Donna Summer
LaDonna Adrian Gaines, known worldwide as Donna Summer (Boston, Massachusetts, December 31, 1948) is an American pop singer best known for her disco-style recordings of the 1970s, which earned her the title of Queen of Disco. With a 37-year career, it is estimated that she has sold over 130 million copies of her records.
Summer was a rare case in the disco scene, as her career began before the "explosion" of that style and continued after that phase. Although she is one of the best-known artists of the "Disco Era," her repertoire included various genres, including rhythm and blues and rock, having won Grammy awards in these categories. Her work is still applauded by critics, and she remains one of the few artists of the Disco Era still accepted by current critics.
Summer began singing in the choir of the church she attended. Later she joined a rock band called The Crow. A few months before graduating high school, Summer dropped out and joined the German production of the musical Hair. Subsequently, she moved to Europe, participating in various musicals.
After moving to Munich, Germany, Summer married Helmut Sommer ("Summer" is an anglicization of the name "Sommer") and worked in various musicals and theaters. In 1971, she released the song "Sally Go 'Round the Roses," her first solo work, without success. After meeting Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte, she released her first LP, Lady of the Night, in 1975, with some success in Europe. Her song "Love to Love You Baby" was a big hit on the continent. The record label Casablanca Records began distributing the album in the US, making her a sensation there as well. A critically acclaimed 17-minute version of "Love to Love You Baby" followed, establishing a standard now known as "extended mixes": extended versions aimed at dance floors.
Continuing to work with Moroder and Bellotte, the album A Love Trilogy was released in 1976, followed by the concept album Seasons of Love in the same year. Their next work, I Remember Yesterday (1977), included the hit "I Feel Love," the first successful song with accompaniment entirely made by synthesizer. This hugely successful song influenced the development of disco music and techno, thanks to the innovations introduced by Moroder.
Once Upon a Time was released shortly after I Remember Yesterday; it was again a concept production, themed around the fairy tale Cinderella. After acting in (and winning a Grammy for the soundtrack) the comedy Thank God It's Friday, Summer released a live album, Live and More, featuring another huge hit: MacArthur Park. Her talent as a songwriter shone through in Bad Girls (1979), and also in "Hot Stuff," which won another Grammy. The song On the Radio, also from 1979, reached number 1 on the American charts. That year, she also recorded a duet with Barbra Streisand on the song Enough is Enough (No More Tears).
Summer then decided to leave Casablanca Records and sign with Geffen Records. Her first album for Geffen was The Wanderer, from 1980, which included R&B and rock influences. The following album, I'm a Rainbow, was only released in 1996 because Geffen didn't believe it was good. Instead, Geffen had Donna Summer leave Moroder and Bellotte, her longtime songwriters, and have Quincy Jones as producer on the next album, "Donna Summer," which included the hits "Love is in Control (Finger on the Trigger)" and the ballad "The Woman in Me." It also featured Vangelis's song "State of Independence" in a New Age style.
In 1983, as part of a settlement with Casablanca Records, Summer released the album *She Works Hard for the Money*, produced by Michael Omartian. What should have been just an obligation turned into a resounding success. Besides the title track, another big hit was "Unconditional Love". Back at Geffen, her later works ("Cats Without Claws" and "All Systems Go") were not as well received by the public, despite critical acclaim.
After a period of relative obscurity, Donna Summer returned to her position as a dance music diva with the album Another Place and Time, produced by the English hitmakers Stock, Aitken and Waterman, mentors to artists such as Rick Astley and Kylie Minogue. Tracks like "This Time I Know It's For Real," "Love's About To Change My Heart," and "I Don't Wanna Get Hurt" topped the international charts. Curiously, in Brazil, the song "Breakaway" became a huge hit, perhaps one of the singer's biggest in the country, but only three years later, in 1992, with the singer's first visit for a tour.
In 1991, she released Mistaken Identity, heavily influenced by R&B, which received little attention. It wasn't until 2008 that Donna Summer released a new album of entirely new songs, titled Crayons. During this period, the singer remained active, releasing several singles resulting from appearances on soundtracks, compilations, and special projects ("Carry On," "Melody Of Love," "Whenever There Is Love," "The Power Of One," "I Will Go With You"). Additionally, in 1996, she participated in Liza Minnelli's album "Gently," in the duet "Does He Love You."
In November 2009, he returned to Brazil for performances in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro as part of the "Crayons" album tour.
Donna Summer died on May 17, 2012, at the age of 63, after a long battle with cancer. Known as the "Queen of Disco," Summer will be remembered, perhaps, as the greatest disco singer in history. But she was much more than that: a singer with an incredible range whose voice was comfortable in both German-language show tunes and sassy disco tracks as well as powerful gospel ballads.
Shortly before her death, Donna stated that her main aspiration in life was not related to singing: "What I truly aspire to in my life is to be loving," she said. "And I don't always achieve that, but that is my desire."
DONNA SUMMER - FUTPEDIAMUSIC SELECTION
Donna Summer
Futpediamusic Selection
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