Donna Summer
Biography
Donna Summer, an American singer and songwriter, was known as the Queen of Disco. Born and raised in Boston, she began her career as lead singer of the blues rock band Crow. In 1968 she joined the Munich production of Hair, where she met producers Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte. Her debut album, Lady of the Night, came out in 1974. A 1975 deal with Casablanca Records led to Love to Love You Baby, her first top five hit. The 1977 album I Remember Yesterday contained I Feel Love. She acted in Thank God It's Friday (1978) and sang Last Dance, which won her a Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. Her 1979 album Bad Girls produced Hot Stuff, and Hot Stuff earned a Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. She returned to the top five in 1983 with She Works Hard for the Money, and in 2013 she entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
63years old at death
- Born Boston
- Died Naples
- Star sign: CapricornThe sign runs December 22 to January 19
- LaDonna Adrian Gaines (birth name)Also credited as LaDonna Gaines, Donna Sommer, Donna Gaines and Donna Gains
Movie Career
- Films
- 3
- Career span
- 45 years1978 to 2023
Every film, newest first
- 2023Love to Love You, Donna SummerIMDb rating 6.6
- 2011Hit Man Returns - David Foster & FriendsIMDb rating 7.5
- 1978Thank God It's FridayIMDb rating 5.5
Genres
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A first
Summer became the first female artist to score three number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 in a single calendar year, doing so in 1979.
About the name
Summer's stage name came from a printing error on a record cover, which turned Donna Sommer into Donna Summer, and the spelling stuck.
First role
In 1968, Polydor put out Summer's first single under the name Donna Gaines. It was a version of "Aquarius" from the musical Haare, also known as Hair, and she sang it in German as "Wassermann".
A first
Summer's "MacArthur Park" was the only number one Hot 100 hit among all of songwriter Jimmy Webb's chart entries in the 1960s and 1970s.
A first
Summer's "She Works Hard for the Money" video was among the first by a black female artist to go into heavy rotation on MTV, staying there for six weeks.
Donna Summer movies on Netflix
Worked with
Donna Summer made one film with each of them. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Jeff Goldblum's page
Luce Rains's page
Debra Winger's page
Chick Vennera's page
Otis Day's page
Mews Small's page
Robert KlaneDirector, 1 film, 1978
All films by Robert Klane
All films by Brooklyn Sudano
Roger Ross WilliamsDirector, 1 film, 2023
All films by Roger Ross Williams
Awards
Seven awards and honors from 1979 to 2013, five of them major.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grammy Awards | |||
| 1985 | Best Dance/Electronic Recording | Carry On | Won |
| 1985 | Best Inspirational Performance | Won | |
| 1984 | Best Inspirational Performance | He's a Rebel | Won |
| 1980 | Best Female Rock Vocal Performance | Hot Stuff | Won |
| 1979 | Best Female R&B Vocal Performance | Last Dance | Won |
| Other honors | |||
| 2013 | Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (posthumous) | Won | |
| Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame | Honored | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.