Anita Bryant at a news conference in Boston, Massachusetts, on 1 September 1978. Photograph: AP
Anita Bryant, a celebrated singer with multiple Grammy nominations and a former Miss Oklahoma, has passed away at the age of 84. Bryant, known for both her musical achievements and her controversial activism against gay rights, died on December 16, 2024, at her home in Edmond, Oklahoma, her family announced Thursday.
“May Anita’s memory and her faith in eternal life through Christ comfort all who embraced her,” the family shared in their statement.
Born on March 25, 1940, in Barnsdall, Oklahoma, Bryant’s career began with remarkable success in music. She gained popularity with hits like Till There Was You, In My Little Corner of the World, and Paper Roses. At just 18, she was crowned Miss Oklahoma, marking the start of her journey into the public eye.
Bryant’s career extended beyond music. She performed at the White House during President Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration and sang at both Republican and Democratic national conventions. She also became the face of Florida Citrus, famously promoting orange juice with the tagline, “Breakfast without orange juice is like a day without sunshine.”
In the 1970s, Bryant became a polarizing figure when she spearheaded the “Save Our Children” campaign, which aimed to overturn a local ordinance in Dade County, Florida, that protected against discrimination based on sexual orientation. In a 1978 interview with Playboy, she explained her involvement by stating, “I got involved only because they were asking for special privileges that violated the state law of Florida, not to mention God’s law.”
Her stance ignited widespread backlash, leading to boycotts of Florida orange juice by gay rights activists. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Bryant later revealed that her activism caused her to lose an estimated half a million dollars in concert bookings.
Bryant is survived by her four children, two stepdaughters, and seven grandchildren along with their spouses. Her legacy remains a complex chapter in American cultural and political history.
