The Sun Sets On Donna Summer's LIfe.

[Borderstone]

This is by far,the saddest year for
famous people in the music world of the 1970s and 1980s.

I know that when some people think of
Donna Summer,the term legend doesn't come to mind but it should.

LaDonna Adrian Gaines (real name)came along in music at just the right time. Disco,which basically started with the Philadelphia International stylized R&B sound,was a perfect fit for her vocal talent.

In 1974/1975 Gloria Gaynor had been crowned "Queen Of Disco,but not long after Donna came along,she was given that title as well. Original and unusual (for that time) songs like "Love To Love You Baby" and the very advanced techno sound of "I Feel Love",put her on a very high pedestal.

She was given an image as a "sexy-vixen" and while the hits kept coming,she later found this a very uncomfortable image to live up too. She stated that some male interviewers would be very nervous & even shaking around her.

That aside,Donna set a record at that time for a female singer. Between 1975 and 1980,11 of her 12 singles not only went top 10 (and/or #1) they either went Gold (1 million or over) or went Platinum (2 million & over)in sales.

The biggest #1s were "MacArthur Park","Hot Stuff","Bad Girls",", and "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) w/Barbra Streisand.

Afterthe 80s began,like a lot of Disco acts,her hits were not as big (a lot of acts stopped having hits right away).
She also decided to leave Casablanca Records for Geffen. She only mansged 5 hits on Geffen,the biggest being "The Wanderer" (not the 60s song)which hit #3 & was her last Gold single until 1989.

In 1983,Mercury (whcih bought out Casablanca)held her to a point in her contract that she owed them one more album. That was ,of course,"She Works Hard For The Money". That song was a popular video on MTV & other video shows & all over the radio that summer. While it didn't go Gold,it still is considered her biggest success in the 80s.

After 1984,Donna still recorded & released singles and albums on Geffen but couldn't get a hit. She later signed with Atlantic & had one last hit in 1989,"This Time I Know It's For Real". Ironically,The Bee Gees were also having a comeback hit with "One" around that same time.

In the 1990s & from 2000-09 she made many TV appearences,did live shows and even showed up on a PBS 70s concert special. Most recently shealso was in 30 minute ads for The Midnight Special DVD package.


These are Donna's 20 hits. * Means Gold / ** Platinum :

1975/1976 - Love To Love You Baby #2 *
1977 - I Feel Love #6 *
1978 - I Love You #37
1978 - Last Dance #3 * (from the film "Thank God,It's Friday")
1978 - MacArthur Park #1 (3 weeks) *
1979 - Heaven Knows #4 *
1979 - Hot Stuff #1 (3 weeks) **
1979 - Bad Girls #1 (5 weeks) **
1979 - Dim All The Lights #2 *
1979 - No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) #1 (2 weeks) **

1980 - On The Radio #5 *
1980 - The Wanderer #3 *
1980 - Walk Away #36
1981 - Cold Love #33
1981 - Who Do You Think You're Foolin'? #40
1982 - Love Is In Control (Finger On The Trigger) #10
1983 - The Woman In Me #33
1983 - She Works Hard For The Money #3
1984 - There Goes My Baby #21
1989 - This Time I Know It's For Real #7 *

The last thing I'd like to add is that in 1979,Hot Stuff graced the #1 spot the week of my birthday in June. It kind of feels like an honor to have a song by such a talent,be #1 on that day.
In what can only be called an unusual irony,just a few months ago also,I bought a used VHS copy of her & The Commodores movie,"Thank God It's Friday",I had never seen the movie before.

LaDonna Gaines was born on New Years Eve
1948 and lived quite an amazing life as Donna Summer.

Rest In Peace Donna.

[timetraveler]

Of all of her tunes, my personal faves were No More Tears, This Time I Know It's For Real, and of course her classic piece that got me to notice her was Last Dance. I wonder just how many of you out there remember the episode of Family Matters where she played Steve Urkels aunt?

[Affair on Touhy Ave.]

I managed to come across this very early Donna Summer song, whcih doesn't have a year though someone on another board said this was from 1972.
"If You're Walkin' Away" or "If You Walkin' Away" ? - YouTube

[Borderstone]

Hey Touhy & T.T. :)

Thanks for the replies.

Touhy : I'm sure if that early song is on vinyl,it's very collectable now. I've never heard of it. Not badt hough.

T.T : I sure do remember her on Family Matters. She was so funny in that role.


You know,i was always a bit dissapointed her hits stopped in 1989. With the big 70s revival going on in the 1990s,she deserved a few more.

[Affair on Touhy Ave.]

UH Borderstone.

She had a decent sucessfull career. Some may not be as fortunate.

[Borderstone]

I've followed the careers and chart standing of many,many acts since I first listened too American Top 40 on radio,as well as acquired both the book Of #1 hits and then top 40 hits.

As someone who had wanted to be in the limelight myself,in my view,even a person who wss lucky enough to have even 1 hit.had a career (however short lived).
In Donna's case,I know that she had the highest amount of Gold & Platinum singles in the shortest amount of time I've ever seen.

As well as getting 20 hits between 1975-1989. All I'm saying is,when she made that comeback in 1989,I thought she'd have hits in the 1990s as well. That's all.