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I was so surprised and saddened to learn that disco queen Donna Summer had died at the young age of 63. Donna succumbed to cancer, in Florida, after a long battle. Donna is known for strings of hits in the late 70s and 80s. Her music helped define a generation and an era, and she will be sorely missed. Here’s a little more, from US Weekly:
The chart-topping, Grammy-winning singer behind such colossal disco hits as “Hot Stuff,” “Last Dance,” “Bad Girls” and many others — plus 80s smashes like “She Works Hard for the Money” — passed away in Florida after a battle with cancer.
The biggest, most enduring star of the disco era, Summer helped usher disco, dance and later electronic music into the mainstream — influencing the careers and sounds of Madonna, Beyonce, Michael Jackson and countless others.
She is survived by daughters Brooklyn and Amanda, her grown daughters with husband Bruce Sudano, a fellow musician whom she married in 1980, and Mimi, her eldest daughter with first husband, actor Helmuth Sommer.
Summer’s rep had no immediate comment. According to TMZ, Summer had been working on a new album weeks before her passing.
[From US Magazine]
Aw, I can hardly believe she’s gone. She was younger than my mom, and that’s way too early to go. This really saddens me.
RIP Donna, your music touched so many of us.
This is one of my favorite Donna Summer songs, and is one I remember so fondly from my childhood. “She Works Hard For The Money”
“Last Dance”
Donna performing “Bad Girls” in 1979
“Hot Stuff”
“I Feel Love”
Photo credit: WENN.com and PRPhotos
Written by Celebitchy
Posted in Deaths, Donna Summer, Photos
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Grew up singing and dancing to DS songs in jr high, high school and college. She was a great talent and will be missed. RIP Donna…no more pain~
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Rest in Peace
I’m in shock! ((
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Oh no. I loved her & have danced many a night away to her music. Eternal rest grant & may the perpetual light shine upon her.
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word.
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Cosigned. I hadn’t realised she was so ill. RIP
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So sad. RIP.
‘Love Is In Control’ was one of the baddest and mosy popular funky jam of the 80′s
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That’s so sad
Rest in peace.
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F*CK CANCER.
PS:
You FORGOT the most quintessential Donna Summer song! I Feel Love.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8TBmeK9Abg
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Bad girls, talking bout bad girls….toot toot, beep beep!
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I did forget that! I’ll add it now.
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Oh how I love that song! and all her songs but her vocals on I Feel Love are fabulous. I hope Glee does a Donna Summer tribute.
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Here, here – CUCK FANCER. She was way too young to die.
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And where is On The Radio?
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on my iPod
always
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Mayi say it again? Fu cancer! I spent 20 years watching u kill my patients daily and much of my family.
I hate it more than you guys will ever know…
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So sad, she was truly one of my favorite artists of all time…. Last Dance is my jam!
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that’s so sad..
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That’s really sad (saw it minutes ago on Dlisted)…I grew up listening to some of her songs (my oldest sister loved disco when she was a teen) and they’re great.
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My oldest sister was also a disco queen in her teens, so we all loved Donna’s music. My three sisters and I just got on the phone together to mourn. Really, Summer was a big part of our shared childhood.
On a road trip last month, I heard the awesome Donna Summer mix the MacArthur Park Suite (Studio 54 channel on siriusXM). MacArthur park into One of a Kind into Heaven Knows back to MacArthur park. Man I enjoyed the hell out of those 20 minutes. Thank you Donna RIP
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Oh, mia girl, I would LOVE a link to that, if you can find one. McArthur Park is one of my favourites of hers!
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Hi bellaluna – it’s available on Rhapsody to listen to if you subscribe, and on iTunes for purchase (but only as a bonus if you purchase the deluxe Bad Girls LP -$17.99). You can also find some posts on YouTube I think.
Maybe others who are more crafty with free mp3 downloads can tell where you can get for free.
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Amazing singer and beautiful woman…what a sad day! Rest In Peace, Miss Donna.
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Oh man! Was just rocking out yesterday to Heaven Knows, at 4 am on the way to work!!
Rest in peace lovely lady.
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I met her years ago and she was such a nice person. Very sad, she will be greatly missed.
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She was it in her day. Just fun music when young people use to dance. Never heard of her being in trouble.
RIP Donna!!!!
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I’ve never been a big fan of disco, but I’ve always liked her songs. Very nice voice. Prayers go out to her family and friends.
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wow…soooo sad.
The disco lights are definitely dimmer today.
need to go dancing this weekend to pay my respects!!
enjoy the party upstairs Ms.Summer!!!
TOOT TOOT BEEP BEEP!!!
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@Nev – “enjoy the party upstairs Ms.Summer!!!”
This is just a lovely way to think about the loss. It’s easier when one feels that it’s just the soul (which Donna had plenty of) moving on from *this* life, onto a next (whether that be ‘upstairs’, or something more like other cultures believe.)
The thought of a disco ‘upstairs’ brought a smile to my face. I have the most ridiculous image in my head… The ‘upstairs’ disco in full force, While the inhabitants of Hell (downstairs) are using a broom to bang on the ceiling…so they could tell them to STFU. Maybe the cause of thunderstorms? xD Got a little o/t, sorry about that!
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This news has really hurt my heart. I loved her music.
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My prayers to her family & friends. Donna will always be to me, the queen of disco, and HOT STUFF! RIP Donna – you are a legend who will be greatly missed.
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I love disco and I love Donna Summers – I will miss her much more than Whitney Houston.
RIP Ms. Summer – you will live on in your energetic music!
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RIP Donna. I loved your music. I have a Karaoke machine at home and “Last Dance” is always my song. The hubby & kids are going to hate me tonight.
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My mom grew up on her jams…i remember grandma almost having a heart attack after listening to ‘TRY ME”..LOL!!!!
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Awww, sad. Too young to go. She brings back childhood memories.
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omg! rest in peace, donna.
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So sad. Cancer sucks, f–k cancer!
Donna was so gorgeous and what a voice. Her music sounds so great even today. I’m gonna miss her.
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Loved her music, loved her voice. RIP Donna.
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Holy crap!
I had no freakin’ idea she even had cancer! Damn it! It just claimed Adam “MCA” Yauch.
Love to love you baby!
RIP Summers!
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loved her. how sad
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RIP Donna Summer, she’s truly a legend now.
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Holy Damn, I didn’t even know she was sick!! I’m shocked. RIP Bad Girl.
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I was a waitress when She works hard for her money came out. I adored her. I am just crushed. RIP.
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What the hell is going on, here?
All of the icons that got me off my @$$ to dance is going…
MJ, Teena Marie, Heavy D., Whitney, and now Donna Summer.
Mind you, I was five or six years old when Donna broke huge, but my older brother and sister were fans, so I got a taste of it really young.
Just a few hours ago, I thought my head was going to explode, behind the likes of Miranda Lambert pulling sanctimonious, deliberately oblivious pseudo-feminist cr@p about weight/thinness, and now, I’m hearing about Donna’s death from cancer.
Thank you, Donna, for the awesome times, especially for the awesome times that encouraged non-self-conscious @$$-shaking, then and now.
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I am heartbroken; Donna was another great part of my childhood. We love you, Donna; sing with the Angels.
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I love her. Grew up dancing and singing along with her. Rest in peace.
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This just isn’t fair.
(:,O
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Love her music!she got everybody dancing.One of my first songs that I bought on record was Love to love you baby.The whole song was placed on a 33 type record format and went on for over 18 minutes.All you heard was OHHHH LOVE TO LOVE YOU BABY! OOOOOHHH LOVE TO LOVE YOU BABY over and over again.All my friends loved it.It was the song to have.My mother hated it though so it was no suprise to me that that record mysteriously disappeared.BTW later in her career she refused to sing it.
She was by far no one hit wonder but a very talented woman.
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Thanks for posting all this great music.I hate to admit that sometimes I forget about how great a singer and their music is until they have passed away.
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”Things are not the same since we broke up last June. The only thing that I want to hear is that you love me still”
Love, Love, Love that song! Goodbye disco queen
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My older sisters brought Donna into my life and I have always loved her music. Remember having my barbies dance at the disco to “Last Chance”. My husband is a huge fan too. Must call sisters and let hubby know.
This literally made me say “oh no” outloud. RIP
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Very sad news, RIP Donna Summer.
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I wanted to say something profound that you all could relate to but ya’ll already did:
ie F*ck Cancer
ie I must call my sisters.
Must say all I still know all the words to “Dim All The Lights.”
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F*ck Cancer is right! my mother died of cancer at the age of 63 as well.
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So sorry to hear about your mother. I too am a member of the devastating “Cancer Club”, my dad was 69 when he died. Also lost one cousin, one aunt, one uncle, and one employer to cancer and my mom now has lymphoma.Caring for somoneone with cancer and living to tale the tale is no small feat (sp?) and I salute all my brothers and sister out there who manage to stay on their feet when they feel like giving up and giving in.
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Stay strong my friend,stay strong.My thoughts are with you and with all of your family during this time.
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On May 24th, 1979, it was my 7th birthday and I was having a pool party at our house in Olympia Fields, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.
We had those old school radio intercoms wired throughout our house (which was cutting edge technology back in the late 70′s) and the top AM station was playing. The radio station was having a call-in contest and if you were caller # whatever, you were awarded …the top 3 best selling albums of that year, so far. So, crossing my little wet, pruney fingers and praying for a little birthday magic, I called the radio station and WAS THE WINNING CALLER! Yes, as you can imagine, this was THE BEST BIRTHDAY EVER.
A few days later, I received the following in the mail: Cheap Trick’s Album “Cheap Trick”, Supertramp’s “Breakfast in America” and Donna Summer’s album “On the Radio”.
I think you can guess which albums my stepbrothers commandeered and which album I ended up with.
On the Radio was the first non-Disney record that I ever owned and, to this day, I know every single lyric, beat and “Whooa-whoah-whoah” on that entire album.
Rest in Peace, Donna.
XOXO
Forever one of your “Bad Girls”
Toot, toot, Beat, Beat…..
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I love your post. Thanks for sharing it. All three of the albums you won were so huge at that time. I was 13 years old in ’79, the time of carrying around my transistor radio and frantically dialing (on the rotary phone, of course) the radio station’s phone number, trying to be a certain caller. I won a lot of stuff that way!
Every single one of my junior high school’s dances ended with “Last Dance”.
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Love your post, brought back some fond memories… RIP DS. Your music always brought a smile.
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What a great memory. Tnx for sharing that with us.
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That’s so great.. thanks for sharing!!
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Really lovely post, thanks for sharing.
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Thanks for the great memory, made me smile through my sads. So many people leaving here and more and more I am feeling my own mortality as now those I grew up with are now passing on. I will have a few glasses of wine and blast my favorite DS tunes tonight and dance my disco butt off tonight in her honor. She will be missed.
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Samela, what a great childhood memory. I liked the description of your “wet, pruny fingers”. Cute!
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Great memory. Thanks for sharing it with us. <3
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I saw her live back in the eighties and she was absolutely mind-blowing. After the concert “officially” ended, she ended up sitting at the front of the stage swinging her feet back and forth chatting with the audience about spirituality. Truly an amazing talent, an amazing woman and the voice of an angel. She’s certainly with the angels now. RIP Donna!
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My mother is up there probably fan girling as we speak. She’s go Whitney, Etta and Donna. And Judy
Babs and Aretha will send her over the edge.
I loved Donna. I listened to No More Tears for a month straight when my parents broke up. She played that religiously. I still think it’s a hymn or something.
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Omg….when Babs dies I will cry for dies and listen to this recording non-stop http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-KPGh3wysw
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Heaven must have quite the choir up there now.Their is also Amy Winehouse who has passed away as well.
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such a sad day. she was exceptional.
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Sending love and prayers, Donna, that your soul finds and lives in eternal peace. You defined an era and were an immense beauty and talent. We’ll miss you back home in Boston.
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May she rest in peace. So sad!
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What a dame
What a shame.
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RIP Donna not even a fan of disco but she could sing live no tricks/gimicks and some think beyonce/britney/swifty can sing not like Donna; and miranda lambert is an irrelevant inkspot compared to Donna Summer – Great fun danceable music as Rita said – watch her on youtube. Heavy D was also underated still watch his stuff on youtube also back when hip hop was good. Sad.
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I am so tired of death and people dying. Since March, my uncle died of cancer, Beastie Boys Adam died of cancer, a few days ago my friend’s dad died of cancer, and now Donna Summer.
What is going on in our environment/food/products that this many people have to have their lives ended by cancer??
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I’m so sorry for your loss, hairball.
I think it’s a combination of lack of concern for the environment as a whole by BIG money & corporations; all the antibiotics & hormones & artificial flavors/colors in our food; and Lord only knows what else.
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I’m so sorry for your loss.It just goes to show that their is not one person that has not been affected by cancer in some way.
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Let’s face it man. We’re all going to die someday. Its a fact of life.
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The Queen of Disco is Dead! Just so very sad! I am going to buy a bottle of wine and listen to her music tonight and dance!
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I can remember listening to my mom’s 45(those were vinyl records for those of you born after 1980) of “Last Dance” and just being mesmerized by her voice. She will be sorely missed, but aren’t we lucky that her music will live on. RIP Ms.Summer.
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love to love you, baby…RIP Donna
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Fair seas and sweet summer breezes, beautiful cosmic sister. You’re home now.
Rest in peace, my 70′s love.
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I didn’t even realize she was ill! I loved dancing to her stuff – I was just a little kid, but they always played it at the roller rink, even as I got to be a teenager.
Rest in peace, dear lady. Your voice was AMAZING!
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Yes, roller skating to Donna Summer and a lot of the other 70s & early 80s hits is a big memory for me too. I’m glad to have been there when music was really really pioneering…disco, 70s bands, new romantic, 80s pop, 80s rock, 90s grunge. Kids these days just have no clue about who paved the way for such great music and songs. A lot of the “artists” these days truly suck. They think sampling original tracks makes them cool. Sad that Donna has passed. RIP talented lady. I’ll be finding a youtube compilation of her songs to celebrate.
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Yes, when music was original (and the singers actually SANG the songs and the back-ups did too) and the band actually played their own instruments! Nu-Wave; Ska; all the good stuff…
Don’t forget “On The Radio” okay? And if you feel like sharing links, I would be appreciative.
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Really sad and shocking. Cancer is claiming so many lives. R.I.P. Donna
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Love to love ya baby
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I love McArthur Park.
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Me, too. Her version was so much better than the original.
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Her songs lit up my jr high years~RIP, lady.
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Under all the glitter and glam was an amazing voice and a beautiful person. A great loss. RIP sweet Donna. You will be dearly missed.
Sad and tired of all the good people who brought so much joy leaving us way too soon…
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Another part of my youth gone … RIP Donna, you brought a lot of pleasure to us with your music
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sad.
i saw the red hot chilli peppers in concert a few years ago, and they sang one of her songs. the crowd went crazy!
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This is horrible news. She’s the biggest one of my favorites to die since Rick James. An absolute legend and very much a part of who I am. I swear in two years we probably won’t have any legends left, we need to treasure them.
R.I.P
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“Love to Love you Baby” was sooooooo controversial in its day. Back then conservatives thought it was the devil at work. I laugh about it now when I listen to hip hop and rap with 50 times more controversial lyrics. RIP Donna. Thanks for the good times.
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RIP Donna.
Damn cancer.
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Oh man. Sad news indeed. Another icon gone.
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I said that Adam Yauch is too young to die at 47, but 63 is still to soon. Damn, cancer.
RIP Donna Summer.
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Shocked and saddened. I remember driving one hot day driving through LA and On The Radio came on the radio. It had been out for maybe fifteen or twenty years but it was the perfect song on the perfect day, a crystal clear moment. You will be missed. Rest in peace, gifted lady.
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:*(
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Donna Summers was always blasting out of my bedroom as a teen! Those were good times long play of love to love you. I actually got into an LA disco under age in 77 all things Donna it was awesome I have her on my iPod & @ work I listen to a station on my radio that daily plays her music today was no different other than trying not to cry RIP my dancing queen love u & now heaven has you
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She’s gone to the great glitterball in the sky. A fantastic artist
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It appears that all the amazing black divas are moving on to the next place. I feel it is so sad that they are leaving at such young ages. I feel that my childhood is leaving with them, RIP Donna. One of the best things about this dimension has been the music and everybody who made me so happy with their incomparable talent. It just so happens that I loved the disco period.
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So sad about Miss Summers
Her songs “She Works Hard for the Money” and “This Time I Know It’s for Real” are my favs.
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Truly an amazing talent. You will be sadly missed, Donna!
RIP
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One question, and then I’ll be nice, because I really do like her: Why do people who are blessed with natural talent smoke? If I had a voice like hers, I’d do everything in my power to take care of it. She’s lucky that she held onto her range. RIP.
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…And we’ll never have that recipe again…..:-(
Rip, Queen
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Early 70′s dances at my student union, Donna Summer was always a favorite. I was another one who had no idea how sick she was. She went way too early.
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The Queen has had her last dance
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