Videos: Donna Summer

I Feel Love

She Works Hard For The Money

LaDonna Adrian Gaines (born December 31, 1948), known by her stage name, Donna Summer, is an American singer/songwriter who gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s. She has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Summer is a five-time Grammy winner and was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach number one on the US Billboard chart. She also charted four number-one singles in the US within a thirteen-month period.

Summer was born on New Year's Eve 1948 in the Dorchester area of Boston. One of seven, she was raised under the Christian faith by her parents and began singing in her local church choir as a child. Summer would tell reporters that at the age of ten, she had received an epiphany that she would "be someone special" one day and that her voice was the key to being famous. By her teen years, she had joined several all-female singing groups. After dropping out of high school, Summer joined the psychedelic group, The Crow. Summer's earliest influences were Mahalia Jackson and Aretha Franklin and by her late teens, Janis Joplin and Grace Slick had become her main influences. After performing for several months together in the Boston area, the group relocated to New York in search of a recording deal. When the group was passed on by every label, they broke up, with Summer remaining in New York where she auditioned for a role in the Broadway play, Hair. Summer lost her role to another emerging singer, Melba Moore, who later replaced Diane Keaton in the main role of the Broadway play.

When the producers of the play sent Hair overseas, Summer was prompted to participate in the Germany production of the play, which she agreed, moving to Germany in the process. Summer ended up staying in Europe for six years, finding work in stage musicals such as Godspell and Show Boat. After settling in Munich, Summer learned German fluently. In the early seventies, Summer performed in several musical ensembles including the Viennese Folk Opera and FamilyTree, touring with the latter group, consisted of 11 members, in 1973. In 1971, going by the name Donna Gaines, she released her first single, a cover of The Jaynetts' "Sally Go 'Round the Roses". The song wasn't successful. In 1972, while performing on Godspell, she met Austrian actor Helmuth Sommer and later married him. The couple settled in her husband's native Austria where Summer gave birth to their daughter Mimi. Due to Sommer's frequent absences, however, she would file for divorce in 1974. She kept her former married surname as a stage name, rechristening the name as "Summer", replacing the "o" with a "u". Summer's musical career began taking off when she met producers Giorgio Moroder and Pete Belotte, while she was recording background vocals for a Three Dog Night recording.
[edit] 1974-1977: Early success and notoriety

After working together for several months in Germany, Summer signed a recording deal with Groovy Records, issuing her first album, Lady of the Night, in 1974. Released primarily in selected European countries, the singer found success with "The Hostage", which became number-one in Belgium and a top ten hit in two other countries. Most of the material on Lady of the Night featured elements of folk rock and pop rock. "Love to Love You" was a lyrical idea Summer had for a song. Giorgio Moroder was beginning to produce records that featured the new sound of disco. Summer and Moroder began working on a demo of "Love To Love You" for another artist to hear and potentially record the song. Summer later said she sang the song the way she imagined Marilyn Monroe singing it. She requested that the lights be turned down in the studio so she could get in the mood of singing the song, as she simulated sex and orgasms. After hearing the finish product, Moroder thought Summer's version should be released as a single. The song was released on his Oasis Records label in Europe and found modest success. Some radio stations had refused to play the song due to its suggestive nature.

Moroder and Summer sought an American release of the song and shopped it around to several record labels, and it eventually was presented to Neil Bogart, the president of Casablanca Records. Bogart was a brash record executive and his Casblanca Records was known throughout the industry for throwing lavish parties. Several days later, Bogart was having one such party at his mansion in Los Angeles. Still undecided about releasing the song, he had the DJ play it at this party so he could gauge the reaction of the dancing crowd. The crowd took to the song (which was less than five minutes) so much, that they kept requesting it to be played over and over consecutively, so they could continue dancing in the same groove. Bogart was now convinced he would release the song and notified Summer and Moroder of his decision. However, he requested that a longer version, of about twenty minutes, be recorded. Moroder and Summer returned with an extended seventeen-minute version of the song. Casablanca signed Summer and slightly changed the name of the song to "Love to Love You Baby". It was released in October 1975 and appeared on the album, also entitled Love to Love You Baby. When Casablanca released the song in the 17 minute version, it became one of the first record companies to help make popular a format that would later be known as the 12 inch. The longer version was promoted to clubs, while a shorter four minute version was promoted to radio. Many radio stations, like those in Europe, refused to play the racy single with its suggestive lyrics and orgasmic moans. Despite this, the song still clawed its way up to the number-two spot on the US Hot 100. The song generated notoriety and Time magazine would report that 22 orgasms were simulated on the recording. Both the album and single were certified gold in America. Following the album's success, Summer returned to live in the United States full time.

From that time on until 1980, Casablanca produced a new image of Summer as "the goddess of love" and began to control nearly every aspect of her career and her life. In 1976, Casablanca issued two more Summer albums - A Love Trilogy and Four Seasons of Love. While the singles released from both albums were modestly successful, due to the albums being richly produced and presented as concept albums, the albums gave Summer more chart and sales success, with both albums reaching gold status. In 1977, Summer released another concept album, I Remember Yesterday, that boasted her international smash, "I Feel Love". The song reached the top ten in the U.S. and hit number-one in the UK, and helped to popularize what later became techno music. That same year, Summer released another concept album, Once Upon a Time, which was based on a modern-day Cinderella fairytale. Again, like previous albums with the exception of I Remember Yesterday, it went gold even without the support of a major hit single. By now, Summer had become a top draw at concerts. Her rise in the music industry led to increased pressure and anxiety and Summer began suffering from depression and developed a drug habit with prescription medication.
[edit] 1978-1980: Superstardom

In mid-1978, Summer released her first live album, a double set, titled Live and More, which featured four studio recordings, including the top ten hit "Heaven Knows", and her first number-one Hot 100 hit, "MacArthur Park". The album itself became Summer's first number-one album on the Billboard Pop Albums chart, going double-platinum. That same year, Summer partook her first film role in the disco-themed musical, Thank God It's Friday. Summer recorded two songs for the film, including an R&B/soul-styled dance recording written and composed by Paul Jabara titled "Last Dance". The song became a smash top ten recording for Summer reaching number three on the Hot 100 and her third top ten hit on the R&B charts, peaking at number five. The song would cement Summer's position as a superstar, winning her a Grammy Award while Jabara won an Oscar for composing the song.

Despite her success, Summer's struggles in her personal life reached a boiling point when in early 1979 she suffered a nervous breakdown in her Los Angeles mansion. Seeking solace, her sister took her to a church in the Los Angeles area and after finding what she called soul searching and meaning in her life, Summer declared herself born again. After recovering from her illness, the singer returned to the studio to finish work on an album she had been working off and on for nearly two years, Bad Girls. Much like Summer's previous Moroder/Belotte produced albums, the album was based on a concept story, this time, of a prostitute. Released as a double album in the spring of 1979, the album became her most successful studio album to date, yielding three top ten singles, the number-one smashes "Hot Stuff" and "Bad Girls", and the top five single, "Dim All the Lights". Unlike Summer's previous disco recordings, that had included strings, much of the instrumentation included synthesizers and programming of drum and keyboard elements, and also included more elements of other genres including rhythm and blues, hard rock and funk as well as the electronic themes that Summer had previously worked on other albums since 1977. As of 2011, total sales of Bad Girls have reached seven million copies, with three million sales coming from the U.S. When Bad Girls opened at number-one, Summer became the first artist to have two double albums reach number-one. Summer would later win her second Grammy for "Hot Stuff", in the best female rock vocal performance category, the first time the award had been introduced.

Later in 1979, Summer recorded her third U.S. number-one in a year with the Barbra Streisand duet, "No More Tears (Enough is Enough)", making her the first female artist to have three number-one hits in a calendar year. She also became the first female artist to have four top ten hits in a calendar year. In October, Summer issued her first greatest hits album, On the Radio: Greatest Hits Volumes I & II. Still riding high on previous successes, the album opened at number-one and with this accomplishment, Summer became the first artist in history to have three double albums open at number-one on the Billboard 200, a feat that has yet to be broken. Originally featured on the Jodie Foster film, Foxes, the song, "On the Radio", became a top five hit in early 1980. By now, Summer had grown to hate her record industry-created image of "the goddess of love" that she had been using since 1975 and was willing to break out of the image by recording more emotionally and personally inspired recordings that were more spiritual. When Casablanca refused to let her record spiritual music and other forms of music, including elements of hard rock and New Wave music, Summer opted to leave the label. In a stunning move, Summer made a decision in the spring of 1980 to sign with David Geffen's Geffen Records, becoming the first artist signed to the vanity label. The decision led to a couple years of litigation with Summer and Casablanca, that was later settled in 1982. In another move, following her release from Casablanca, the singer also announced that she wasn't to perform her breakthrough hit "Love to Love You Baby" ever again due to her renewed Christian faith. However, in 2005, Summer began to sing the song again in concert.
[edit] 1980-1984: Continued success and musical development

Summer further surprised her fans with the release of The Wanderer, her first album with Geffen. The title track featured elements of new wave and a modern twist of rockabilly music, probably inspired by the Queen hit, "Crazy Little Thing Called Love". The song gave Summer her second top ten hit of 1980. Subsequent releases including "Cold Love" and "Who Do You Think You're Foolin'" were modestly successful. Summer's relationship with Geffen Records was strained throughout her tenure with the label. When Summer presented the label with the album I'm a Rainbow in 1981, Geffen refused to release it and instead had Summer work with producer Quincy Jones whom that had recruited.

Summer reluctantly parted ways with her long-time producers and worked with Jones, who had also produced Michael Jackson's solo album Off the Wall. The recording of the album took over six months as Summer and Jones argued constantly. Summer would later go on to say she found Jones too boisterous and controlling, and felt as though she had actually sang on a Quincy Jones album instead of her own record. The album Donna Summer would be released in 1982 by Geffen Records and the first single "Love Is in Control (Finger on the Trigger)" would reach the US top ten.The second single,"State Of Independence",would just miss the top 40(# 41).But it would become a bigger hit internationally.The third single,"The Woman In Me",would fair better.It would peak at #33 on the Hot 100.Summer, as was most known disco-oriented acts from the previous decade, saw fewer hits due to the much-ballyhooed disco backlash of that time period.

Tensions, however, further increased between Summer and Geffen Records when they were notified by Polygram Records that she still owed one more album to fulfill her contract with Casablanca Records which was now fully owned by Polygram Records. Summer delivered the album She Works Hard for the Money and Polygram released it on its Mercury Records imprint as it was in the early stages of shutting down the Casablanca label.

Released in 1983, the album She Works Hard for the Money turned into a huge hit recording for Summer, especially concerning the title track, which became a smash hit upon its release. The song, based on a real-life part-time ladies rest-room attendant and full-time nurse that Summer had discovered while at a Los Angeles restaurant (Odetta appears on the back cover with Donna in a diner mock-up) reached number-three on the US Hot 100 and helping the She Works Hard for the Money album reach sales of over a million copies(as of this date,the album has been certified gold,but not platinum). The song was also a hit in the UK, as was a subsequent UK single entitled "Unconditional Love" featuring the group Musical Youth(#9 R&B U.S.). Summer was nominated for a Grammy in the inspirational category for the song "He's A Rebel" which also appears on the "She Works Hard For The Money" album.It did not win.The success of the album reportedly angered David Geffen as he was upset that the album had been a major success, but had not been released by his label.
[edit] Gay Controversy

In the early 1980s, Summer would become involved in a controversy that would have a severely negative impact on her career, and see thousands upon thousands of her records being returned to her record company by angered fans. In 1983, Summer had just finish a concert and was casually talking with some fans afterwards. She allegedly said something along the lines that the then-new disease AIDS was a punishment from God for the immoral lifestyle of homosexuals. Shouting ensued and angered fans stormed out of the arena. Summer, however, did not immediately respond to the uproar. A few years after the alleged remarks were made, Summer had denied ever having making the comments. But her regular appearances on Christian t.v. shows (seen as the right wing enemy) during the 1980s did little to help her.

Before the release of her 1991 album Mistaken Identity, New York magazine printed an article about Summer and the controversy. She sued the magazine, and the parties settled out of court with neither side devulging details of the case.

Several years later, Summer would explain why she did not immediately response to the issue by stating that people around her had been protecting her from the angry mail and letters and as such, she did not the severity of the situation. She would later state in 1995 that "a rumor started to crop up that I'd said that AIDS was God's plague on gay people for wickedness, which was the most hurtful thing anyone could have printed. Not only had gay people built up my career, not only were a huge proportion of my friends gay, but worst of all, in the mid-80s, many friends of mine started dying of this disease".
[edit] 1984-2007: Career slowdown and later recordings

Geffen Records, wanting to keep the momentum going, enlisted She Works Hard For The Money's producer Michael Omartian to produce Summer's next release Cats Without Claws, but the album would not be as successful as its predecessor. Released in late 1984, it featured the modest hit "There Goes My Baby", a cover of The Drifters' hit. Supernatural Love" became another minor hit.The song "Forgive Me" was nominated,and did win a Grammy in the inspirational category. The album failed to obtain gold status, and became Summer's first studio album not to do so.

In 1987, following a break from the music industry to raise her two youngest daughters, Brooklyn and Amanda, with husband Bruce Sudano, a singer for the group Brooklyn Dreams, Summer returned with the release, All Systems Go, which found success in Europe most notably thanks to the Brenda Russell composition, "Dinner with Gershwin".Summer would release her next album,"Another Place And Time",in 1989(# 54 Billboard album chart).It was originally supposed to be released on Geffen Records.But David Geffen decided to release Donna from her contract(this is known because Donna thanked David Geffen in the liner notes which appear on the European version of the album which was released by Warner Bros.)Instead,Ahmet Ertegun signed Donna to his label(Atlantic records)and released it in the U.S.Donna's first single from the album would climb all the way to #7 on the top 40.The song peaked at #3 on the British charts.A second single,"I Don't Wanna Get Hurt",would reach #7 on the British charts.The second single in the U.S.,"Love's About To Change My Heart",would make it to #85 on the Hot 100.

Summer struggled with her next release, 1991's Mistaken Identity, which featured ill-fated attempts for Summer to reach young R&B audiences with some tracks produced in the then-popular new jack swing sound.The first single titled "When Love Cries", failed to make a dent in the Hot 100.But it would peak at #18 on the R&B chart.Following this release, Summer left Atlantic. The singer continued to record during this time, releasing the Christmas album, Christmas Spirit, in 1994. A 1995 recording of "Carry On", her first composition with Giorgio Moroder in fourteen years, later won Summer a Grammy in the best dance recording category. The duo recorded another hit, "Melody of Love (Wanna Be Loved)", which became number-one on the U.S. dance chart and reached the top 40 in the UK. By now, Summer had began acting again, taking a bit role in the sitcom, "Family Matters", playing a relative of Jaleel White's Steve Urkel character. She also began taking a more full time role as a painter following her family's move to Nashville in 1995. She also began working on an autobiography and musical titled Ordinary Girl around this time.

In 1999, Summer made a comeback with the release of Live & More Encore, released on Epic Records, featuring the dance hit, "I Will Go With You (Con Te Partiro)". The song returned Summer to several recording charts including the Billboard Hot 100 where the song peaked at number 79 while reaching number 44 on the UK Top 75. The album was further boosted by it being featured on the musical documentary series, Behind the Music, where she discussed elements of her life. In 2003, Summer released her long-awaited memoirs, Ordinary Girl, in which she discussed her difficult childhood and struggles with early success and other issues. Between 2004 and 2006, Summer continued to have success on Billboard's dance charts. In 2007, Summer made news when she announced she had signed with vanity label Burgundy Records, confirming that she was working on her first new studio album in fourteen years.
[edit] 2008-present: Current work

In 2008, Summer released the studio album, Crayons. The album was noted for the number-one dance hits, "I'm a Fire" and "Stamp Your Feet". Other successes from the album including "Fame (The Game)" and the ballad "Sand on My Feet", became a modest success on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart. As of 2011, she's currently working on a follow-up to the album, which would follow the same pattern. Summer had also been working on a covers album as she had told the press in 2010.[4]

In 2010, Summer became the first artist to place number-one hits on the dance singles chart in five decades when the song, "To Paris With Love", reached number-one on the Hot Dance Club Songs chart. With sixteen number-one hits on the dance singles chart, Summer places third behind Janet Jackson and Madonna for the most number-one dance hits. In September 2010, Summer guested on America's Got Talent performing with Prince Poppycock on the show. In June of 2011, Summer made headlines by appearing as a guest judge on the talent show, Platinum Hit. In September 2011, Summer was mentioned as a nominee for induction to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, it's Summer's fourth nomination since 2007.