JUST as theworldofmusicwas getting over thedeath, in February, of leading pop singer, Whitney Houston,music lovers werehit by thedemise within days of each other, of two majorartistes of globalrenown ' Donna Summer (May 17), and Robin Gibb (May 20); one of thethree brothers of the Bee Gees. Both were giants of the disco genre of music that ruled the waves in the 70s and early 80s.Summer, (real name LaDonna Adrian Gaines), singer and songwriter and widely acclaimed 'queen of disco', died of cancer in the American state of Florida at age 63. She began her music careerat age 10 in the church and went on to become a multiplewinner of Grammy with such hits as 'Hot Stuff', 'Last Dance', 'Four seasons of love'and 'Love to Love You Baby' a song that was prominent not the least forits 16-minute orgasmic moans and groans that appealed toa generation of liberatedyouths of the'70s and became a hitin both the United States and Europe. Summer relocated to Germany where she acted in the German version of the musical 'Hair', married in 1973 to Austrian actor, Helmut Sommer, whose name she later modified. The marriage produced a daughter but was short-lived and she went on to marry in 1980, Bruce Sudano with whom she had two daughters. In Germany, Summer also met music producer Giorgio Moroder who, together with Peter Bellotte, played major role in her career. They produced 'Love to Love you Baby' and 'I feel Love' among other great songs that put and kept Donna Summer in the focus of global music lovers. She also worked withrespected producer Quincy Jones on the album 'Donna Summer' which included the song 'The Woman in Me'.It is a tribute toboth thequality and public acceptance ofhermusic that alsocut across genres ' pop, disco, rock ' that, in a career thatspanned decades, Donna Summer was nominated 18 times for Grammy, won five,besides six American Music Awards, and an Academyfor'Last Dance', the theme song in the film 'Thank God it's Friday'.She is reputed to be the only artiste to ever achieve three consecutive No. 1 platinum albums: She received the Hollywood Walk of Fame Star in 1992, was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame in 2004, and nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008 but was not inducted ' a development which Elton John was to describe as 'a disgrace'. She touched many lives too. Among the many tributes paidto her was singer Natasha Bedingfield's thatSummer was 'a remarkable womanwhobroughtso much lightand who inspiredmany more women, including myself, through her music.' She performed at the 250th Presidential Inaugural Gala of President Ronald Reagan and in December, 2009 in honour of President Barack Obama when he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.Summer was by every measure a successful artiste; acknowledged as 'Queen of Disco' by her peers, and no less a person than President Obama, all for which she was grateful saying: 'Most people do not get called queen. I appreciate that I've gotten to be part of people's lives'. But in the rarefied atmosphere of superstardom, she tried to stay sober, even philosophical. She once remarked that '' after I had success at that level, my next goals were personal'you've done this, you've proven this, let's get on with your real life'.Success has its dark side. She once attempted suicide but she found faithand became a born-again Christian. Indeed, her family official announcement of her death pointedly noted that of her 'many gifts, the greatest (was) her faith'. Donna Gaines Summer is survived by her husband, Bruce Sudano, three daughters, and grandchildren.
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