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Donna Summer

Background information
Birth name LaDonna Adrian Gaines
Born Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Origin United States
Genre(s) Pop, Rock, Dance, Funk, R&B, Soul, House, Disco, Hi-NRG, Gospel, Country
Occupation(s) Singer, songwriter, actress
Instrument(s) Vocals, piano
Years active 1968 – present
Label(s) Casablanca, Geffen, Atlantic, Mercury, Epic, Burgundy
Associated acts Giorgio Moroder, Brooklyn Dreams

Donna Summer (born LaDonna Adrian Gaines) is an American singer-songwriter and musician who gained prominence during the disco era of music. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. This article is about music for dancing in general You may also be looking for Electronic dance music. Funk is an American musical style that originated in the mid- to late-1960s when African American musicians blended Soul music, Soul Soul music is a Music genre that combines Rhythm and blues and Gospel music, originating in the United States. House music is a style of Electronic dance music initially popularized in mid-1980s Discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino Disco is a Genre of dance-oriented music whose origins are hard to define Hi-NRG (High Energy is a type of high-speed Electronic dance music which was popular in Nightclubs in the late 1970s and 1980s Gospel music is Music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life as well as (in terms of the varying music styles to Country music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. A songwriter is someone who writes the Lyrics to songs the Musical composition (chords or Melody to songs or both An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music This article is about Casablanca the record label For other uses please see Casablanca (disambiguation. Geffen Records is an American Record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label Atlantic Records ( Atlantic Recording Corporation) is an American Record label best known for its many recordings of Rhythm & blues, Rock Mercury Records is a Record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Music Group in the US and are both subsidiaries of Epic Records is an American Record label. It is owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment. Burgundy Records is an American Record label, and Subsidiary of Sony BMG. Hansjörg "Giorgio" Moroder (born on April 26 1940 in Urtijëi, Italy) is an Italian Record producer, songwriter The Brooklyn Dreams were a successful singing group of the late 1970s and early 1980s consisting of Joe "Bean" Esposito, Eddie Hokenson and Bruce The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Singer-songwriter is a term that refers to Performers who write, compose and sing their own material including Lyrics A musician is a person who plays or writes Music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music An instrumentalist plays a Disco is a Genre of dance-oriented music whose origins are hard to define An era is a commonly used word for long period of time When used in science for example geology eras denote clearly defined periods of time of arbitrary but well defined Best known for a series of number one dance hit singles in the late 1970s, Summer was dubbed "Queen of Disco" and is one of the few disco-based artists to have longevity in the recording industry beyond the genre's era. This article is about music for dancing in general You may also be looking for Electronic dance music.

Summer was trained as a gospel singer prior to her introduction in the music industry, as were many then-contemporary music artists. Gospel music is Music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life as well as (in terms of the varying music styles to In the broadest and popular sense Contemporary music is any music being written in the present day However, Summer's notable songwriting capabilities, in addition to her collaborations with producer-songwriters Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte, were able to set her apart from rivals in the industry. Hansjörg "Giorgio" Moroder (born on April 26 1940 in Urtijëi, Italy) is an Italian Record producer, songwriter Peter Bellotte (born 28 August 1947) is a British songwriter and producer most famous for his main body of work with Donna Summer alongside his partner

Though she is most notable for her disco hits, Summer's repertoire has expanded to include contemporary R&B, rock, mainstream pop, and even gospel. Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure Gospel music is Music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life as well as (in terms of the varying music styles to Summer is one of the most successful female recording artists of the 1970s and 1980s, and still holds the record for having three consecutive double albums hit #1 on the Billboard charts. The Billboard charts are music sales airplay and digital ranking reports distributed to the general public by Billboard magazine She also became the first female artist to have four number-one singles in a twelve-month period. According to her official MySpace page, Summer has sold over 130 million records worldwide [1]

On September 27, 2007, Summer was nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame but did not succeed in being inducted. [2]

Contents

Biography

Early life and career

Born in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, she was one of seven children raised by devout Christian parents. Dorchester is a neighborhood of Boston Massachusetts. It is named after the town of Dorchester in the English county of Dorset, from which The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth She sang in church, and in her teens joined a funk group called The Crow, so named because Donna was the only black member of the group. At eighteen, Gaines left home and school to take up a supporting role in the Broadway musical, Hair. Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located Hair The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical is a Rock musical with a book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni and music by Galt Unsuccessful in getting a part on Broadway, she decided to audition when the show moved to Germany, where Summer also performed in the German versions of several musicals including Godspell and Show Boat. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. This article is about the musical For the movie see Godspell (film. Show Boat is a musical in two acts with music by Jerome Kern and book (based on a novel by Edna Ferber) and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein She settled in Munich and also performed with the Viennese Folk Opera and the pop band Munich Machine. Munich (München; Minga is the capital city of Bavaria, Germany.

In 1971, Gaines released a single in Europe entitled "Sally Go 'Round The Roses", her first solo recording. The single was unsuccessful, however, and she had to wait until 1974 to launch a solo career. Gaines married Austrian actor Helmuth Sommer ("Summer" is an Anglicization of his last name) in 1972 and gave birth to daughter Mimi the following year. Anglicisation or anglicization (see -ise vs -ize) is a process of conversion of verbal or written elements of any other language into a more comprehensible English Summer did various musical jobs in studios and theaters for several years, including the pop group FamilyTree from 1974-75.

Early success and notoriety

While singing back-up for groups such as Three Dog Night, she met producers Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte. Three Dog Night is an American Rock band, best known for their music from 1968&ndash1975 but still making live appearances as of 2008 Hansjörg "Giorgio" Moroder (born on April 26 1940 in Urtijëi, Italy) is an Italian Record producer, songwriter Peter Bellotte (born 28 August 1947) is a British songwriter and producer most famous for his main body of work with Donna Summer alongside his partner With these producers, Summer signed a contract in the Netherlands and issued her first album, Lady of the Night, which included the European hit, "The Hostage". The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Lady of the Night is the first album by American singer Donna Summer. The single made #1 in France and Belgium, and #2 in the Netherlands. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Its follow-up, the title track of the album, also gained some degree of European success.

In the summer of 1975, Summer approached Moroder and Bellotte with an idea for a song. She had come up with the lyric "Love to love you, baby" as the possible title for the song. Moroder was interested in developing the new disco sound that was becoming increasingly popular, and used Summer's lyric to develop the song into a disco track. He had the idea that she should moan and groan orgasmically, but Summer was reticent. An orgasm (sexual climax is the conclusion of the plateau phase of the sexual response cycle, and may be experienced by both males and females Eventually she agreed to record the song as a demo to give to someone else (possibly singer Penny McLean). Silver Convention was a German Disco recording act of the 1970s She has stated that she was not completely sure of some of the lyrics, and parts of the song were improvised during the recording. Donna later stated on a VH-1 "Behind The Music" program that she pictured herself as Marilyn Monroe acting out the part of someone in sexual ecstasy). Moroder was so astounded with Summer's orgasmic vocals that he insisted she release the single herself. The song, titled "Love to Love You", was released to modest success in Europe. " Love to Love You Baby " is a song by American singer Donna Summer released in 1975 (see 1975 in music) When it reached America and the hands of Casablanca president Neil Bogart, however, he was so ecstatic over the demo that he asked Moroder to produce a twenty-minute version of the song. This article is about Casablanca the record label For other uses please see Casablanca (disambiguation. Neil Bogart ( February 3, 1943 – May 8, 1982) was an American record executive Summer, Moroder and producer Pete Bellotte cut a seventeen-minute version, renamed it "Love To Love You Baby", and Casablanca signed Summer and issued it as a single in November 1975. " Love to Love You Baby " is a song by American singer Donna Summer released in 1975 (see 1975 in music) Casablanca distributed Summer's work in the US while other labels distributed it in different nations during this period.

"Love To Love You Baby" was Summer's first big hit in America, reaching #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in early 1976 and becoming her first Number-One Hot Dance Club Play chart hit. " Love to Love You Baby " is a song by American singer Donna Summer released in 1975 (see 1975 in music) Billboard 's Hot Dance Club Play chart (also known as Club Play Singles, and formerly known as Hot Dance Music/Club Play and Hot Dance/Disco The album (side one of which was completely taken up with the full-length version of the title track) was also released in late 1975 and was soon certified Gold for sales of over 500,000 US copies. The song was branded "graphic" by some music critics and was even banned by some radio stations for its explicit content. Time magazine reported that 22 orgasms were simulated in the making of the song, and some of the music press dubbed Summer "the first lady of love. " Two successful, Gold-selling concept albums followed: A Love Trilogy which featured the single "Could It Be Magic" and Four Seasons Of Love which featured the uptempo "Spring Affair" as well as the ballad "Winter Melody" which was a top 30 hit in the UK - the first of Donna's singles to be be aired on Radio 1 and a hit on the US R&B charts. A Love Trilogy is the third album by Donna Summer. It was released in the spring of 1976 just a couple of months after her international breakthrough with the single Four Seasons of Love is the fourth album released by singer Donna Summer.

The 1977 album I Remember Yesterday, another concept album, found the Summer/Moroder/Bellotte team combining the Disco sound with musical elements of the past, present and future. I Remember Yesterday is the fifth original album by American singer Donna Summer. The song representing the future, "I Feel Love" became a landmark recording, giving Donna another Pop and R&B hit reaching #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and number one in the UK. " I Feel Love " is a song by Donna Summer, taken from her 1977 concept album I Remember Yesterday. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located "I Feel Love" earned her a second US Gold Single as well. " I Feel Love " is a song by Donna Summer, taken from her 1977 concept album I Remember Yesterday. The song's use of raw techno and electronic sounds was revolutionary and popularized synthesizers in dance, rock, and the burgeoning new wave.

Summer released another album in 1977, Once Upon A Time, a concept album telling a modern-day Cinderella "rags to riches" story through the means of electronic disco. Once Upon a Time is the sixth album by American singer Donna Summer. Many critics dismissed the album in 1977, but it is now one of the most acclaimed dance albums by critics in general.

Continued success in music

In 1978 Summer acted in the film Thank God It's Friday and released the single "Last Dance" which became her third US million-selling single. Thank God It's Friday is a 1978 Film directed by Robert Klane and produced by Motown Productions and Casablanca Filmworks for Columbia " Last Dance " is a Song written by the late Paul Jabara. Written by the late Paul Jabara — who also co-wrote "It's Raining Men", "The Main Event (Fight)" and "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)" — the song became another major hit for Summer, reaching #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and resulting in her first Grammy win. Paul Jabara ( January 31, 1948 – September 29 1992) was an American Actor, Singer and Songwriter. The Grammy Awards (originally called the Gramophone Awards)—or Grammys —are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences "Last Dance" has since become a standard track on talent shows like American Idol and The X Factor. American Idol, with the full title American Idol The Search for a Superstar for the first season only is an American reality-competition For the original UK version see The X Factor (UK Jabara took home the Oscar after the song was nominated for Song Of The Year. "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. Summer also recorded a side-long version of Serge Gainsbourg's "Je T'Aime (Moi Non Plus)" which was very similar in style to "Love to Love You, Baby", initially shelved and later released as a part of the Thank God It's Friday soundtrack. Serge Gainsbourg ɡɛ̃'zbuʁ (2 April 1928 &ndash 2 March 1991 was a French Poet, Singer-songwriter, Actor and " Love to Love You Baby " is a song by American singer Donna Summer released in 1975 (see 1975 in music)

That same year, Donna released her first live album, Live and More. Live and More is the seventh album by Donna Summer and her second Double album. This was Summer's first #1 album as well as her first to reach the million-selling Platinum mark. It included her first #1 American Pop single, a cover of the Jimmy Webb-penned "MacArthur Park" - another Gold-certified US 45 - originally made famous by the late actor/singer Richard Harris. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure Jimmy Layne Webb is an American songwriter From his initial success with " Up Up and Away," " By the Time I Get to Phoenix," " Wichita " MacArthur Park " is a song written by Jimmy Webb. Originally written as part of an intended Cantata rejected by The Association, it was first Richard St John Harris ( October 1 1930 - October 25 2002) was a two-time Academy Award -nominated and Grammy Award The studio part of the album included the tracks "One Of A Kind" and "Heaven Knows" which also featured vocals by Joe "Bean" Esposito of the Brooklyn Dreams (group member Bruce Sudano would later become romantically involved with Summer). " Heaven Knows " is a song by Donna Summer and the Brookyn Dreams released at the height of her fame during the 1970s Disco era Joe Esposito, known as "Bean" is a Grammy winning American Singer / Songwriter whose career spans from the 1970s to the present day The Brooklyn Dreams were a successful singing group of the late 1970s and early 1980s consisting of Joe "Bean" Esposito, Eddie Hokenson and Bruce Bruce Sudano (born September 26 1948) is a singer/songwriter/producer Sudano was originally a member of the Brooklyn Dreams. "Heaven Knows" became another Gold US Record and another Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

Summer was also a guest artist on Kiss bassist Gene Simmons's 1978 eponymous solo album. Kiss (also typeset as KISS) is an American rock band formed in New York City in December 1972 Gene Simmons (born Chaim Witz (pronounced Haium on August 25, 1949) is an Israeli -born American Hard rock Bass Gene Simmons is a 1978 solo Album from the bass player and singer of American Hard rock band Kiss. The group released 4 separate solo albums the same day in September. Kiss and Summer were both label mates through Casablanca Records at the time.

Bad Girls and the break from disco

In 1979, Summer released the landmark double-album Bad Girls. Bad Girls is the eighth album by Donna Summer and her third consecutive Double album. Unusual for a disco album, it mixed Rock, Funk, Blues and Soul into electronic Disco beats. It yielded three consecutive million-selling singles: the back-to-back #1 hits "Hot Stuff" and "Bad Girls", and the #2 hit "Dim All The Lights". " Hot Stuff " is a well known hit single released by American Disco Singer Donna Summer in 1979 as the first "Bad Girls" is a critically acclaimed 1979 single released by American singer Donna Summer. " Dim All the Lights " is a song by Donna Summer released as a single in the latter half of 1979. "Bad Girls" also became Summer's first #1 song on Billboard's R&B singles chart. "Bad Girls" is a critically acclaimed 1979 single released by American singer Donna Summer. With US record sales at an all-time apex in 1979, Summer had a straight run of five US Gold singles (three of which went on to Platinum status) that year alone. "Hot Stuff" won Summer a second Grammy, for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. The Grammy Awards (originally called the Gramophone Awards)—or Grammys —are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences The Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance has been awarded since 1980. (Interestingly, the Grammies had a Best Disco Recording Award only once, in 1980, won by Gloria Gaynor for her I Will Survive single. Gloria Gaynor (born Gloria Fowles September 7, 1949) is an American singer best-known for the Disco era hits " I Will Survive " I Will Survive " is a song first performed by Gloria Gaynor, released in October 1978 ) Bad Girls became Summer's second #1 album and the most successful album of her entire career, selling nearly three million copies in the US and an estimated ten million worldwide. Elements of Bad Girls would surface in the 1980s from such artists as Madonna, Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, Eurythmics, Laura Branigan and many other new wave and techno bands. Bad Girls is the eighth album by Donna Summer and her third consecutive Double album. Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie (born August 16 1958 known as Madonna, is an American Depeche Mode (dəˌpɛʃˈmoʊd are an English Electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The capitalisation of song titles in this article is disputed Eurythmics (often incorrectly referred to as The Eurythmics) is a British Musical duo, formed in 1980 by Annie Lennox and Dave Laura Branigan (July 3 1957 – August 26 2004 was an American singer and actress of Irish ancestry New Wave is a Rock music genre that existed during the late 1970s and the 1980s Techno is a form of Electronic dance music (EDM that emerged in Detroit, Michigan, USA during the mid to late 1980s Summer and Bruce Sudano grew closer during the making of this album and became engaged. Bruce Sudano (born September 26 1948) is a singer/songwriter/producer Sudano was originally a member of the Brooklyn Dreams. During this period, Summer had two songs in the top three of Billboard's Hot 100 during the same week, with "Bad Girls" and "Hot Stuff". Just a few months later, she accomplished the same feat again, with "No More Tears" and "Dim All the Lights". During the summer of 1979, she played eight sold-out nights at the Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles.

Summer's first compilation album, On The Radio: Greatest Hits Volumes 1 & 2, was a global smash and her third straight #1 US album - also going multi-platinum. On the Radio Greatest Hits Volumes 1 & 2 is a double Compilation album released by Donna Summer in 1979. With this, Summer became the first artist to have three consecutive number-one double-albums. The album also contained two new tracks - "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)", a Platinum-selling #1 duet with Barbra Streisand, and the Grammy-nominated Top Five Gold hit "On the Radio", a song written for the film Foxes. " No More Tears (Enough Is Enough " is a duet from 1979 by Donna Summer and Barbra Streisand. Barbra Streisand (ˈstraɪsænd "STRY-sand" born April 24 1942 is an American Singer, Film and Theatre Actress " On the Radio " is a single by Donna Summer released in 1979 on the Casablanca. Foxes is a 1980 English-language Drama film directed by Adrian Lyne and written by Gerald Ayres "On the Radio" has since become a staple on talent shows such as American Idol and the UK's The X-Factor. American Idol, with the full title American Idol The Search for a Superstar for the first season only is an American reality-competition For the original UK version see The X Factor (UK The Streisand-Summer duet was her fourth and final #1 Pop hit in the U. S - and her fourth #1 single in 12 months. Afterwards, disagreements between Summer and Casablanca Records led to her exit from the label in 1980. Summer was given a lucrative offer by David Geffen and became the first artist to be signed to his new Geffen label in 1980. David Geffen (born February 21, 1943) is an American Record executive, Film producer, Theatrical producer and philanthropist Geffen Records is an American Record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label Donna also became a born again Christian during this time and used the faith as a new guiding force within her life.

The Wanderer and She Works Hard for the Money

Summer's first Geffen release, 1980's The Wanderer, was something of a departure, in some ways closer to a rock/new wave affair. The Wanderer is a 1980 Album by Donna Summer. Summer had made her name the previous decade as the most successful female artist of the Disco Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. New Wave is a Rock music genre that existed during the late 1970s and the 1980s The title track, and accompanying singles "Cold Love" and "Who Do You Think You're Foolin'?" saw Summer attempting to reach the same audience dominated by contemporaries like Blondie and Pat Benatar. Blondie is an American rock band that first gained fame in the late 1970s and has so far sold over 60 million records Pat Benatar (born Patricia Mae Andrzejewski on 10 January 1953) is an influential four-time Grammy Award -winning American The title track was another million-selling hit, reaching #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning her yet another Gold single in the States. The album peaked at #13 on the US album charts and earned a Gold album certification in the US. Her next album, I'm a Rainbow, a new wave - oriented double album which also featured elements of Soul, R&B, period British techno-pop and even synth-based Disco, was shelved by Geffen (although two of the tracks would surface during the 1980s on the Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Flashdance film soundtracks) because he believed Summer needed fresh production. I'm a Rainbow is a double album recorded by Donna Summer in 1981 that remained unreleased until 1996 Soul music is a Music genre that combines Rhythm and blues and Gospel music, originating in the United States. Disco is a Genre of dance-oriented music whose origins are hard to define Fast Times at Ridgemont High is a 1982 American coming-of-age teen - Comedy film written by Cameron Crowe (adapted Flashdance is a musical / Romance film released in April 1983 and was one of the most successful films of the early 1980s Reluctantly, Summer left Moroder after seven years of collaboration, and began work with Quincy Jones. Quincy Delight Jones Jr (born March 14, 1933) also known as Q, is an American Music Impresario, conductor

In 1982 Geffen released the Gold-certified, self-titled Donna Summer, and the new production from Quincy Jones was again in the Top 10 of the Pop, R&B, and Dance charts with the Grammy-nominated "Love Is In Control (Finger On The Trigger)". Donna Summer is the self-titled album released by the American singer in 1982. Quincy Delight Jones Jr (born March 14, 1933) also known as Q, is an American Music Impresario, conductor "Love Is In Control (Finger On The Trigger" is the first single from Donna Summer 's self-titled 1982 album A second single, "State of Independence", on which Michael Jackson sang background along with a veritable "who's who" of the music world, became a sizable international hit but flopped in the US. "State of Independence" is a song originally recorded by Jon and Vangelis for their collaborative 1981 album The Friends of Mr Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29 1958 is an American musician entertainer and businessman One more single from the album followed, "The Woman In Me", later recorded by Ann Wilson & Nancy Wilson of the rock group Heart. " The Woman In Me " is the third and final single from Donna Summer 's self-titled 1982 album Heart is a rock band whose founding members came from the Seattle, Washington, scene but came together in Vancouver, British Columbia It was a modest hit on the Hot 100 chart.

In 1983 Summer scored her biggest triumph since Bad Girls with the release of the album, She Works Hard For The Money. The title track became one of her most played songs. " She Works Hard for the Money " is a 1983 single issued by singer Donna Summer on the Mercury label The Grammy-nominated hit also became a pro-feminist anthem and was a staple on MTV, making her the first black woman to have a video air in heavy rotation on the channel. MTV ( Music Television) is an American Cable television network based in New York City. The single was also Summer's biggest-ever R&B hit (#1 for three weeks) and had frequent play on BET. It was released on PolyGram's Mercury Records to settle a legal dispute following PolyGram's absorption of Casablanca. Mercury Records is a Record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Music Group in the US and are both subsidiaries of It was Summer's 6th LP in a row to feature a Billboard Top Ten Hit. A second single from the She Works Hard For The Money album, the reggae-flavored "Unconditional Love" featured vocals by British band Musical Youth and outsold the first single in the UK, and was another MTV video smash, but stopped short of the U. Reggae is a Music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s "Unconditional Love" is the second single from the Donna Summer album She Works Hard for the Money released in the Autumn of 1983 Musical Youth is a Grammy Award -nominated British - Jamaican pop / Reggae group S. Top 40.

Her subsequent Geffen releases did not fare as well. 1984's Cats Without Claws made the US Top 40 LP and Singles charts, but 1987's All Systems Go stalled on the charts with no major hits. Cats Without Claws is an album released by Donna Summer in 1984. All Systems Go is an album by Donna Summer released in 1987. Best remembered for her Disco hits during the 1970s Summer had been signed Rolling Stone magazine called it her first bonafide bomb. The first single, Dinner with Gershwin was a sizable international hit as well as being a Top Ten US R&B hit. "Dinner with Gershwin" is a song written by Brenda Russell and recorded by Donna Summer. However, it was not enough to heal the difficult relationship with David Geffen. Summer left Geffen Records in 1988 to sign with Atlantic Records when he refused to release her next LP; ironically, it would become another hit release. Atlantic Records ( Atlantic Recording Corporation) is an American Record label best known for its many recordings of Rhythm & blues, Rock

Later career

Summer briefly regained her hit luster again in 1989 with Another Place and Time, an album-length collaboration with British top dance-pop songwriting and production team Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman known as Stock Aitken Waterman. Another Place and Time is an album by American singer Donna Summer released in 1989. Dance-pop is a style of Electronic dance music and a subgenre of Pop music that evolved from Disco, circa 1981 that combines dance beats with a pop Mike Stock ( Margate, Kent, England, December 3, 1951) is a British Songwriter and Record producer Matt Aitken (born 25 August 1956 in Coventry England) is a British songwriter and record producer brought up in Astley Greater Manchester Peter Alan Waterman OBE (born 15 January 1947) is an English Record producer, occasional Songwriter, Radio and Stock Aitken Waterman, sometimes known as SAW, were a UK songwriting and record producing trio who had great success during the mid-late 1980s "This Time I Know It's For Real" became Summer's fourteenth Top 10 Billboard Pop hit in the US and returned to her to Gold-single status. "This Time I Know It's For Real" is a song originally recorded by Donna Summer, and released in 1989 as the first single from her album See Billboard (Turkish magazine Billboard is a weekly American Magazine devoted to the Music industry The United States of America —commonly referred to as the It was also a huge success on Adult Contemporary radio, holding at #2 for four weeks. Another track, "I Don't Wanna Get Hurt", was a Top Ten UK hit. The follow-up US single, "Love's About To Change My Heart", became a Dance chart hit but stalled at #85 on the Pop chart. In 1991, she released the album Mistaken Identity, which was an attempt at incorporating New Jack Swing and Urban Contemporary into her music. Mistaken Identity is the second Album by Australian singer Delta Goodrem, released in Australia on November 8, 2004 by New jack swing, or "swingbeat" is a hybrid style popular from the late-1980s into the mid-1990s which fuses the Rhythms samples and production Urban contemporary is a music Radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s The album was not a success and sold less than 50,000 copies, failing to even appear on the Billboard Album Chart (it barely scraped into the R&B Albums chart at #97). Summer scored a top twenty R&B hit with "When Love Cries" but her days of mainstream success were now behind her. However, the following year, Summer received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a Sidewalk along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood Los Angeles California, USA, that The year also saw her collaborate with Giorgio Moroder for the first time in over a decade with the song "Carry On". First featured on his Forever Dancing album, the following year the track would be featured on the double album The Donna Summer Anthology. The Donna Summer Anthology is a double compilation album by the American singer released by Polygram Records in 1993. This compilation also featured two exclusive remixes from the unreleased I'm a Rainbow album recorded back in 1981. It would be a while before her next release as she decided to take some time out to spend with her family.

A gospel-influenced Christmas album entitled Christmas Spirit in 1994 became Summer's first full-length album in over three years, and a new compilation entitled Endless Summer (both released by PolyGram) also contained a couple of new tracks, including "Melody of Love (Wanna Be Loved)", which became the year's # 1 Billboard hit on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. Gospel music is Music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life as well as (in terms of the varying music styles to Christmas Spirit is a Christmas -themed album by Donna Summer, released in 1994. This article is about the Donna Summer album For other uses including the Beach Boys' compilation see Endless Summer. Billboard 's Hot Dance Club Play chart (also known as Club Play Singles, and formerly known as Hot Dance Music/Club Play and Hot Dance/Disco

In 1995, a re-release of "I Feel Love" (with newly recorded vocals) as a dance remix, became a hit again in the UK, reaching #8 there. The following year she would score another Top 20 there with a new remix of "State of Independence". In 1996, Summer's album I'm a Rainbow was finally released by Polygram's Mercury Records after a 15 year delay. I'm a Rainbow is a double album recorded by Donna Summer in 1981 that remained unreleased until 1996 Mercury Records is a Record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Music Group in the US and are both subsidiaries of

In 1996, Summer recorded a duet with Liza Minnelli which appeared on Minnelli's Grammy-nominated traditional pop album Gently. Liza May Minnelli (born March 12, 1946) is a legendary American actress and singer A promo was sent to Adult Contemporary radio stations as an airplay-only single but failed to dent the charts.

In 1998, Summer was the first artist to receive a Grammy award for Best Dance Recording for her 1992 collaboration with Giorgio Moroder, "Carry On", after the song was remixed and released as a single. The Grammy Awards (originally called the Gramophone Awards)—or Grammys —are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences The Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording has been awarded since 1998 Hansjörg "Giorgio" Moroder (born on April 26 1940 in Urtijëi, Italy) is an Italian Record producer, songwriter In 1999, Summer starred in a televised live concert on the VH1 network entitled Donna Summer - Live and More Encore. VH1 (known as VH-1 Video Hits One from 1985 to 1994 and VH1 Music First until 2003) is an American Cable television The special earned the network their highest ratings of the year, second only to their annual Divas concert. In 1998, VH1 debuted the first annual VH1 Divas concert The first concert VH1 Divas Live was created to support the station's Performing a string of her classics and new singles, she also sang "Dim All the Lights" as a tribute to Rod Stewart. Roderick "Rod" David Stewart, CBE (born 10 January 1945 is a Singer and Songwriter born and raised in London England and currently Summer acknowledges that she wrote the song for Stewart but recorded it herself. She also performed an updated version of "No More Tears" with Australian pop diva Tina Arena. Tina Arena (born 1 November 1967) is an Australian singer songwriter and Musical theatre actress A live CD of the special (on the Epic label) and DVD of the special were released, returning the singer back to the U. Epic Records is an American Record label. It is owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment. S. albums chart, selling close to half a million copies in the USA. Summer scored two # 1 dance hits that year with "I Will Go with You (Con te partirò)" and "Love Is the Healer" (both found as new studio tracks on the live album). For the Andrea Boccelli / Sarah Brightman recording of the song see " Con te partirò " "Love Is the Healer" is a song recorded by American singer Donna Summer in 1999 for her album Live & More Encore, the track being one of two new studio During that year, Summer recorded the theme song for Pokémon: The Movie 2000, entitled "The Power of One". is the second Pokémon feature-length film complementing the Orange Islands saga of the series and featuring several new Pokémon including Lugia and Slowking " The Power of One " is a song performed by Donna Summer, which is the theme song to the movie Pokémon The Movie 2000. Around this time, Summer also recorded the song "Dreamcatcher" for the Naturally Native Original Soundtrack.

In 2003, a greatest-hits compilation called The Journey was released, which reached the UK Top 10 in the following year thanks to her appearance on an ITV1 show. The Journey The Very Best of Donna Summer is a compilation of the American singer's hits released by Universal Music in 2003. This article deals with the ITV1 brand name as it is broadcast at present Discomania found Summer co-presenting & singing a number of her hits: a "Hot Stuff"/"Bad Girls" medley, "MacArthur Park", "Last Dance", & a duet with Westlife on "No More Tears (Enough is Enough)" - which appeared on the Discomania soundtrack album. Westlife is an Irish pop band that was formed on 3 July 1998 They were signed on by Simon Cowell and are currently managed by Louis Walsh.

On September 20, 2004, Summer was among the first artists to be inducted into the newly formed Dance Music Hall of Fame in New York City. Events 451 - The Battle of Chalons takes place in North Eastern France. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The Dance Music Hall of Fame was created in 2003 when music industry veteran John Parker ( Robbins Entertainment) thought that something needed to be done to honor The City of New York She was inducted in two categories, Artist Inductees, alongside fellow disco legends The Bee Gees and Barry White; and Record Inductees, for her classic hit "I Feel Love". The Bee Gees were a singing trio of brothers — Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. Barry Eugene White (born Barrence Eugene Carter, &ndash) was an American Record producer, Songwriter and Singer. " I Feel Love " is a song by Donna Summer, taken from her 1977 concept album I Remember Yesterday. Summer added to her achievements in October 2004 when she performed "God Bless America" during the seventh-inning stretch at Game 2 of the 2004 World Series at Boston's Fenway Park. October 2004: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - " God Bless America " is an American Patriotic song The 2004 World Series was the championship series of the 2004 Major League Baseball (MLB season

Crayons / Comeback

In May, 2008, Summer released her first album of new material in 17 years, Crayons, on Sony BMG imprint Burgundy Records. MAY ( also known as: Mei メイ 메이 is a Korean singer well known in South Korea for singing the song "Miracle" 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Crayons is the latest Studio album by American Pop icon Donna Summer released on May 20, 2008 in the Sony BMG Music Entertainment is a diverse music and entertainment group Burgundy Records is an American Record label, and Subsidiary of Sony BMG. Remixes of the track "I'm A Fire" were serviced to US clubs as a promo on February 16, and the track reached #1[1] on the U.S. Dance Chart. I'm a Fire is the first single from Donna Summer 's album Crayons. Events 1249 - Andrew of Longjumeau is dispatched by Louis IX of France as his ambassador to meet with the Khan of the Mongols Billboard 's Hot Dance Club Play chart (also known as Club Play Singles, and formerly known as Hot Dance Music/Club Play and Hot Dance/Disco The first official single, "Stamp Your Feet", was released on April 15, 2008. " Stamp Your Feet " is the first official single to be released by Donna Summer to promote her 2008 album Crayons. Events 1450 - Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French attack and nearly annihilate English 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Summer performed "Stamp Your Feet" on the season finale of "American Idol" on May 21, 2008. " Stamp Your Feet " is the first official single to be released by Donna Summer to promote her 2008 album Crayons. American Idol, with the full title American Idol The Search for a Superstar for the first season only is an American reality-competition Events 878 - Syracuse Italy is captured by the Muslim sultan of Sicily. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Crayons debuted at #17 on the Billboard album chart, making this her highest debut on the US charts and her highest charting album since She Works Hard For The Money reached #9 in 1983. Summer has just become the first artist ever to have a #1 Billboard Dance hit in each of the past four decades. "I'm A Fire" is Donna Summer's 19th #1 Billboard single of her career.

Voice

Summer is known for her vocal adaptability. She has a notably long range and can sing in a very wide variety of vocal styles. Both her gospel and musical theatre training are evident in several of her recordings, as well as other influences. Many of Summer's recordings show off the immense power of her voice, while others show different sides to her voice which can be soft and sultry, or high and dreamy depending on the suitability to the song.

Personal life

In 1972, Summer married her first husband, Austrian actor Helmut Sommer, having moved to Germany to play in musicals, which resulted in her learning to speak fluent German. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. With Sommer, she gave birth to her first child, Mimi. The couple divorced in 1976, but Donna had anglicized her name, Sommer, to "Summer" and begun her professional singing career in 1974 as Donna Summer. In 1978, she collaborated with the R&B Pop group the Brooklyn Dreams for the hit "Heaven Knows" (duet vocals by Joe Esposito). The Brooklyn Dreams were a successful singing group of the late 1970s and early 1980s consisting of Joe "Bean" Esposito, Eddie Hokenson and Bruce Joe Esposito, known as "Bean" is a Grammy winning American Singer / Songwriter whose career spans from the 1970s to the present day While at the session recording the single, she met Bruce Sudano. Bruce Sudano (born September 26 1948) is a singer/songwriter/producer Sudano was originally a member of the Brooklyn Dreams. The duo began a romance that culminated in their July 16, 1980, marriage, and later the birth of daughters Brooklyn and Amanda. Events 622 - The beginning of the Islamic calendar. 1054 - Three Roman legates fractured relations between the Western and Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) Brooklyn Sudano (born January 5, 1981 in West Hollywood CA) is African American and Italian. Today, Mimi and Amanda sing alongside their mother, while Brooklyn has been seen acting in TV shows, including My Wife and Kids. My Wife and Kids is an American sitcom which ran on ABC from March 28 2001 until May 17 2005 starring Damon Wayans and Summer is still married to Sudano, and she is a grandmother of three. She has a sister, Mary Gaines Bernard, who is part of the worship team at Calvary Chapel Ft. Lauderdale.

During her career, Summer has dealt with controversy both professionally and personally. Her first hit, "The Hostage" was banned in Germany, and other radio stations banned her music for being sexually suggestive, with "Love to Love You Baby" being an example. Love to Love You Baby is the second album by Donna Summer, and her first to be released internationally

A more painful incident came in the early 1980s with reports that Summer had made anti-gay remarks associated with the AIDS epidemic. Her songs were banned for a number of years in some gay establishments over these rumors. Summer has always denied the rumours and finally took legal action against the weekly magazine New York for its report of the allegations. According to Biography, a television profile aired by the A&E network which Donna participated, the case was settled out of court with neither side admitting guilt. Summer has tearfully stated, "I never said anything that was written about me in that article". Summer has headlined for AIDS benefits and has donated proceeds to AIDS research. As recently as 2006, she was asked about the rumors by a Canadian newspaper. "So many people in my audiences are gay. I can’t live my life trying to assure people of anything. You have to live knowing who you are. I think that my actions and the person that I am speak louder than somebody else’s misgivings or lies about me," Summer responded. You tell people the truth and if they choose to believe you, they do. "

To sum up the rumor again for a German gay magazine interview in 2008, Summer stated, "What happened, was not by me. As an artist you have no control over what is written about you, and then read by perhaps one million people, and some people will believe that it is true. You can not go to each one and take it back. I must continue my life and I remain faithful. But my career started in gay clubs. I love my people, and this is the truth. And for many years I have done benefits for AIDS, because this is my contribution to the people who have made me great. "

Awards and recognition

Cover versions by other artists

Discography

For a detailed listing of albums and singles, see: Donna Summer discography. This is a listing of all of the singles and albums released by American R&B singer Donna Summer.

References

  1. ^ Donna Summer Official Myspace
  2. ^ Rock & Roll Hall of Fame - Inductees
  3. ^ http://www.everyhit.com - accessed 28 Jan 2007
  4. ^ http://www.everyhit.com - accessed 28 Jan 2007

See also

External links and sources

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