Donna Summer: RIP The Queen of Disco…
“God had to create disco music so I could be born and be successful.” Donna Summer
Donna Summer: RIP The Queen of Disco…
Donna Summer – Love To Love You Baby original long version (Disco 70s)
Donna Summer – Bad Girls / Hot Stuff + Speech (Nobel Peace Prize Concert ’09) HD
I was sad to read that one of our all time favorite divas, The Queen of Disco, Donna Summer (December 31, 1948 – May 17, 2012), lost her battle with cancer today. She was 63. Donna burst onto the musical scene in the 1970s disco era with major hits that had us all dancing and sweating the night away in every discotheque worth its strobe lights and door price. She won five Grammys and numerous other awards (see below), and was a huge success globally. For my generation, Donna Summer’s music was at the top of the list of forbidden music our parents warned us not to play at those ridiculously over the top teen parties I attended when parents were away and the kids came out to play. We ignored their directives and played all her music loudly; gyrating away, sipping cocktails, smoking fags, and acting all grown up as if we fully understood what Love To Love You Baby was really about. We were pretenders to the Bad Girls throne and believed we were Hot Stuff too. Yeah, those were the good ol’ London days! My heartfelt condolences go out to her family and friends.
“I am sensual and very physical. I’m very erotic. But my sexuality exists on a sort of a fantasy level.” Donna Summer
Donna Summer: RIP The Queen of Disco…
Barbra Streisand & Donna Summer – No More Tears (Enough is Enough) (Extended Version)
Donna Summer was, in my book, one of the greatest divas of the era. She had big flowing hair, an upbeat presence, colorful stylish clothes and was always ready to rock that mezzo-soprano voice with all the exaggerated diva moves accompanying her catchy tunes… Plus, she was beautiful inside and out. When we were feeling down, No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) with Barbara Streisand, gave us the lift we needed to go out and have a fun time. For heaven’s sakes, who could forget Last Dance? It was usually the last song played to wrap up a great all night party, a wedding celebration or to inform disco diehards that it was time to take their sweaty, spent booties and hit the proverbial road. I’ve added some favorite videos. Also, you may listen to a playlist of 16 of her top songs at Rollingstone.com including many of my favorites mentioned above… More Below!
“I don’t care if I’m beautiful; I don’t care what I am on the outside. It isn’t about the outside.” Donna Summer
Donna Summer: RIP The Queen of Disco…
Donna continued to make music long after disco died, and garnered many awards and recognition over the years; including an induction into the Dance Music Hall of Fame in 2004. She was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach number one on the U.S. Billboard chart and the first female African American to receive an MTV Video Music Awards nomination. In addition to her five Grammys, she won Six American Music Awards, an NAACP Image award, three platinum and eleven gold albums. As recently as June 2011, she was a judge on Bravo TVs Platinum Hit. Donna performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in 2009 and kept up her musical endeavors till the end. She played an important part in the memories of many young people from those heady days of teenage angst. She has danced her last dance and will be sorely missed by all of us. She is survived by hubby, Bruce Sudano, and three daughters; Mimi, Brooklyn and Amanda. RIP Donna Summer and thank you for the music and memories!
There are many Donna Summer memories shared around the internet; I’ve added a few links immediately below from my fellow bloggers. What are your thoughts? Did you listen to Donna’s music over the years? Do you have any favorite songs that touch your heart? What are your memories of her? Do share! Thank you.
*Please bear with me as I continue to catch up on your blogs and commenting… Thank you all for your patience! 🙂
Positive Motivation Tip: Music creates memories and brings people together in sad, up and down times. Cherish the memories… RIP Donna Summer.
PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All photos Donna at 2009 Nobel Concert, Donna in 1977, Donna at Nobel Concert2, via Wikipedia and/or via Flickr.
Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet
Related articles
- Last Dance for Queen of Disco; Donna Summer Succumbs to Cancer (voanews.com)
- Rolling Stone.com: Donna Summer’s Best Songs (rollingstone.com)
- Donna Summer Tribute Site (donna-tribute.com)
- Disco Queen Donna Summer Dies At 63 (annem040359.wordpress.com)
- Donna Summer, Queen of Disco, dies at 63 (brobrubel.wordpress.com)
- BREAKING NEWS: RIP The Queen Of Disco! … Donna Summer Dead at 63 After Battling Cancer (muhsadam.wordpress.com)
- RIP Donna Summer, Disco Queen (lady6x.wordpress.com)
- Donna Summer, RIP: Queen of Disco, Godmother of Techno [VIDEO] (coedmagazine.com)
- Best 3…Donna Summer Songs (mybest3ofeverything.wordpress.com)
- How disco changed music for ever (guardian.co.uk)
- 100 Best Songs of the 1970s 10 – 01 (waldina.com)
- The years 1969 to 79 looked good on the dancefloor, as BBC4’s new documentary The Joy Of Disco proves (guardian.co.uk)
- Donna Summer 1948 – 2012 (flickrcomments.wordpress.com)
- The QUEEN OF DISCO, DONNA SUMMER has passed away today R.I.P.! (starjoos.wordpress.com)
- Donna Summer: RIP The Queen of Disco… (eof737.wordpress.com)
Thank you for this – I didn’t know!
TY for your feedback … it is truly a sad day.
The world mourns. She is indeed the queen of the Disco whose voice and music will always be celebrated throughout the generations. I was about 10 when I heard her songs and I thought it was amazing. Thanks for sharing a tribute for her. Her legacy continues…
She had an amazing voice and her songs will continue to engage and excite us on the dance floor. TY for your feedback.
Donna Summer had so much power!
She sure did … I will miss her. 🙁
Reblogged this on oyiabrown.
TY. Much appreciated! 🙂
I saw your post about Donna before I saw it on the news today! So sad to lose Donna, she was definitely the Queen of Disco! She will be missed greatly. RIP Donna.
True Barb! She will be missed very much…
Link sent on Donna Summer post!
TY and I added it to my post.
I didn’t know either. Thanks for a great tribute. Her music was brilliant.
TY Catherine, she gave everything through her songs and sounds…
Disco brought people out dancing that had never thought of dancing – I loved it for that and the wonderful memories. Perhaps she and Whitney will do a duet.
Yes and yes… Amen to that!
Donna was a true visionary she will be missed
She was indeed and my heart goes out to her loved ones…
I was sad to hear of her death. I loved Donna Summers music growing up. I particularly loved her duet with Barbara Streisand, No More Tears. This is a lovely tribute to her, thanks for pulling it together!
TY for your feedback. I was listening to that song again and it is magnificent.
RIP Donna! She was an iconic figure who loomed large during the disco era. My condolences go out to her family.
B
Yes my love and well wishes go out to them too. TY!
I did not know until I read it on your blog. Cetainly I rememebr how e all danced to her music at ‘Funky Town’ the hottest disco in Accra, Ghana’s capital city in the 80s. May she rest in peace.
Yes, her music was huge in the home country too and we danced all night… RIP Donna!
Wonderful tribute. Loved her.
Anne
Loved her too. TY!
Thanks for a wonderful tribute! She will be missed, and was a treasure to the music world–and discos everywhere.
She sure was… I went back to listen to her music and she had an impressive body of hit songs… Her voice was rich and full too… TY!
I nominated you for a blog award! Check it out here and have fun: http://auroramorealist.wordpress.com/2012/05/18/blog-award-may-2012/
Congratulations and TY for the nomination! Will stop by soon enough to thank you on your blog. It might take me quite sometime to do an award post… hope you won’t mind. 🙂
Reblogged this on Inside the Mind of Isadora and commented:
I had thought about writing something on the recent death of Donna Summer but this one written on Mirth and Motivation says just about everything I had wanted to say. The video’s in this article are all great. SSoooo …. I shall sit back and enjoy again … I hope you enjoy it, too.
TY again for the re-blog I appreciate it. RIP Donna…
Great article on this sad passing of Donna Summer. RIP ….!!!!
I have reblogged as it is soooo good.
A sad day for music lovers… TY so much for the re-blog. Much appreciated! 🙂
This wonderful post celebrating the life and music of Donna Summer makes me cherish the music of the soul everytime I remember all the sheer fun we had dancing in the disco era to “Hot Stuff”. As soon as I saw the first notice of her passing yesterday morning, I started humming “Hot Stuff’ and cutting a rug or two in her honour. RIP, Donna Summer!
You are the best Granbee! I can see you now cutting up that rug… Yeah, those were the days! TY! 🙂
I put some dents in the dance floors back in the 80’s, to DS’s tunes. Grateful for the gyration, yeah:) She was ‘some’thing, for sure……..
You and me both… Those were great times and the music was everywhere… TY! 🙂
A beautiful post to a beautiful musician with a voice! May Donna rest in peace and her music will always be remembered.
TY and she was a beautiful musician. Listening to her voice again made me appreciate her talent and vocal range even more…
Sad times, we have lost a queen and the world is a poorer place.
So true… Gilly! It is a very sad, sad loss.
I loved Donna Summer! I still have some of the original albums, and keep a Donna Summer channel on Pandora…her music always makes me smile and move a little bit, even sitting in my office chair! A sad loss. Debra
Yeah, TY. I bought the albums too back in the day and this just makes us all realize how times are changing… RIP Donna.
I grew up with the beautiful lady’s music, and what fabulous music it is – R.I.P. Donna
I agree with you on that note… it remains fabulous music to date. TY!
Whenever I think of Donna Summer, I think about my Dad. He loved her. Now I’m doubly sad.
Sorry to hear how this brings double sad memories your way… It is sad but remember he loved her music. 🙂
So sad she was a lovely lady !
She was truly lovely! TY!
I loved her! Such a loss and way too soon. I’m truly saddened by it.
Same here… I was shocked and sad to hear the news too… 🙁
Her songs take me back in time to a place where I have so many great memories. Thanks for putting this together. It’s a wonderful tribute to a talented lady, may she rest in peace.
Thank you for the fun memories ~ Farewell our Disco Queen
I wrote about her too:
http://a-sweetlust.blogspot.ca/2012/05/last-dance.html
Awesome people always go too early… She was an awesome woman.
She will be sorely missed. RIP Donna!