Anita Bryant, Singer and Crusader Against Gay Rights, Dies at 84

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84-year-old Anita Bryant, once a popular singer and beauty queen from Oklahoma who promoted the idea that “a morning without orange juice is like a day without sunlight,” experienced a decline in popularity when she vocally opposed gay rights. She has recently passed away.

Bryant died Dec. 16 at her home in Edmond, Oklahoma, her family announced.

A woman with a wholesome demeanor named Bryant was chosen as Miss Oklahoma in 1958 and placed third in the 1959 Miss America competition. In 1959, she charted on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Till There Was You” from Broadway’s The Music Man, and in 1960, she reached No. 5 on the charts with “In My Little Corner of the World” and “Paper Roses.”

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Bryant, a woman who embodied wholesomeness, was crowned Miss Oklahoma in 1958 and came in third place in the 1959 Miss America pageant. Her song “Till There Was You,” from Broadway’s The Music Man, made it to the Billboard Hot 100 in 1959, while “In My Little Corner of the World” and “Paper Roses” reached No. 5 on the charts a year later.

Following her marriage to disc jockey Bob Green in 1960 and establishing their home in Miami Beach, Bryant embarked on a series of album releases; garnering Grammy nominations in 1968, ’71, and ’73; frequently appearing as a guest on variety and talk shows; and accompanying Bob Hope for seven years on his USO tours, which included visits to entertain the troops in Vietnam.

One fervent admirer of Bryant was President Lyndon Johnson. So enamored was he with her performance of “Battle Hymn of the Republic” during the Super Bowl intermission in 1971, he requested her to sing it at his funeral, which she did in 1973.

Bryant gained widespread recognition by endorsing products like Coca-Cola, Kraft, Holiday Inn, and Tupperware. However, it was her role as spokesperson for the Florida Citrus Commission in 1968 that truly made her a familiar face. For over ten years, she starred in numerous TV ads, pouring glass after glass of orange juice while singing “Come to the Florida Sunshine Tree,” which became a well-known jingle.

Yet, Bryant’s esteem was challenged in 1977 as she spearheaded the “Save Our Children” campaign to overturn a Miami-Dade County law forbidding discrimination based on sexual orientation. As a devout Christian, she expressed reservations about allowing individuals identifying as gay to teach school students.

Bryant stated in an interview with Playboy in 1978 that he became involved due to their requests for privileges that went against both Florida law and God’s teachings. As a child, Bryant had never even heard of homosexuality; it was simply understood as something morally wrong. When he finally learned about the nature of this act, it was shocking to him.

News of her campaign spread, leading to support from Senator Jesse Helms of North Carolina and Virginia pastor Jerry Falwell. Six months later, the ordinance was overturned by a vote of more than 2 to 1. Bryant then extended the battle to other cities and states, and with her assistance, Falwell established the Moral Majority movement in 1979, which stood for religious conservatives and criticized the LGBTQ community, supporters of abortion rights, and others.

In the end, Anita Bryant faced consequences. Activists for gay rights initiated a country-wide boycott of Florida orange juice in response to her actions. As a result, bars stopped offering screwdrivers and started serving instead a drink made of vodka and apple juice, which they named the “Anita Bryant cocktail.

Bryant revealed to Playboy that she experienced financial losses estimated at around half a million dollars from cancelled concert engagements and a scrapped TV hosting gig, as her public events attracted protests from gay rights activists. Additionally, she found herself the subject of jokes among comedians, and in 1980, the Florida Citrus Commission decided to terminate their association with her.

Bryant is known as one of the earliest individuals to receive a protest pie. During a news conference in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1977, while expressing her views against homosexuality, she was hit with a pie by Thom Higgins, an activist from St. Paul, Minnesota. She humorously commented, “At least it’s a fruit pie,” before offering a prayer for her assailant.

Anita Jane Bryant was born on March 25, 1940, in Barnsdall, Oklahoma. At the tender age of two, she began singing at a nearby Baptist church. Unfortunately, her parents, Warren (who worked in the oil fields) and Lenora, got divorced. After the split, Anita and her younger sister, Sandra (who is now deceased), lived with their grandma and grandpa on their side. In 1948, following a remarriage of her parents, she showcased her talent at a local radio station and was baptized.

The family relocated to Oklahoma City in pursuit of more substantial prospects for Bryant. In 1952, she secured a contest win that resulted in her own weekly television show. Subsequently, she recorded her first album a year later. Unfortunately, their parents divorced once more, and her mother moved the girls to Tulsa.

Bryant studied at Will Rogers High School, where she also sang in both school and church choirs. Notably, she played a leading role in a regional adaptation of “South Pacific“. A talent scout for Arthur Godfrey noticed her while she was performing on a local TV variety show. Eventually, she won first place on his “Talent Scouts” program on CBS.

Following her high school graduation in 1958, she secured a deal with Carlton Records and debuted her first single, the upbeat track “Dance On.” She was victorious in the Miss Tulsa competition and claimed the title of Miss Oklahoma, only to be bested by Mississippi’s Mary Ann Mobley in the Miss America pageant. Subsequently, she became a member of Don McNeill’s Breakfast Club, a popular radio show based in Chicago on ABC.

In 1968, she performed at both the Republican and Democratic national political gatherings, and exactly two years afterward, her autobiography titled “Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory” was published.

Back in 1980, when my divorce with Bryant happened, I faced a significant setback from conservative circles who felt I was no longer a fitting role model. They essentially told me, “You’ve been promoting family values through your books and music, but we won’t be backing you anymore. We won’t be purchasing your books or records anymore,” as I shared in a 2007 interview with the Miami Herald.

As a gamer, I’d say, “I call it like I see it: They went after Bryant, and their intention was clear – to ruin her business and end her career. Unfairly, they succeeded. It’s not right.

Following her divorce, Bryant dedicated herself to creating Christian music and charitable endeavors via the Anita Bryant Ministries International, a non-profit organization she founded back in 1967.

In 1990, she wed Charles Dry, a past astronaut test crewman who was her sweetheart from childhood, who had since passed away. Together, they tried to revive her career, but endeavors like the Anita Bryant Theatre in Branson, Missouri; a show named after her in Eureka Springs, Arkansas; and the Anita Bryant Music Mansion in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, all faced financial difficulties, leading to unpaid bills and back taxes.

Bryant seldomly reappeared, with her most prominent showing being herself in the Michael Moore film “Roger & Me” from 1989. Generally, she preferred to avoid the spotlight.

As I rose to fame, I found myself the subject of humor across various pop culture platforms. The Carol Burnett Show, Saturday Night Live, The Gong Show, Golden Girls, Will & Grace, and even Airplane! all took a jab at me. My likeness was also satirized in Anita Bryant’s Playboy Interview, a play that was a modern adaptation of her 1978 magazine piece, as well as in the 2018 musical The Loneliest Girl in the World.

A biographical film, penned and orchestrated by Chad Hodge, was announced back in May 2019 that it’s under development, with Ashley Judd set to portray the main character, Bryant.

She is survived by her sons Robert Jr. and Robert’s twin sister Barbara, as well as her daughter Gloria; two stepdaughters; and seven loving grandchildren.

In a conversation with Playboy, Bryant admitted, “I’m not a model of perfection. I recognize that I am just as human as everyone else.” He added, “Without Jesus Christ in my life, I might have had multiple marriages and possibly indulged in promiscuity with both men and women. I often express that I’m simply a sinner who has been granted mercy.

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2025-01-10 01:55