# Born 85 Years Ago Today in Australia, the Pop Icon Who Turned a Song Cher Rejected Into a No. 1 Hit

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/born-85-years-ago-today-in-australia-the-pop-icon-who-turned-a-song-cher-rejected-into-a-no-1-hit/
- Published: 2026-10-26T01:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-26T01:08:27+00:00
- Original publisher: American Songwriter
- Original article: https://americansongwriter.com/born-85-years-ago-today-in-australia-the-pop-icon-who-turned-a-song-cher-rejected-into-a-no-1-hit/
- Topics: Celebrity, Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- Helen Reddy was born in Melbourne in 1941.
- “Angie Baby” topped two US charts in 1975.
- Her career spanned music, acting, television and activism.

## Summary

Helen Reddy, the Australian singer and entertainer, was born in Melbourne on 25 October 1941. She became known for combining a successful music career with acting, television presenting and political activism, and is remembered in particular for her 1975 US chart-topper “Angie Baby”.

Reddy released nine albums that reached the Billboard 200 during the 1970s and appeared in films including *Airport 1975* and *Pete’s Dragon*. She hosted *The Midnight Special* and her own television special, and was the first Australian to present a weekly primetime variety show on an American network. Cher had rejected “Angie Baby” before Reddy recorded it; the song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Easy Listening charts. Reddy died in 2020, aged 78.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.