Donna Summer

Donna Summer (born LaDonna Adrian Gaines) was born on December 31, 1948, in Boston, Massachusetts. She was the eldest of seven children and had a strict religious upbringing. She started singing in church at the age of 10 and performed with her local gospel group throughout her teenage years. Growing up in the 1950s, she was exposed to many musical styles including blues, jazz, rock and roll, and soul music.

At 17 years old, Summer moved to New York City to pursue her dream of becoming a professional singer. She released her debut single "Sally Go Round the Roses" in 1971 but it failed to chart. In 1975 she signed with Casablanca Records and released her first album Lady of the Night which yielded the hits "Love To Love You Baby" and "Try Me, I Know We Can Make It". Her next two albums A Love Trilogy (1976) and Four Seasons of Love (1976) were more successful as they spawned several hit singles.

In 1977 Summer collaborated with Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte to release the disco anthem "I Feel Love". The song topped both American and European charts became one of the most influential songs ever recorded. In 1979 Summer released Bad Girls which became her most commercially successful album reaching number one on both American and British charts. The album spawned four top-ten singles including "Hot Stuff" which won a Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance in 1980.

Summer continued to release popular albums throughout the 1980s winning three more Grammy Awards before retiring from public life after suffering from depression during this period. After a renewed interest in Summer's work in 1992 she returned to recording releasing an album of new material titled Crayons in 2008 which earned a Grammy Award nomination for best dance/electronic Album. Donna Summer died on May 17, 2012 at 63 years old from lung cancer at her home in Naples Florida surrounded by family members.

<div id="" class="facts-item"><h3 id="" class="facts-title"><span class="facts-number">1.</span> First female artist to have three consecutive #1 hits</h3><p id="" class="facts-text">Donna Summer was the first female artist to have three consecutive #1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. The songs were “Love To Love You Baby”, “Try Me, I Know We Can Make It”, and “I Feel Love”.</p></div>

    <div id="" class="facts-item"><h3 id="" class="facts-title"><span class="facts-number">2.</span> Grammy Award Winner</h3><p id="" class="facts-text">Donna Summer won five Grammy Awards throughout her career, including Best R&B Performance for “She Works Hard For The Money” in 1984.</p></div>

    <div id="" class="facts-item"><h3 id="" class="facts-title"><span class="facts-number">3.</span> Worked with Giorgio Moroder</h3><p id="" class="facts-text">Donna Summer worked extensively with Italian producer Giorgio Moroder, who helped create some of her most iconic tracks such as “Love To Love You Baby” and “Bad Girls”.</p></div>

    <div id="" class="facts-item"><h3 id="" class="facts-title"><span class="facts-number">4.</span> Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee</h3><p id="" class="facts-text">Donna Summer was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013, becoming the first female artist to be inducted solely for her work in the disco genre.</p></div>

    <div id="" class="facts-item"><h3 id="" class="facts-title"><span class="facts-number">5.</span> Was Part of the Band Crow</h3><p id="" class="facts-text">Before launching her solo career, Donna Summer was a member of the band Crow, where she sang lead vocals and wrote some of their songs.</p></div>