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89-532: Originally called the Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female , the award was first presented to Donna Summer in 1980. Beginning with the 1995 ceremony, the name of the award was changed to Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. However, in 1988, 1992, 1994, and since 2005, this category was combined with the Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance and presented in a genderless category known as Best Rock Vocal Performance, Solo . The solo category

178-561: A Warner compilation, The Best of Donna Summer , was released (no US issue). The album went Gold in the UK after the song " State of Independence " was re-released there to promote the album. A remix of the Another Place and Time track " Breakaway " was released from the same album, becoming a major hit in Latin America. Despite this success, Summer rejected Sudano's advice that she should record

267-591: A Christmas album, Christmas Spirit , which included classic Christmas songs such as " O Holy Night " and " White Christmas " and three Summer-penned songs, " Christmas is Here ", " Lamb of God " and the album's title track. Summer was accompanied by the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. Another hits collection, Endless Summer: Donna Summer's Greatest Hits , was released featuring eighteen songs. There were two new tracks " Melody of Love (Wanna Be Loved) " and " Any Way at All ". In 1994, she also contributed to

356-445: A German ski movie called Fire and Ice , and thought Summer would be ideal to sing the song. He decided to reach out to Summer and, although she was not interested in singing the song, she was very much interested in working with Faltermeyer again. After a meeting with David Geffen he was on board with the project. Summer's main objective for the album was that it have stronger R&B influences; Faltermeyer who had just finished doing

445-415: A Rainbow , subtitled Recovered & Recoloured . The new edition is reduced to 10 tracks (15 on vinyl and streaming releases), with each song remixed by contemporary producers and remixers. Her self-titled album was re-released in 2022 by Summer's estate subtitled as 40th Anniversary Edition . In 2023, Summer's "She Works Hard For The Money" album was re-released with additional mixes to commemorate

534-544: A TV special that raised funds and awareness for the world's children. Artists donated royalties of certain songs, some in perpetuity, to benefit the cause. Summer began work on her next project with Moroder and Bellotte, Bad Girls . Moroder brought in Harold Faltermeyer , with whom he had collaborated on the soundtrack of film Midnight Express , to be the album's arranger. In 1979, Summer gained five big hits: " Hot Stuff " and " Bad Girls ", "Heaven Knows", " Dim All

623-413: A Time . The Drifters cover " There Goes My Baby " reached No. 21 and " Supernatural Love " went to No. 75. She would win another Grammy for Best Inspirational Performance for the song "Forgive Me". On January 19, 1985, she sang at the nationally televised 50th Presidential Inaugural Gala the day before the second inauguration of Ronald Reagan . In 1986, Harold Faltermeyer wrote the title song for

712-843: A debut at number 43, it reached number six twice and remained in the top 50 for a total of 18 weeks, becoming Summer's highest peak position in the country. It was also a top-three hit in Finland and Norway, attained number four in Ireland, number five in the Netherlands, number six in Denmark and number seven in Canada. In addition, it peaked within the top-20 in Sweden, West Germany, Spain and Italy, and barely made top-40 in Australia where it charted for ten weeks. On

801-428: A genderless category known as Best Rock Vocal Performance, Solo . Donna Summer Donna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948 – May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer , was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the " Queen of Disco ", while her music gained a global following. Influenced by

890-512: A major hit, reaching No. 3 on the US Hot 100, as well as No. 1 on Billboard ' s R&B chart for three weeks. It also garnered Summer another Grammy nomination, for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance . " Unconditional Love ", which featured the British group Musical Youth , and " Love Has a Mind of Its Own " did not crack the top 40. The album itself was certified Gold, and climbed to No. 9 on

979-467: A new kind of reality-based sitcom. It would be based on their own hectic household. At the time, they lived with their children Amanda, Brooklyn and Mimi, two sets of in-laws, and a maid. The television network started changing the premise of the show, making it less funny, says Sudano, "And because we were an interracial couple, they didn't want us to be married anymore". In 1989, this was "an issue. So with that mentality we just backed out of it." In 1990,

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1068-755: A peak at number seven in its tenth week on the chart on June 24, 1989, thus becoming Summer's 14th and last top ten hit in the country, six years after the top three hit " She Works Hard for the Money ". It also reached number two on the Billboard Adult Contemporary, number five on the Dance Club Songs, and number one on the Dance Singles Sales chart. In the UK, "This Time I Know It's for Real" charted for 14 weeks and hit number three in its fifth week, on 19 March 1989, thus marking Summer's return in

1157-593: A sampler of flavors and influences from all over the world. There's a touch of this, a little smidgeon of that, a dash of something else, like when you're cooking." On December 11, 2009, Donna Summer appeared at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert for Barack Obama . On July 29, 2010, Summer gave an interview with Allvoices.com wherein she was asked if she would consider doing an album of standards . She said, "I actually am, probably in September. I will begin work on

1246-453: A second album with SAW, insisting that she wanted to make an R&B record. The following year, Summer worked with producer Keith Diamond emerged with the album Mistaken Identity , which included elements of R&B as well as new jack swing . "When Love Cries" continued her success on the R&;B charts, reaching No. 18. However, the album was commercially unsuccessful, failing to enter

1335-569: A standards album. I will probably do an all-out dance album and a standards album. I'm going to do both and we will release them however we're going to release them. We are not sure which is going first." In August 2010, Summer released the single " To Paris With Love ", co-written with Bruce Roberts and produced by Peter Stengaard. The single went to No. 1 on the US Billboard Dance Chart in October 2010. That month, Summer also appeared on

1424-588: A top ten hit in several countries in Europe, prompting Warner Bros.' sister company, Atlantic Records , to sign Summer in the US. The single peaked at No. 7 on the US Hot 100 and became her 12th Gold single in America. She scored two more UK hits from the album, " I Don't Wanna Get Hurt " (UK No. 7) and " Love's About to Change My Heart " (UK No. 20). In 1989, Summer and her husband, Bruce Sudano , had been in talks to do

1513-455: A top-40 hit every year between 1976 and 1984, and from her first top-10 hit in 1976, to the end of 1982, she had 12 top-10 hits (10 were top-five hits), more than any other act during that period. She returned to the Hot 100's top five in 1983, and claimed her final top-10 hit in 1989 with " This Time I Know It's for Real ". She was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach the top of

1602-524: A version of the Dan Fogelberg song "Nether Lands" for a Fogelberg tribute project. According to a comment on Fogelberg's website, the song had great personal significance for Summer. On June 6, 2011, Summer was a guest judge on the show Platinum Hit , in an episode entitled "Dance Floor Royalty". In July of that same year, Summer was working at Paramount Recording Studios in Los Angeles with her nephew,

1691-423: A visit to Europe. She was further encouraged by Rick Astley's subsequent success, saying she "loved his production". Hitting it off with the producers immediately, Summer recalled that the song came together on their first day working together, a rare case of "hitting the nail on the head the first time". While she was enthusiastic, her then US label boss David Geffen wanted a rockier sound with more guitars from

1780-554: A working partnership, and Donna was signed to their Oasis label in 1974. A demo tape of Summer's work with Moroder and Bellotte led to a deal with the European-distributed label Groovy Records. Due to an error on the record cover, Donna Sommer became Donna Summer; the name stuck. Summer's first album was Lady of the Night . It became a hit in the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany and Belgium on the strength of two songs, " The Hostage " and

1869-499: Is a song by American singer-songwriter Donna Summer , released on February 13, 1989, as the first single from her 14th studio album, Another Place and Time (1989), by Atlantic Records and Warner Bros. Records . Like the rest of the album, the song was written and produced by the British Stock Aitken Waterman (SAW) team, though Summer also had a hand in writing this song. The song became Summer's biggest hit in

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1958-666: The Billboard Dance Club Songs chart throughout her entire career. Summer died in 2012 from lung cancer, at her home in Naples, Florida . In her obituary in The Times , she was described as the "undisputed queen of the Seventies disco boom" who reached the status of "one of the world's leading female singers." Moroder described Summer's work on the song "I Feel Love" as "really the start of electronic dance " music. In 2013, Summer

2047-604: The Music & Media ' s European Hot 100 Singles chart, "This Time I Know It's for Real" spent 26 weeks with two weeks at a peak of number seven, and being much aired on radios, had a 17-week chart run on the European Airplay Top 50 where it reached number eight. Shipments figures based on certification alone. Australian girl group Young Divas covered "This Time I Know It's for Real" to coincide with nationwide tour dates from July to August 2006. The song

2136-498: The 1984 MTV Music Video Awards ; Summer became one of the first African-American artists, and the first African-American female artist to have her video played in heavy rotation on MTV . Grant would also be hired to direct Summer's Costa Mesa HBO concert special, A Hot Summers Night . Grant, who was a fan of the song " State of Independence ", had an idea for a grand finale. He wanted a large chorus of children to join Summer on stage at

2225-458: The Billboard 200 chart; the highest chart position of any female artist in male-dominated 1983. The song " He's a Rebel " would win Summer her third Grammy Award, this time for Best Inspirational Performance . British director Brian Grant was hired to direct Summer's video for " She Works Hard for the Money ". The video was a success, being nominated for Best Female Video and Best Choreography at

2314-521: The PBS television special Hitman Returns: David Foster and Friends . In it, Summer performed with Seal on a medley of the songs " Un-Break My Heart ", " Crazy ", and " On the Radio " before closing the show with "Last Dance". On September 15, 2010, Summer appeared as a guest celebrity, singing alongside contestant Prince Poppycock , on the television show America's Got Talent . Also in 2010, Summer recorded

2403-593: The Sherman Oaks area of Los Angeles to Nashville, Tennessee , in 1995, where she took time off from show business to focus on painting, a hobby she had developed in the 1980s. Summer died on May 17, 2012, aged 63, at her home in Naples, Florida , from lung cancer. Being a nonsmoker , Summer thought that the cancer had been caused by inhaling toxic fumes and dust from the September 11 attacks in New York City; she

2492-507: The Tribute to Edith Piaf album, singing "La Vie En Rose". In 1995, "Melody of Love (Wanna Be Loved)" went No. 1 on the US dance charts, and No. 21 in the UK. In 1996, Summer recorded a duet with Bruce Roberts , " Whenever There Is Love ", which appeared on the soundtrack to the film Daylight . In 1996, Summer also recorded " Does He Love You " with Liza Minnelli , which appeared on Minnelli's Gently . During this time, Summer had role on

2581-583: The counterculture of the 1960s , Summer became the lead singer of a psychedelic rock band named Crow and moved to New York City. In 1968, she joined a German adaptation of the musical Hair in Munich, where she spent several years living, acting, and singing. There, she met music producers Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte , and they went on to record influential disco hits together such as " Love to Love You Baby " and " I Feel Love ", marking Summer's breakthrough into international music markets. Summer returned to

2670-504: The " title track " peaking at No. 3 on the Hot 100 chart. Its follow-up singles were, " Cold Love ", No. 33; and " Who Do You Think You're Foolin' ", No. 40. Summer was nominated for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for "Cold Love", and Best Inspirational Performance for " I Believe in Jesus " at the 1981 Grammy Awards. She would soon be working on her next album. It was to be another double album set. When David Geffen stopped by

2759-488: The 1980s while on Geffen's roster with her next album She Works Hard for the Money and its title song —which were released by Mercury Records in a one-off arrangement to settle Summer's split with the soon-to-be-defunct Casablanca Records, whose catalogue now resided with Mercury and Casablanca's parent company PolyGram . Summer recorded and delivered the album She Works Hard for the Money and Polygram released it on its Mercury imprint in 1983. The title song became

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2848-627: The Healer ", both of which reached No. 1 on the US dance charts. In 2000, Summer participated in VH1's third annual Divas special, dedicated to Diana Ross ; she sang the Supremes hit Reflections, and her own material for the show. " The Power of One " is a theme song for the movie Pokémon: The Movie 2000 . The dramatic ballad was produced by David Foster and dance remixes were also issued to DJs and became another dance floor success for Summer, peaking at No. 2 on

2937-593: The Hot 100 and became another Gold single. In 1979, Summer won three American Music Awards for Single, Album and Female Artist, in the Disco category at the awards held in January. Summer performed at the world-televised Music for UNICEF Concert , joining contemporaries such as ABBA ; Olivia Newton-John ; the Bee Gees ; Andy Gibb ; Rod Stewart ; John Denver ; Earth, Wind & Fire ; Rita Coolidge ; and Kris Kristofferson for

3026-463: The Hot 100 chart. and No. 1 in the UK. She received her first American Music Award nomination for Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist. The single would attain Gold status and the album went Platinum in the US. Another concept album, also released in 1977, was Once Upon a Time , a double album which told of a modern-day Cinderella "rags to riches" story. This album would attain Gold status. Summer recorded

3115-619: The Jaynetts ' 1963 hit, " Sally Go 'Round the Roses ", from a one-off European deal with Decca Records . In 1969, she issued the single "If You Walkin' Alone" on Philips Records . She married Austrian actor Helmuth Sommer in 1973, and gave birth to their daughter Natalia Pia Melanie "Mimi" Sommer, the same year. She provided backing vocals for producer-keyboardist Veit Marvos on his Ariola Records release Nice to See You , credited as "Gayn Pierre". Several subsequent singles included Donna performing with

3204-691: The Lights ", and No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) ". The week of June 16, 1979, Summer would again have the number-one single on the Hot 100 chart, and the number-one album on the Billboard 200 chart; when "Hot Stuff" regained the top spot on the Hot 100 chart. The following week, "Bad Girls" would be on top of the US Top R&;B albums chart . Summer received four nominations for the 7th Annual American Music Awards in 1980, and took home awards for Female Pop/Rock and Female Soul/R&B Artist; and well as Pop/Rock single for " Bad Girls ". In 1980, her single " On

3293-642: The Lights ", had peaked; she had penned "Dim All the Lights" alone, and was hoping for a number-one hit as a songwriter. Summer and the label parted ways in 1980, and she signed with Geffen Records , the new label started by David Geffen . Summer filed a $ 10 million lawsuit against Casablanca; the label counter-sued. In the end, she did not receive any money, but won the rights to her own lucrative song publishing. Summer's first Geffen album, The Wanderer , featured an eclectic mixture of sounds, bringing elements of rock , rockabilly , new wave , and gospel music . The album continued Summer's streak of Gold albums with

3382-421: The Money's" producer Michael Omartian to produce Cats Without Claws . Summer was happy that Geffen and his executives stayed out of the studio during the recording and thanked him in the album's liner notes, but her request for the lead single would be rejected. The album failed to attain Gold status in the US, her first album not to do so. It was first album not to yield a top-ten hit, since 1977's Once Upon

3471-400: The Radio ", reached No. 5, selling over a million copies in the US alone, making it a Gold single. " The Wanderer " reached #3 on the Hot 100. Summer would again receive a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance . Just over a week after the awards, Summer had her own nationally televised special, The Donna Summer Special , which aired on ABC network on January 27, 1980. After

3560-520: The SAW sessions, a dictate which was immediately refused by Pete Waterman . With Geffen Records ending her US deal due to an impasse over the new material, this was Summer's first US single to be released on Atlantic Records . Since 1980 she had been signed to Geffen, but her work across Europe had always been distributed by Warner Bros.' main label. This would continue to be the case following her signing to Atlantic. Alex Henderson from AllMusic described

3649-560: The US Billboard 200 chart and charted four number-one singles in the US within a 12-month period. She also charted two number-one singles on the R&;B Singles chart in the US and a number-one single in the United Kingdom. Her last Hot 100 hit came in 1999 with "I Will Go with You ( Con te partirò )". While her fortunes on the Hot 100 waned in subsequent decades, Summer remained a force on

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3738-866: The US Billboard 200 and any chart outside the United States. It only entered at number 97 on the US Top R&;B Albums chart. In 1992, Summer embarked on a world tour and later that year received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame . She reunited with Giorgio Moroder , for the song " Carry On ", which was included on the 1993, Polygram issued The Donna Summer Anthology , it contained 34 tracks of Summer's material with Casablanca and Mercury Records , and from her tenures with Atlantic and Geffen . Summer signed with Mercury/Polygram that same year, and in 1994 she re-teamed with producer Michael Omartian to record

3827-493: The US Top 200 Album Chart, her highest placing on the chart since 1983. The songs " I'm a Fire ", " Stamp Your Feet " and " Fame (The Game) " all reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Dance Chart. The ballad " Sand on My Feet " was released to adult contemporary stations and reached No. 30 on that chart. Summer said, "I wanted this album to have a lot of different directions on it. I did not want it to be any one baby. I just wanted it to be

3916-544: The US to date. The single "Dinner with Gershwin" (written by Brenda Russell ) stalled at 48 in the US, though it became a hit in the UK, peaking at No. 13. The album's title track, " All Systems Go ", was released only in the UK, where it peaked at No. 54. For Summer's next album, Geffen Records hired the British hit production team of Stock Aitken Waterman (or SAW ), who enjoyed incredible success writing and producing for such acts as Kylie Minogue , Bananarama , and Rick Astley , among others. The SAW team describe

4005-701: The United Kingdom since 1979, reaching number three and spending a total of 14 weeks in the UK Singles Chart top 75. It reached number seven in both the United States and Canada, becoming Summer's 14th and final top-10 hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 as well as the last top-40 hit of her career. The song was also successful on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary chart, peaking at number two. Summer became aware of SAW after her husband, Bruce Sudano , drew her attention to their work during

4094-413: The United States in 1976, and more hits such as " Last Dance ", " MacArthur Park ", " Heaven Knows ", " Hot Stuff ", " Bad Girls ", " Dim All the Lights ", " No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) " with Barbra Streisand , and " On the Radio " followed. Summer amassed a total of 32 chart singles on the US Billboard Hot 100 in her lifetime, including 14 top-10 singles and four number-one singles. She claimed

4183-610: The album's 40th Anniversary. That same year, a documentary revolving around Summer and her career, Love to Love You, Donna Summer , directed by her daughter, Brooklyn Sudano and Roger Ross Williams had its world premiere at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival in February 2023, and was released in May 2023, on HBO . In the mid-1980s, Summer was embroiled in a controversy when she allegedly made anti-gay remarks about

4272-432: The career of a former disco diva". In its 2016 retrospective review, Pop Rescue also stated that the song "simply oozes S/A/W sound from the very first moment it bursts open with some very Rick Astley / Sonia -esque drums. This is textbook S/A/W and is absolutely flawless." In 2021, British magazine Classic Pop ranked the song number nine in their list of 'Top 40 Stock Aitken Waterman songs', underlining its success on

4361-462: The charts. In 2023, Alexis Petridis of The Guardian listed the song at number eight in his "Stock Aitken Waterman's 20 greatest songs – ranked!", adding that it "is gleaming dance-pop with a nailed-on euphoric chorus". "This Time I Know It's for Real" reached the top-ten in the majority of the countries in which it was released. In the US, it charted for 17 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 with

4450-467: The composition. Summer also had " With Your Love " and " Je t'aime... moi non plus ", on the soundtrack. Her version of the Jimmy Webb ballad, " MacArthur Park ", became her first No. 1 hit on the Hot 100 chart. It was also the only No. 1 hit for songwriter Jimmy Webb; the single went Gold and topped the charts for three weeks. She received a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance . The song

4539-546: The concert. After the rehearsal Grant was informed that he could not use the kids because the concert would end after 10 pm; children could not be licensed to be on stage at such a late hour (California had strict child labor laws in 1983). "It's a moment that I regret immensely: a grand finale concept I came up with that couldn't be filmed in the end". When the final sequence was filmed, Summer's daughter Mimi and her family members joined her on stage for "State of Independence". In late 1983, David Geffen enlisted "She Works Hard for

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4628-541: The dance charts continued with the songs " You're So Beautiful " and " I Got Your Love ". In 2004, Summer re-recorded 'No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)' with the Irish pop band Westlife (with a live performance) for the compilation album, DiscoMania . In 2008, Summer released her first studio album of fully original material in 17 years, entitled Crayons . Released on the Sony BMG label Burgundy Records , it peaked at No. 17 on

4717-483: The ending of the song. His team looked for local school children in Orange County, to create a chorus of 500 students. On the final day of rehearsals, the kids turned up and they had a full rehearsal. According to Grant, "It looked and sounded amazing. It was a very emotional, very tearful experience for everyone who was there." He thought if this was that kind of reaction in rehearsal, then what an impact it would have in

4806-583: The group since it was only interested in the band's lead singer, the group agreed to dissolve. Summer stayed in New York and auditioned for a role in the counterculture musical, Hair . She landed the part of Sheila and agreed to take the role in the Munich production of the show, moving there in August 1968 after getting her parents' reluctant approval. It turned out to be the best decision she could have made. The show

4895-479: The group, and the name "Gayn Pierre" was used while performing in Godspell with Helmuth Sommer during 1972. Their marriage subsequently ended in divorce, and she married singer-guitarist Bruce Sudano in 1980. While working as a model part-time and backing singer in Munich, Summer met producer Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte during a recording session for Three Dog Night at Musicland Studios . The trio forged

4984-527: The initial release, refused to play it. Despite this, "Love to Love You Baby" found chart success in several European countries, and made the Top 5 in the United Kingdom despite the BBC ban. Casablanca Records wasted no time releasing the follow-up album A Love Trilogy , featuring " Try Me, I Know We Can Make It ". In 1977, Summer released the concept album I Remember Yesterday . The song " I Feel Love ", reached No. 6 on

5073-495: The lawsuit was settled out of court although neither side wanted to divulge any details. Summer was raised in the African Methodist Episcopal Church . Summer married Brooklyn Dreams singer Bruce Sudano on July 16, 1980. They had two daughters together, Brooklyn Sudano and Amanda Sudano . Summer was also one of the founding members of Oasis Church in Los Angeles. Summer and her family moved from

5162-516: The musicals Ich bin ich (the German version of The Me Nobody Knows ), Godspell , and Show Boat . Within three years, she moved to Vienna , Austria , and joined the Vienna Volksoper . In 1968, Summer released (as Donna Gaines) on Polydor her first single, a German version of the title " Aquarius " from the musical Haare ( Hair ), followed in 1971 by a second single, a remake of

5251-448: The people I write with are gay and they have been ever since I met them. What people want to do with their bodies is their personal preference". A few years later, she filed a lawsuit against New York magazine when it printed an old story about the rumors as fact, just as she was about to release her album Mistaken Identity in 1991. According to a Biography television program dedicated to Summer in which she participated in 1995,

5340-424: The producers, it was decided that they would do Donna in concert by herself. Summer taped a live television special for VH1 titled Donna Summer – Live & More Encore , producing the second-highest ratings for the network that year, after their annual Divas special. A CD of the event was released by Epic Records and featured two studio recordings, "I Will Go with You ( Con te partirò )" and " Love Is

5429-464: The rapper and producer O'Mega Red. Together they worked on a track titled "Angel". On December 11, 2012, after four prior nominations, Summer was posthumously announced to be one of the 2013 inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame , and was inducted on April 18, 2013, at Los Angeles' Nokia Theater . A remix album titled Love to Love You Donna , containing new remixes of some of Summer's classics,

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5518-480: The record for the most wins in this category, with four wins each. Melissa Etheridge and Alanis Morissette have been presented the award two times each. Crow's song " There Goes the Neighborhood " was nominated twice; one version from the album The Globe Sessions was nominated in 1999 (but lost to Morissette's song " Uninvited "), and a live version from the album Sheryl Crow and Friends: Live from Central Park

5607-573: The relatively new disease AIDS . Summer publicly denied ever making such comments and in a letter to the AIDS campaign group ACT UP in 1989 said it was "a terrible misunderstanding". In explaining why she had not responded to ACT UP sooner, Summer stated, "I was unknowingly protected by those around me from the bad press and hate letters. If I have caused you pain, forgive me." She closed her letter with Bible quotes (from Chapter 13 of 1 Corinthians ). In 1989, Summer told The Advocate magazine, "A couple of

5696-445: The release of the On the Radio album, Summer wanted to branch out into other musical styles, which led to tensions between her and Casablanca Records . Casablanca wanted her to continue to record disco only. Summer was upset with President Neil Bogart over the early release of the single " No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) ", because Casablanca didn't wait until her previous single, " Dim All

5785-463: The same chart in 2000. In 2003, Summer issued her autobiography, Ordinary Girl: The Journey, and released a best-of set titled The Journey: The Very Best of Donna Summer . In 2004, Summer was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame as an artist, alongside the Bee Gees and Barry Gibb . Her classic song, " I Feel Love ", was inducted that night as well. In 2004 and 2005, Summer's success on

5874-412: The scripted absurdity and chaos in the show. In 1975, Summer passed on an idea for a song to Moroder who was working with another artist; a song that would be called "Love To Love You Baby" . Summer, Moroder and Bellotte wrote the song together, and together they worked on a demo version with Summer singing the song. Moroder decided that Summer's version should be released. Seeking an American release for

5963-610: The single in November 1975. The shorter 7" version of the single was promoted by radio stations, while clubs regularly played the 17-minute version (the longer version would also appear on the album). By early 1976, "Love to Love You Baby" had reached No. 2 on the US Hot 100 chart and had become a Gold single, while the album had sold over a million copies. The song generated controversy due to Summer's moans and groans, which emulated lovemaking, and some American stations, like those in Europe with

6052-474: The sitcom Family Matters as Steve Urkel's ( Jaleel White ) Aunt Oona. She made two appearances, season 5's "Aunt Oona" and season 8's "Pound Foolish". In 1998, Summer received the first Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording , after a remixed version of her 1992 collaboration with Giorgio Moroder , "Carry On", was released in 1997. In 1999, Summer was asked to do the Divas 2 concert, but when she went in and met with

6141-456: The song " Down Deep Inside " as the theme song for the 1977 film The Deep . In 1978, Summer acted in the film Thank God It's Friday , the film met with modest success; the song " Last Dance ", reached No. 3 on the Hot 100. The soundtrack and single both went Gold and resulted in Summer winning her first Grammy Award , for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance . Its writer, Paul Jabara , won both an Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for

6230-429: The song as a "exuberant, club-friendly Euro-dance / Hi-NRG " gem. Jim Arundel from Melody Maker declared it as "gloriously driven, simple, joyous and just a bit sad too." Pan-European magazine Music & Media commented, "Very much a SAW production with Summer's voice adding a touch of class. Her first chance of a major hit since 1983's ' She Works Hard for the Money '." Jerry Smith of Music Week described

6319-567: The song as an "irritatingly catchy, lightly soulful dance tune that is sure of a high chart placing". In 2014, Matt Dunn of WhatCulture ranked the song at number 11 in his "15 unforgettable Stock Aitken Waterman singles" list, stating that he found the lyrics "simple enough" and the video "odd", as it shows "people jumping up and down, bootscooters, clapping hands, spinning train conductors, flamenco dancers, people swimming through lights and others dancing on top of trains and boats", but eventually considered that this SAW song contributed to "reviv[e]

6408-447: The song, it was sent to Casablanca Records president Neil Bogart . Bogart played the song at one of his extravagant industry parties, where it was so popular with the crowd, they insisted that it be played over and over, each time it ended. Bogart requested that Moroder produce a longer version for discothèques. Moroder, Bellotte, and Summer returned with a 17-minute version. Bogart tweaked the title and Casablanca signed Summer, releasing

6497-537: The soundtrack for the film Fast Times at Ridgemont High . "Romeo" appears on the Flashdance soundtrack. Both, "I'm a Rainbow" and " Don't Cry for Me Argentina " would be on her 1993 anthology album. David Geffen hired top R&B and pop producer Quincy Jones to produce Summer's next album, the eponymously titled Donna Summer . During the recording of the project, Neil Bogart died of cancer in May 1982 at age 39. Summer would sing at his funeral. The album included

6586-457: The soundtracks to Top Gun and Fletch , was after a tough FM-oriented sound. On completion, Geffen liked what he heard, but his executives did not think there were enough songs that could be deemed singles. They wanted Faltermeyer to produce " Dinner with Gershwin ", but he was already busy with another project, so another producer was found. They also substituted a previous recording called " Bad Reputation ", songs like " Fascination ", fell by

6675-456: The studio for a preview, he was warned that it was a work in progress, but it was almost done. That was a mistake, because only a few tracks had been finished, and most of them were in demo phase. He heard enough to tell producers that it was not good enough; the project was canceled. It would be released years later in 1996, under the title I'm a Rainbow . Over the years, a few of the tracks would be released. The song "Highway Runner" appears on

6764-537: The title track "Lady of the Night". "The Hostage" reached the top of the charts in France, but was removed from radio playlists in Germany because of the song's subject matter: a high ranking politician that had recently been kidnapped and held for ransom. One of her first TV appearances was in the television show, Van Oekel's Discohoek , which started the breakthrough of "The Hostage", and in which she gracefully went along with

6853-483: The top ten after ten years of absence, her previous top ten hit being " No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) ", released in 1979. In Continental Europe, "This Time I Know It's for Real" achieved its highest position in the Flanders part of Belgium where it reached number two, being blocked from the number one slot by Madonna 's " Like a Prayer " which topped the chart then, and featured on the chart for 12 weeks. In France, after

6942-824: The top-ten hit " Love Is in Control (Finger on the Trigger) "; for which she received a Grammy nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance . Summer was also nominated for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for " Protection ", penned for her by Bruce Springsteen . Other singles included a cover of the Jon and Vangelis song " State of Independence " ( No. 41 pop) and " The Woman in Me " (No. 33 pop). By then Geffen Records had been notified by Polygram Records , which now owned Casablanca, that Summer still needed to deliver to them one more album to fulfill her contract. Summer had her biggest success in

7031-667: The wayside. Geffen had shared the vision of moving Summer into the R&B market as a veteran artist, but these expectations were not met. Faltermeyer, in a 2012 interview with Daeida Magazine , said, "She was an older artist by then and the label's priority may have been on the youth market. The decision was made afterward by executives who were looking for a radio hit for 1987 and not something that would perhaps last beyond then." The label's President Ed Rosenblatt would later admit: "The company never intended to focus on established superstars". The album All Systems Go , did not achieve Gold status and became her lowest charting studio album in

7120-460: The working experience as a labour of love, and said it was their favourite album of all that they had recorded. Geffen decided not to release the album Another Place and Time , and Summer and Geffen Records parted ways in 1988. The album was released in Europe in March 1989 on Warner Bros. Records , which had been Summer's label in Europe since 1982. The single " This Time I Know It's for Real " became

7209-415: Was a schoolteacher. Summer's performance debut occurred at church when she was ten years old, replacing a vocalist who failed to appear. She attended Boston's Jeremiah E. Burke High School where she performed in school musicals and was considered popular. In 1967, just weeks before graduation, Summer left for New York City, where she joined the blues rock band Crow. After a record label passed on signing

7298-547: Was featured on Summer's first live album, Live and More , which also became her first album to hit number one on the US Billboard 200 chart and went double-Platinum, selling over 2 million copies. The week of November 11, 1978, Summer became the first female artist of the modern rock era to have the No. 1 single on the Hot 100 and album on the Billboard 200 charts, simultaneously. The song " Heaven Knows ", which featured Brooklyn Dreams singer Joe "Bean" Esposito ; reached No. 4 on

7387-425: Was in her apartment near Ground Zero when the attacks occurred. However, some reports have instead attributed the cancer to Summer's smoking during her younger years, her continued exposure to second-hand smoking while performing in clubs well after she had herself quit the habit, and a predisposition to this disease in the family. This Time I Know It%27s for Real " This Time I Know It's for Real "

7476-488: Was later renamed to Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance beginning in 2005. This fusion has been criticized, especially when female performers are not nominated under the solo category. The Academy has cited a lack of eligible recordings in the female rock category as the reason for the mergers. While the award has not been presented since the category merge in 2005, an official confirmation of its retirement has not been announced. Pat Benatar , Sheryl Crow , and Tina Turner hold

7565-585: Was nominated and won in 2001. Since its inception, American artists have been presented with the award more than any other nationality, though it has been presented to vocalists from Canada three times. Stevie Nicks holds the record for the most nominations without a win, with five. Each year is linked to the article about the Grammy Awards held that year. Award was combined with the Best Male Rock Vocal Performance category and presented in

7654-453: Was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame . In December 2016, Billboard ranked her sixth on its list of the "Greatest of All Time Top Dance Club Artists". Donna Adrian Gaines, the third of seven children, was born in Boston on December 31, 1948, to Andrew and Mary Gaines. She was raised in the Boston neighborhood of Mission Hill . Her father was a butcher, and her mother

7743-623: Was produced by George Papapetros and Max Kourilov and released as a CD single on May 6, 2006, to attract attention for the tour. "This Time I Know It's for Real" peaked at number two on the ARIA Singles Chart and spent 14 weeks in the top ten. It was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), for shipments of 70,000 copies. The song was later included on their self-titled debut album Young Divas . Due to an overwhelming response of

7832-426: Was released in October 2013. " MacArthur Park " was remixed by Laidback Luke for the remix collection; it was also remixed by Ralphi Rosario , which version was released to dance clubs all over America and successfully peaked at No. 1, giving Summer her first posthumous number-one single, and her sixteenth number-one on the charts. In 2021, Summer's estate released a reedited version of her ninth studio album I'm

7921-405: Was so successful, that it didn't just rocket-start her career but also many of her castmates'. The cast included: Helga Charlotte Tolle , Reiner Schöne , Ron Williams, Gudrun 'Su' Kramer, Elke Koska, Jürgen Markus , Jutta Weinhold , Peter Kent, who all starred alongside Summer in the musical Hair . She eventually became fluent in German, singing various songs in that language, and participated in

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