MUMBAI: Known for hits like ‘Last Dance’ and ‘Love to Love You Baby’, disco queen Donna Summer passed away on Thursday at her home in Naples, Florida. The singer, aged 63, was suffering from lung cancer for years.
“Early this morning surrounded by family, we lost Donna Summer, a woman of many gifts, the greatest being her faith. While we grieve her passing, we are at peace celebrating her extraordinary life and her continued legacy,” the singer’s family said in a statement. Summer is survived by her husband Bruce Sudano, three children and four grand children.
Summer made her debut as a church singer and began her professional career at the age of 18, performing on shows like ‘Hair’ and ‘Porgy and Bess’ and working as a studio session singer. She finally achieved fame in 1975 when her track ‘Love to Love You Baby’ became a huge hit in America and Europe.
Born as LaDonna Adrian Gaines, she was the first artiste to have three consecutive double albums reach number one on the US Billboard chart and four number-one singles in 13 months. The five-time Grammy winner dominated the 80s with hits like ‘She Works Hard for the Money’ and ‘This Time I Know It’s for Real’.
Most of her albums achieved gold or platinum status, including the multi-platinum ‘Bad Girls’ and ‘On the Radio, volume I & II’. She released her last album ‘Crayons’ in 2008 and produced three dance club hits with ‘I’m a Fire’, ‘Stamp your Feet’ and ‘Fame’.
In 2009, the legend sang at the Nobel Peace Prize concert in honour of Nobel laureate US president Barack Obama. She also made guest appearances on TV shows like ‘America’s Got Talent’ and ‘Platinum Hit’ in the last three years. Her most recent hit was the 2010 single ‘To Paris with Love’.