You undoubtedly know the iconic songs and the powerhouse voice behind them — now you can get to know the woman herself, Gloria Gaynor, with tonight’s premiere of Robin Roberts Presents: I Will Survive: The Gloria Gaynor Story on Lifetime.
Debuting on Saturday, February 8 at 8pm Eastern Time, the new biographical drama chronicles Gaynor’s rise to fame, from her humble beginnings to becoming one of the most iconic voices in music history. “Dubbed America’s ‘Queen of Disco,’ the movie will feature many of the songs that catapulted Gaynor to the top of the charts, including her legendary hit ‘I Will Survive,’ which became a cultural phenomenon and a powerful anthem of empowerment for millions worldwide,” reads the film’s official synopsis. “The biopic will also delve into the deeply personal challenges Gaynor faced, including overcoming her long and tumultuous marriage to her husband and manager.”
Tony Award winner Joaquina Kalukango — best known for playing Nelly O’Brien in the Broadway musical Paradise Square and for portraying Kaneisha in Slave Play — stars as the two-time Grammy-winning singer and music legend Gloria Gaynor, with Lance Gross starring as Gloria’s husband Linwood Simon. Gaynor, who executive produces the 100-minute movie alongside Robin Roberts, also wrote and recorded an original song for the authorized biopic, which spans her acclaimed, five-decade career in the music industry.
To tune into the premiere of the new Lifetime biopic I Will Survive: The Gloria Gaynor Story tonight at 8pm, you’re going to need access to the Lifetime network. Those with cable packages can watch on their local Lifetime channel, but even if you don’t have traditional cable, cord-cutters can also tune in online with a live TV streaming service that carries Lifetime, such as Frndly TV, Fubo, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV and Philo TV. And if you miss the television broadcast tonight, don’t fret: I Will Survive: The Gloria Gaynor Story will also be available to stream on MyLifetime.com beginning tomorrow, Sunday, February 9.
And following the debut of the bio-drama, you can keep the disco groove going with an airing of the Tribeca Spotlight documentary Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive, which follows the music star “as she embarks on a long and unexpectedly difficult journey wielding her inner drive to change the course of her life as she tries to get a dream gospel album made against all odds.”
Check out the official trailer to Robin Roberts Presents I Will Survive: The Gloria Gaynor Story above before tuning into the movie’s premiere tonight on Lifetime.