Donna Summer

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(1968 – 2012)

Donna Summer (born 31 December 1948, died 17 May 2012) was one of seven children raised by devout Christian parents. She sang in church, and in her teens joined a funk group called The Crow, so named because Donna was the only black member of the group. At eighteen, Gaines left home and school to audition for a role in the cast of the Broadway musical, Hair (1968). Unsuccessful in getting the part in the Broadway show (Melba Moore got the role), she was offered the European Tour when the show moved to Germany, where Summer also performed in the German versions of several musicals including Godspell and Show Boat. She settled in Munich and also performed with the Viennese Folk Opera and the pop band Munich Machine.

In 1971, Gaines released a single in Europe entitled “Sally Go ‘Round The Roses”, her first solo recording. The single was unsuccessful, however, and she had to wait until 1974 to launch a solo career. Gaines married Austrian actor Helmuth Sommer (“Summer” is an Anglicization of his last name) in 1972 and gave birth to daughter Mimi the following year. Summer did various musical jobs in studios and theaters for several years, including the pop group FamilyTree from 1974-75.

After her divorce from Sommer, she married her second husband, American musician Bruce Sudano, in 1980. They have two daughters named Brooklyn and Amanda. Sudano was a member of the ’70s groups Alive N Kickin’ and The Brooklyn Dreams.

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  • Lady Of The Night (Remastered)
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  • On the Radio (Greatest Hits)
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  • Endless Summer
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  • The Dance Collection
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  • xxxamazexxx

    A devastating week for Disco...

    9 hours ago
  • igorgeneration

    surgiu fã até dos puteiros pra aclamar a Donna. Pro povão, as pessoas só se tornam lendas depois que morrem...triste!

    17 hours ago
  • discotequedude

    It's a shame that Donna's page is filled with messages from people so insensitive to the pain of true fans... [2[

    yesterday evening
  • FabianaSambista

    morta, antes era tudo só 100 kkkkkk

    yesterday morning
  • violettte1

    this is so depressing. reign in paradise.

    yesterday morning
  • luizlourenco

    It's a shame that Donna's page is filled with messages from people so insensitive to the pain of true fans...

    Friday evening
  • leandro_xoxo

    RIP

    Friday evening
  • steveisms

    R.I.P to another angel...she goes back to heaven...never 2 be forgotten!!!!!................

    Friday morning
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5 Questions With Donna Summer

2 Sep 2010 | from blog.myspace.com/Donna Summer

You just released a new single called “To Paris With Love” — what are your thoughts on how that turned out? My daughter (Amanda Grace Ramirez) is a model with Louis Vuitton and I’ve been …

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