Donna Summer
Date of birth: 1948-12-31
Place of birth: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Known for: Acting
Also known as: LaDonna Adrian Gaines
Biography
Donna Summer (born LaDonna Adrian Gaines; December 31, 1948 – May 17, 2012) was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the "Queen of Disco", while her music gained a global following. Influenced by the counterculture of the 1960s, Summer became the lead singer of a psychedelic rock band named Crow and moved to New York City. In 1968 she joined a German adaptation of the musical Hair in Munich, where she spent several years living, acting, and singing. There, she met music producers Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte, and they went on to record influential disco hits together such as "Love to Love You Baby" and "I Feel Love", marking Summer's breakthrough into international music markets. Summer returned to the United States in 1976, and more hits such as "Last Dance", her version of "MacArthur Park", "Heaven Knows", "Hot Stuff", "Bad Girls", "Dim All the Lights", "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)" with Barbra Streisand, and "On the Radio" followed. Summer amassed a total of 42 hit singles on the US Billboard Hot 100 in her lifetime, with 14 of those reaching the Top 10. She claimed a top-40 hit every year between 1975 and 1984, and from her first top-ten hit in 1976, to the end of 1982, she had 12 top-ten hits (10 were top-five hits), more than any other act during that time period. She returned to the Hot 100's top five in 1983, and claimed her final top-ten hit in 1989 with "This Time I Know It's for Real". She was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach the top of the US Billboard 200 chart and charted four number-one singles in the US within a 12-month period. She also charted two number-one singles on the R&B Singles chart in the US and a number-one single in the United Kingdom. Her most recent Hot 100 hit came in 1999 with "I Will Go with You (Con te partirò)". While her fortunes on the Hot 100 waned in subsequent decades, Summer remained a force on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart throughout her entire career. Summer died on May 17, 2012, from lung cancer, at her home in Naples, Florida. She sold over 100 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. She won five Grammy Awards. In her obituary in The Times, she was described as the "undisputed queen of the Seventies disco boom" who reached the status of "one of the world's leading female singers." Moroder described Summer's work on the song "I Feel Love" as "really the start of electronic dance" music. In 2013, Summer was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In December 2016, Billboard ranked her sixth on its list of the "Greatest of All Time Top Dance Club Artists". Description above from the Wikipedia article Donna Summer, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Movie Credits
Love to Love You, Donna Summer
2023-02-21
The extraordinary story of disco queen Donna Summer through a rich archive of unpublished film excer
Les Enfants de la Pop 80's
2012-10-22
The Sensational Shocking Wonderful Wacky 70's
1980-01-04
A look back at the people, events, music, and trends of the 1970s.
Thank God It's Friday
1978-05-19
It's Friday and everyone is going to the hottest new disco in Los Angeles. The Commodores are schedu
Hit Man Returns - David Foster & Friends
2011-03-11
Hitman Returns was filmed before a sold out crowd last year at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. The li
The Power of One: The Pokémon 2000 Movie Special
2000-07-16
A promotional concert/behind the scenes special for the American release of Pokémon: The Movie 2000.
Donna Summer - Live & More Collection
1999-01-01
About the film: It's hard to write something about SUCH artists, it seems that all the words have al
Donna Summer - Live from New York
2008-01-01
The DVD is a re-release of the concert from 02/28/1999. The peculiarity of this edition is the forma
Donna Summer - Live and More Encore!
1999-12-21
Since her '70s heyday as disco's reigning diva (and one of its most adventurous artists), Donna Summ
Soul Divas
2007-12-15
Three generations of powerful soul divas come together in this glittering collection of blistering l
Rona Barrett Looks at 1978
1979-01-01
Rona Barrett looks back at 1978 and reflects on the news and entertainment highlights of the year. I
Stock Aitken Waterman: Legends of Pop
2023-01-21
Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman were the producers who came, SAW and conquered the UK char
Off the Menu: The Last Days of Chasen's
1998-06-19
In 1995, Chasen's closed its doors after 60 years of serving chili to movie stars and visiting digni
La TV des 70's : Quand Giscard était président
2022-01-07
In May 1974, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing became President of the Republic and wanted to bring about a n
VH1 Divas 2000: A Tribute to Diana Ross
2000-04-11
Diana Ross, Faith Hill, Mariah Carey and Donna Summer headline VH1 Divas 2000: Tribute to Diana Ross
A Hot Summer Night with Donna
1983-10-23
This 90 minute show captured Donna Summer's 1983 "Hard For The Money" Tour, and was recorded at the
Donna Summer: Live
2005-01-01
Rhythm Divine: The Story of Disco
1992-09-20
The evolution of disco music through interviews and clips - Acid House, House, Disco, Funk, Italo-Di
Songs From the Neighborhood: The Music of Mister Rogers
2005-01-01
Included with the CD is a bonus DVD featuring a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the album.
Donald Duck's 50th Birthday
1984-11-13
Donald is shown in both animated and costumed form, interacting with emcee Dick Van Dyke and other c
Do I Look Like a Lady? (Comedians and Singers)
2016-10-16
Do I Look Like a Lady? (Comedians and Singers) presents a dynamic checkerboard of moving image foota
The Midnight Special Legendary Performances: Million Sellers
2006-07-15
Burt Sugarman's The Midnight Special: 1976
2006-06-01
Live performances from a television music show that aired late night on the NBC-TV network the U.S.
High Energy: Disco on Amphetamines
2019-02-19
By the end of the seventies, disco music, considered too mainstream, was dead. But DJs and dance flo
Disco Europe Express
2019-09-15
Despite its Afro-American origins, the history of disco music, the soundtrack of the seventies, woul
The Midnight Special Legendary Performances: More 1978
2007-01-01
Walt Disney World's 25th Anniversary Party
1997-02-28
Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the most magical place on earth!
Best of Night of the Proms Vol. 2
2007-01-01
The Donna Summer Special
1980-01-27
A variety special that showcased the musical talents of singer and actress Donna Summer.
Disneyland's 30th Anniversary Celebration
1985-02-18
Broadcast on NBC February 18, 1985, the Disneyland 30th Anniversary Celebration was hosted by John F
Women in Rock
1986-01-01
All the legendary women of rock 'n' roll are brought together in this stunning collage of artists an
Listen to the Music
1979-11-18
Swedish-Canadian television special hosted by Swedish artist Ted Gärdestad and Canadian artist Lisa
Best of Disco Star Parade 70-80
2007-12-31