Feminist singer Helen Reddy speaks about politics, her new career as a hypnotherapist and her autobiography, “The Woman I Am.”
By Jonathan Friedman / Assistant Editor
Helen Reddy, whose 1973 hit song “I am Woman” became an anthem for the feminist movement, stopped performing in 2002, but she remains a politically conscious person who is troubled about current events. Reddy shared her views on politics and spirituality while promoting her autobiography, “The Woman I Am,” at a breakfast hosted by Malibu Women in Film Friday at the Chart House restaurant.
“Although I no longer sing, I do use my voice now to heal and to rabble-rouse,” Reddy said.
Reddy, 64, lives in her native Australia, but as a U.S. citizen she still votes in this country. She said a new Congress must be elected in November, calling the current Republican leaders “not men,” but rather “old boys” because, she said, they refuse to admit mistakes.
“I would like to see a woman president next time around, but I’ll settle for a man as long as it’s not an old boy,” Reddy said.
Reddy recently went back to school to get the education for her new career as a clinical hypnotherapist. She said she does not accept money from her patients, but asks them to help others as their form of payment. She said she did not like her tax dollars being used for war, so her solution was to make as little money as possible.
Reddy did not intend to write an autobiography. After she was convinced to write a book on “body, mind and spirit,” she soon realized she needed to put those issues into the context of her life, and she decided to do the memoir.
Born into a famous Australian show business family, Reddy came to New York City in 1966 with a 3-year-old child and $230. She made money through small music shows and the support of an aunt.
After several years of struggle, she finally scored her first hit in 1971 with the song “I Don’t Know How to Love Him.” That song appeared on the same album as “I am Woman,” which she co-wrote with musician Ray Burton. But the latter song did not immediately become a hit. However, the following year, a movie about the feminist movement, “Stand Up and Be Counted” used the song. Reddy then added an extra verse and re-recorded it. By early 1973, it was the country’s No. 1 song.
“It got virtually no air-play whatsoever, deejays refused to play the song … but women began requesting it,” Reddy said. “Women forced airplay of that song and it is to women that I owe the success of that song.”
Reddy said she wrote “I am Woman” after realizing the type of song she wanted to sing did not exist. So she put together a song that includes powerful feminist lyrics from the opening verse:
I am woman, hear me roar
In numbers too big to ignore
And I know too much to go back an’ pretend
‘Cause I’ve heard it all before
And I’ve been down there on the floor
No one’s ever gonna keep me down again
Reddy went on to have a successful career in music, television and film. But some of the success came at the expense of her personal life. While riding the wave of the success of “I am Woman,” both her parents died within weeks of each other. Reddy said she believes she was unable to go through the normal grieving process because she was working.
Her interest in spirituality began at age 11 when, she said, she had an out-of-body experience. She said hypnotherapy is now an accepted science, and this pleases her. As for how the modern world is for women, Reddy said it is still a challenge as females face obstacles.
“We have powerful enemies,” Reddy said. “Those who are running the show have a vested interest in keeping women down… and we have to reverse that trend… Start where you are. Do what you can with the tools that you have at hand.”