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Born Gloria Fowle in Newark, New Jersey, the original club diva we know as Gloria Gaynor scored her first big hit in 1974 with “Never Can Say Goodbye.” An upbeat dance ditty that showcased disco’s special blend of wistfully bittersweet lyrics, it reached number nine on the Billboard Hot 100. This, however, was small peanuts compared to Gaynor’s big score five years later: the rallying postbreakup war shoop “I Will Survive.” That landed a number one spot on the charts and a soft spot in the heart of practically every female ever since. Gaynor continued to chart into the Eighties (“Let Me Know [I Have a Right]” in 1980; “I Am What I Am” in 1983). But when still-sizable crowds gather to see her perform today, it’s clear what everybody is waiting for. Expect extra-special energy and nary a backside in a seat at this Arsht Center performance — it’s an official celebration of her big hit’s 30th anniversary.
