Donna Summer (born Donna Andrea Gaines on December 31, 1948) is an American pop music singer best known for a string of disco music hits in the 1970s that earned her the title "Queen of Disco".
Career
Summer was a rarity in the 1970s disco scene because her career began before the disco explosion and continued afterward. Even though she is one of the best-known artists of the disco era, Summer has covered different genres including R&B, rock and roll and gospel music, earning her Grammy Awards in those categories. Her work is still critically acclaimed and remains one of the few disco artists accepted by modern rock critics.Born in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, Summer began performing in her church's choir. She later joined a rock group called Crow. A few months before graduating from high school, Summer dropped out and joined the German productions of ''Hair'', ''Godspell'', and ''Show Boat'' over the next few years. She eventually settled in Europe, joining the Viennese Folk Opera and participating in numerous musicals.After resettling in Munich, Germany, Summer married Helmut Sommer ("Summer" is an anglicization of his last name) and did various musical jobs in studios and theaters for several years. In 1971, Summer released "Sally Go 'Round the Roses", her first solo recording. The single was unsuccessful, however, and Summer had to wait until 1974 to launch a solo career. The group was conceived as an 11 person "multi-color, multi-voice pop chorus" which could perform anything from folk to soul to jazz. FamilyTree was the first group in Europe with their own personal choreographer. FamilyTree records are not easy to come by .... well not here anyway. Maybe you guys in Europe will have better luck! BUT - there is a new compilation CD in Germany that includes one of the FamilyTree songs "O Le Le Le". It seems to only be available through the website (in German).You can hear a clip of the song on the website as well. But that's not all I have for you...... Guenter (the group's founder) sent a few pictures from back in the day - http://donna-tribute.com/pics/gallery5.htm - for your viewing pleasure. (Thanks Guenter!)- >
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- 1974 ''Lady of the Night'' (Holland/Belgium/Germany)
- 1975 ''Love to Love You Baby'' (#8 US,#11 UK)
- 1976 ''Love Trilogy'' (#18 US, #26 UK)
- 1976 ''Four Seasons of Love'' (#22 US)
- 1977 ''I Remember Yesterday'' (#9 US,#1 UK)
- 1977 ''Once Upon a Time'' (#16 US,#18 UK)
- 1978 ''Live and More'' (#1 US,#7 UK)
- 1979 ''Bad Girls'' (#1 US,#5 UK)
- 1980 ''The Wanderer'' (#4 US,#25 UK)
- 1982 ''Donna Summer'' (#10 US,#13 UK)
- 1983 ''She Works Hard for the Money'' (#3 US,#10 UK)
- 1984 ''Cats Without Claws'' (#24 US,#30 UK)
- 1987 ''All Systems Go'' (#20 US)
- 1989 ''Another Place and Time'' (#2 US,#4 UK)
- 1991 ''Mistaken Identity'' (#72 US, #50 UK)
- 1994 ''Christmas Spirit''
- 1996 ''I'm a Rainbow'' (originally set for release in 1981)
- 1999 ''Live and More... Encore'' (#14 US, #20 UK)
Compilations
- 1978 ''Greatest Hits'' (#4 UK)
- 1979 ''Greatest Hits On the Radio Vol. I & II'' (US Sales: 2.500.000 mil.) (#1 US,#24 UK)
- 1980 ''Walk Away: Collector's Edition'' (#29 US)
- 1885 ''The Summer Collection''
- 1987 ''The Dance Collection''
- 1990 ''The Best of Donna Summer'' (#12 UK)
- 1993 ''The Donna Summer Anthology''
- 1994 ''Endless Summer'' (#37 UK)
- 1998 ''Greatest Hits''
- 2003 ''The Journey: The Very Best of Donna Summer'' (#111 US,#6 UK)