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Donna Summer (born December 31, 1948) is an American pop music singer best known for a string of disco music hits in the 1970s which earned her the title "Queen of Disco".

Summer was a rarity in the 1970s disco scene because her career began before the disco explosion, and continued afterward. Even though she is one of the best-known artists of the disco era, Summer has covered different genres including R&B, rock and roll and inspirational music , earning her Grammy Awards in those categories. Her work is still critically acclaimed and remains one of the few disco artists accepted by modern rock critics.

Born LaDonna Adrian Gaines in Boston, Massachusetts, Summer began performing in her church's choir. She later joined a rock group called the Crow. A few months before graduating high school, Summer dropped out and joined the German production of Hair. She eventually settled in Europe, joining the Viennese Folk Opera and participating in numerous musicals.

After resettling in Munich, Germany, Summer married Helmut Sommer ("Summer" is an anglicization of his last name) and did various musical jobs in studios and theatres for several years. In 19711971 is a common year starting on Friday (click for link to calendar). Events January January 1 British divorce Reform Act comes into force January 2 66 die in stairway crush at Rangers v Celtic football match, Glasgow, Scotland. See Ibrox disaster. Janua, Summer released "Sally Go 'Round the Roses", her first solo recording. The single was unsuccessful, however, and Summer had to wait until 19741974 is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). Events January-February January 5 Dungeons & Dragons officially released. February 4 Patricia Hearst, the 19 year old granddaughter of publisher William Randolph Hearst, is kidnapped to launch a solo career. In that year, she, Giorgio MoroderGiorgio Moroder (born April 26, 1940 in Ortisei, Italy) is an innovative record producer, songwriter and performer, whose groundbreaking work with synthesizers during the 1970s was a significant influence on techno and electronic music in general. Particu and Pete Bellotte (who met assisting Three Dog NightThree Dog Night was an American rock and roll band active from 1968 to 1975. Their hits included "Easy To Be Hard", from the musical "Hair", and "Black and White. The band included three lead vocalists Danny Hutton (born in the Republic of Ireland), Chuck in the studio) worked together to produce "The Hostage", a European hit. Lady of the Night , Summer's first LP, was released in 1975Events January January 1 Watergate scandal: John N. Mitchell, H. Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman are found guilty of the Watergate cover-up and are sentenced to 30 months to 8 years in jail on February 21 January 5 The Tasman Bridge in Tasmania, Australia, i with moderate success in Europe.

Summer recorded "Love to Love You Baby" which was a huge European hit. Casablanca RecordsCasablanca Records is a record label that was started by Neil Bogart in 1973 after leaving Buddah Records. The label released hits by Donna Summer, Kiss and Parliament. Polygram Records acquired a 50 percent stake in 1977 and later acquired the remaining soon began distributing the album in the United States, and it became a sensation there as well. This was followed by an album, Love to Love You Baby , critically acclaimed then and now, notable for including a seventeen minute version of the titular hit. This established a pattern that made Summer unusual in the disco world: she focused just as much, if not more, on full-length albums instead of singles.

Continuing to work with Moroder and Bellotte, Love Trilogy ( 19761976 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). Events January January 12 UN Security Council votes 11-1 to admit the Palestinian Liberation Organization January 15 Would-be Gerald Ford presidential assassin Sara Jane Moore is s) and the concept album Seasons of Love ( 1976) were hits, though not as popular as Love to Love You Baby. I Remember Yesterday ( 1977) included the memorable hit single " I Feel Love ", the first hit song recorded with an entirely synthesized backing track. This song, which became a major hit, is enormously influential in the development of disco, electronica and techno music, thanks to Moroder's innovative production.

Once Upon a Time was released soon after I Remember Yesterday; it was another concept album, concerning the fairy tale of Cinderella. After acting (and releasing a Grammy-winning song on the soundtrack) in the comedy Thank God It's Friday , Summer released a live album Live and More , which became another smash hit album and included a cover of " MacArthur Park". Summer's songwriting was showcased on Bad Girls ( 1979), which included a hit single in the title track, as well as "Hot Stuff", which won Summer the Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocalist. When a greatest hits album, On the Radio, became a #1 hit, Summer was the first artist with three consecutive #1 double albums.

Summer then decided to leave Casablanca and sign to Geffen Records, then just starting up.

Her first Geffen album was The Wanderer ( 1980), which included more rock and roll and R&B influences. The follow-up album, I'm a Rainbow , was not released until 1996 because Geffen did not think it was good enough. Instead, Geffen had Summer drop Moroder and Bellotte, her long-time songwriters, and paired her with music sensation Quincy Jones on the self titled album "Donna Summer", which produced the dance hit "Love is in Control (Finger on the Trigger)", a Top 40 hit "Woman in Me" and the Vangelis penned "State of Independence", which became a huge hit in Europe with its New Age feel and star chorus that included Christopher Cross and Michael Jackson. This song was the inspiration for Quincy Jones to later create with Michael Jackson "We are the World".

Summer continued her work with Geffen, later releasing the smash hit She Works Hard For the Money , which included a well-remembered hit in the title track.

Summer's career began to slow down drastically in the mid 1980s but was revamped in 1989 with her Stock Aitken Waterman collaboration "Another Place and Time". The first single "This Time I Know It's For Real" became a huge hit, first in Europe and later in the United States, and brought her back to the top of the charts.

In the 1990s, Summer has continued to work, producing numerous dance hits such as "Melody Of Love", which became the Billboard number one dance hit of the year, "I Will Go With You", the dance version of the beautiful Andrea Bocelli song "Con Te Partirò" and "You're So Beautiful", a club anthem she co-wrote with legendary DJ Tony Moran . A new remix of "I Feel Love" was a big UK hit all over again in 1995.

In June 2004, Donna Summer released a greatest hits compilation in the UK called "The Journey", which rocketed into the top 10 thanks to her appearance on ITV1 show Discomania.

Summer added to her credits in October 2004, when she performed " God Bless America" during the seventh-inning stretch at Game 2 of the 2004 World Series at Boston's Fenway Park.