Donna Summer is dead

Summer

LaDonna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948 – May 17, 2012[1]), 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. She also charted four number-one singles in the United States within a 13-month period. Summer died yesterday, May 17, 2012 in the morning at her home in Key West, Florida at age 63 following a battle with cancer. Donna Summer, the singer who came to be known as the “Queen of Disco” during her 1970s heyday, died at her Naples, Fla. home today after battling lung cancer. She was 63. Summer was a five time Grammy award winner who was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard chart. Her hits like “Last Dance,” “Bad Girls,” and “Love to Love You Baby” made her a disco icon. Born outside of Boston, Summer was raised by devout Christian parents who introduced her to both gospel and classical music. In a 2008 interview with ABC News’ “Nightline,” Summer remembered her mom singing songs to her before going to bed each night. Summer left home at age 18 to audition for the Broadway production of “Hair” and got a role in the show when it moved to Germany. There, she met producer Giorgio Moroder, who would launch her solo career. She went on to produce hits like “Bad Girls,” “Last Dance,” and “She Works Hard for the Money,” a song that was inspired by a washroom attendant. Summer’s last album, “Crayons,” was released in 2008. In 2010, she told AllVoices.com that she was working on an album of disco standards. Summer is survived by her husband, Bruce Sudano, three children, and four grandchildren. culled from ABC NEWS