AFP/Los Angeles
Grammy-winning disco legend Donna Summer died yesterday after a battle with lung cancer, aged 63, her family and media reports said.
In this July 30, 2009 file picture Summer is seen performing on stage in Berlin
Known as the “Queen of Disco”, the singer, whose 1970s and 80s hits included I Feel Love, Love to Love You, Baby and She Works Hard for the Money, died in Florida, the TMZ celebrity news website said.
“Early this morning, we lost Donna Summer Sudano, a woman of many gifts, the greatest being her faith,” said a family statement.
“While we grieve her passing, we are at peace celebrating her extraordinary life and her continued legacy. Words truly can’t express how much we appreciate your prayers and love for our family at this sensitive time.”
TMZ reported that she died of lung cancer, citing sources as saying that she believed she contracted it after inhaling toxic particles following the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York.
Summer, who also became something of an icon in the gay community, shot to fame during the disco era of the 1970s with hits like MacArthur Park, Hot Stuff and Bad Girls.
The orgasmic-sounding Love to Love You, Baby, released in 1975, was one of the first disco songs to be released in extended form, giving full vent to Summer’s erotic moans and groans.
In the 1980s her hits included She Works Hard for the Money and State of Independence.
The disco diva was born LaDonna Adrian Gaines into a large devoutly Christian family in Boston and started singing in the local church, before performing in a number of Motown-influenced groups in her teens.
Summer took her stage name after marrying Austrian actor Helmuth Sommer in 1972, anglicising her name after divorcing him.
She spoke fluent German and the couple had a daughter, Mimi Sommer.
The singer won five Grammy awards during her spectacular career, including in 1980 for best rock female vocalist for the 1979 Hot Stuff, but also as recently as 1997 for best dance recording for Carry On.
She holds the record for most consecutive double albums to top the Billboard charts – three – and first female with four #1 singles in a 12-month period, three solo and one with Barbra Streisand, according to the IMDb website.
TMZ reported that she had kept her illness quiet, and didn’t appear too sick only a couple of weeks ago, citing sources as saying she was focused on trying to finish a new album she had been working on.
She married singer Bruce Sudano in 1980, and they had two daughters together, it said.
