I Will Survive also frequently recalled as a symbol of female strength and as a gay anthem. In 2016, the Library of Congress deemed Gaynor's original recording to be "culturally, historically, or artistically significant" and selected it for preservation in the National Recording Registry. Originally released as the B-side to a cover version of the Righteous Brothers song "Substitute", "I Will Survive" became a worldwide hit for Gaynor when disc jockeys played that side of the record instead. "Substitute" appeared on the "Billboard" Bubbling Under the Hot 100 chart for four weeks in October–November 1978, peaking at No. 107. "I Will Survive" then
Barrington Gaynor just felt like giving him a name. He played his first competition in the summer of 1977. It was the Bull Bay under fifteen Corner League where his team, Lodge United, was the eventual champion. In 1978, Gaynor took the Common Entrance Exam at St. Benedict's Primary School, passed and went to Camperdown High School where he did well. At Camperdown he played Pepsi Under 13 in 1978 and went to the finals. In 1979 and 1980, Gaynor played Colts Under 15 and lost in the 1979 Colts final. He went on to play in the High School Manning Cup