Donna Summer dies of cancer

I am not really fan of her music, but I do like her singles, and if you were a small kid or grow up in the 70's you could not escape her music or presence:


Donna Summer, the singer who came to be known as the “Queen of Disco” during her 1970s heyday, died today after battling cancer, a family member confirmed to ABC News. She was 63.

Summer was a five time Grammy award winner who was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard chart. Her hits like “Last Dance,” “Bad Girls,” and “Love to Love You Baby” made her a disco icon.

Born outside of Boston, Summer was raised by devout Christian parents who introduced her to both gospel and classical music. In a 2008 interview with ABC News’ “Nightline,” Summer remembered her mom singing songs to her before going to bed each night.

“As long as the classical station was playing on the radio, I wouldn’t cry,” she said. “If it was on for 20 hours, I would sleep for 20 hours. I would be calm. So I think that my mother probably helped my sense of musicality just by doing that.”

Summer left home at age 18 to audition for the Broadway production of “Hair” and got a role in the show when it moved to Germany. There, she met producer Giorgio Moroder, who would launch her solo career. She went on to produce hits like “Bad Girls,” “Last Dance,” and “She Works Hard for the Money,” a song that was inspired by a washroom attendant.

“I was at a Grammys party … and I went to the ladies room and on my way in I saw this little old lady sitting at the end of the bar. And she was asleep,” Summer told “Nightline.” “She was the bathroom attendant. And at that same moment, a group of ladies walked into the room and started spraying their hair and doing all these things. And my first thought was ‘God, she works hard for her money, that lady.’

“And then I thought, ‘man, that’s a song,’” she said. “So I went and grabbed my manager and we went back into the bathroom and started writing the song on a piece of toilet paper.”

Summer’s last album, “Crayons,” was released in 2008. In 2010, she told AllVoices.com that she was working on an album of disco standards.

Summer is survived by her husband, Bruce Sudano, three children, and four grandchildren.

Just saw this on Yahoo News. Shame.

Her breathy vocals on "Love To Love You Baby" made me feel funny when I was a kid. Y'know, like when you climb the rope in gym class.

I didn't know she was sick. Too bad,she was quite the talent and I instantly recognized every song mentioned in Manny's post.

It's kind of ironic, because a couple of days ago I was looking to replace my current greatest hits of hers with the remastered hits "Gold" via Amazon. These sort of weird occurrences happen all the time with me. If you're famous, but not in the news a lot (and I randomly think of you), then you're sure to wind up dead within a few days time.

Like OO7, I had no idea Ms. Summer's was sick. She was a talent and will be sorely missed. By the way, cancer sucks!

Didn't know she was ill. Farewell Disco Queen. There was a few years back in the 70's where you couldn't escape her music.

Sad news. I love her 70's hits. Rest In Peace Donna.

RIP Ms. Summer. The hits in the 70s were pretty good.

Fat Freddy wrote:

Her breathy vocals on "Love To Love You Baby" made me feel funny when I was a kid. Y'know, like when you climb the rope in gym class.

Wasn't that line from Wayne's World?



RIP Donna Summer

Joe wrote:

Fat Freddy wrote:

Her breathy vocals on "Love To Love You Baby" made me feel funny when I was a kid. Y'know, like when you climb the rope in gym class.

Wasn't that line from Wayne's World?

Yeah, but it's SO true.

RIP. Really dug her 70s stuff and her appearance in the movie "Thank God It's Friday"

She has danced her last dance.

rIP

I was surprised when I heard the news of her death. R.I.P.

May she RIP

I remember watching her in concert on HBO back in the early 80's supporting her album "She Works Hard for the Money". From there I listened to her disco stuff and her cameo in Thank God It's Friday.

RIP Queen of Disco

Bad Girls is such a great album. I always thought the disco tag was too limiting for her talents.

jstate wrote:

Bad Girls is such a great album. I always thought the disco tag was too limiting for her talents.

Completely agree, I am not a major fan at all, but there is a reason she outlasted just about all the disco acts combined, she was a class act and had complete control of her career.