Donna Summer, who was born as LaDonna Adrian Gaines to Andrew and Mary Gaines on Dec. 31, 1948, in Boston. As a young girl, she sang gospel music at the Grant African Methodist Episcopal Church in Boston.
Summer attended Jeremiah E. Burke High School in Dorchester, but she dropped out a few months before she graduated. In 1983, she returned to the school where she was awarded her high school diploma. School officials credited her life experience and coursework in drama and voice toward her unfulfilled graduation requirements.
Summer’s career took off in the mid 1970s when she became known as the Queen of Disco. She won five Grammys and sold more than 130 million records worldwide. She went on to record four number one singles, fourteen top ten hits, three platinum albums and twelve other Grammy nominations. Summer had 32 hit singles on the Billboard Hot 100.
In 1975, Summer recorded “Love To Love You Baby,” which made her an international star.
Summer won Best R&B Vocal Performance Female for Last Dance in 1978, Best Rock Vocal Performance Female for “Hot Stuff ” in 1979, Best Inspirational Performance for “He’s A Rebel” in 1983, Best Inspirational Performance for “Forgive Me” in 1984 and Best Dance Recording for “Carry On” in 1997. She also picked up three American Music Awards in 1979, the NAACP Image Award in 1980, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1992.
Her last studio album, “Crayons” in 2008, produced three dance club hits with “I’m a Fire,” “Stamp Your Feet” and “Fame.” In 2009, Summer sang at the Nobel Peace Prize concert in Norway in honor of Nobel laureate U.S. President Barack Obama. Her last hit was the 2010 single “To Paris With Love.”
She appeared in eight movies, was the first female artist to have three number one solo singles in one year, the first female artist to use synthesizers, and the first artist to create an extended play song (“Love To Love You Baby,”) for use in dance clubs.
Donna Summer died from lung cancer in 2012, she was 63.