan Sommers, announced their mother’s death on Facebook. Pictured with Jeff and Jordan in Hawaii in March 1980
‘I will forever be grateful to Helen for teaching me so much about being an artist, a woman and a mother.
‘She paved the way for so many and the lyrics that she wrote for I Am Woman changed my life forever like they have done for so many other people and will continue to do for generations to come.’
Moon continued: ‘She will always be a part of me and I will miss her enormously. On behalf of all of us involved in making the film I am Woman, producer Rosemary Blight and I extend our condolences to Helen’s family especially her children Traci and Jordan, her granddaughter Lily and her ex-husband Jeff.’
Fighting for her rights: Her hit song, I Am Woman, became an anthem for the feminist rights movement, but success didn’t come easy for Helen, who had to convince record executives of its value. Pictured in 1970
Back in 2005, Helen said she wasn’t afraid of dying in an interview with Australian broadcaster Margaret Throsby.
‘I see dying as going home… where we came from,’ she said. ‘Where we all go back to. I’ve seen enough of the other side to know that that is our true home. That is where we are loved beyond anything we can imagine here.’
I Am Woman is currently streaming on Stan
At peace: Back in 2005, Helen said she wasn’t afraid of dying in an interview with Australian broadcaster Margaret Throsby. Pictured in March 2005