Donna Summer. She was disco’s biggest star. From the orgiastic “Love to Love You Baby,” to the bittersweet “Last Dance” and “On The Radio,” she could claim some of the most enduring hits of the era.
Sadly, TMZ is reporting that the 63-year-old Summer died today, quietly, in Florida, after a battle with lung cancer.
If confirmed, it’s a huge loss. The singer had an ardent gay male fan base in her disco heyday, but the gay community’s adoration for her was shaken when rumors spread in the 80’s that the born-again singer had made comments that implied AIDS was God’s punishment for homosexual sin. The singer vehemently denied she had ever said anything of the sort, but her many appearances on Christian television shows in the late eighties helped (perhaps unfairly) to foster the impression that she had forsaken her gay fans.
Whatever the truth of that, Summer gave a lot to her fans, both gay and straight. Her gorgeous voice will be missed. Share your favorite Donna Summer songs and memories in the comments.
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