Donna Summer (Dec 31, 1948 – May 17, 2012)

Donna Summer

The QUEEN of DISCO

(December 31, 1948 – May 17, 2012)

LaDonna Adrian Gaines, known by the stage name Donna Summer, was an American singer/songwriter who gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s. She had a mezzo-soprano vocal range, and was a five-time Grammy Award winner. Summer was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach number one on the US Billboard chart, and she also charted four number-one singles in the United States within a 13-month period.

Awards and recognition

• NAACP Image Award
• One time Juno Award nomination for Best Selling International Single,"I Feel Love"
• Three Multi-Platinum albums in the United States
• Eleven of her albums went Gold in the United States
• Twelve Gold singles
• Six American Music Awards
• She was the first female African American to receive an MTV Video Music Awards nomination ("Best Female Video" and "Best Choreography" for "She Works Hard For The Money")
• Two Golden Globe Award nominations (one win for "Last Dance" Song and one nominated for "The Deep" John Barry's Song)

Summer has received five Grammy Awards.

• 1979 – Best R&B Vocal Performance (Female), Last Dance
• 1980 – Best Rock Vocal Performance (Female), Hot Stuff
• 1984 – Best Inspirational Performance, He's a Rebel
• 1985 – Best Inspirational Performance, Forgive Me
• 1998 – Best Dance Recording, Carry On

Twelve Grammy Award nominations (total of seventeen).

• 1979 – Best Pop Vocal Performance (Female), MacArthur Park
• 1980 – Album of the Year, Bad Girls
• 1980 – Best Pop Vocal Performance (Female), Bad Girls
• 1980 – Best R&B Vocal Performance (Female), Bad Girls
• 1980 – Best Disco Recording, Dim All The Lights
• 1981 – Best Pop Vocal Performance (Female), On the Radio
• 1982 – Best Rock Vocal Performance (Female), Cold Love
• 1982 – Best Inspirational Performance, I Believe in Jesus
• 1983 – Best Rock Vocal Performance (Female), Protection
• 1983 – Best R&B Vocal Performance (Female), Love is in Control (Finger on the Trigger)
• 1984 – Best Pop Vocal Performance (Female), She Works Hard for the Money
• 2000 – Best Dance Recording, I Will Go with You (Con te Partiro)

• Summer placed a Top Forty hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in every year from 1976 ("Love to Love You Baby") to 1984 ("There Goes My Baby").
• Summer was the first artist to score three consecutive number-one double albums.
• Summer was twice honored by the Dance Music Hall of Fame; once with her induction as a recording artist and again with the induction for her influential single "I Feel Love".
• Summer's music career has landed her as the eighth most successful female recording artist in history according to Billboard.
• Summer's career span of Billboard number-one Disco/Club Play hits spans from 1975's "Love to Love You Baby" through 2010's "[To Paris With Love]".
• Summer was nominated for 2010 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame but was not chosen.