S. Samuel
The hip-hop community lost another music mogul this week as "Queen of Disco" Donna Summer passed away at the age of 63, leaving a legacy of classics to her name.
Her family addressed media and announced her passing Thursday (May 17) morning.
Donna Summer, whose pulsating hits “I Feel Love,” “Last Dance” and “MacArthur Park” provided the disco soundtrack for the 1970s, has died at age 63. Her family confirmed Summer’s death, telling the AP, that they “are at peace celebrating her extraordinary life and her continue legacy.” (People)
Although initially unknown, Summer reportedly lost a fight with cancer.
Legendary disco singer Donna Summer died Thursday after a battle with cancer, sources close to the singer confirmed to FoxNews.com. She is survived by her husband, singer and producer Bruce Sudano, their daughters, Brooklyn and Amanda and Summer’s daughter, Mimi, from a previous marriage. (Fox News)
While her music career soared for decades, Summer’s peak run was in the 1970’s.
Summer first rose to fame the mid-’70s, thanks to “Love to Love You Baby.” The song, with Summer’s whispered vocals and orgasmic groans supported by heavily synthesized backing tracks, helped define the mid-’70s disco trend and hit No. 2 in 1976. Summer followed the song with such hits as “I Feel Love,” “Last Dance” and a disco-fied version of the Richard Harris hit “MacArthur Park,” which outdid Harris’ version by hitting No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 singles chart. It was Summer’s first of four chart-toppers. (CNN)
Yesterday, hip-hop also suffered a loss when “Godfather of Go-Go” Chuck Brown.
Chuck Brown, the gravelly voiced bandleader who capitalized on funk’s percussive pulse to create go-go, the genre of music that has soundtracked life in black Washington for more than three decades, died May 16 at the Johns Hopkins University hospital in Baltimore. He was 75. The death was confirmed by his manager Tom Goldfogle. The Washington Post reported earlier this month that Mr. Brown had been hospitalized for pneumonia. (Washington Post)
Check out Donna Summer performing live below:
