It has been confirmed, legendary disco diva Donna Summer has taken her last dance. The Hot Stuff (video below) and Last Dance (video Below) singer was 63. No cause of death has been given but it has been rumoured the singer was battling cancer.
In a statement, Summer’s family praise the singer’s religious faith. “While we grieve her passing, we are at peace celebrating her extraordinary life and her continued legacy,” the statement reads. “Words truly can’t express how much we appreciate your prayers and love for our family at this sensitive time.”
Among the Summer’s top hits – “She Works Hard for the Money,” “Bad Girls,” and “Dim All the Lights.” She won 5 Grammy awards and received 17 nominations over the course of her career.
Though Summer and disco were nearly interchangeable, she proved herself to be a musical chameleon; one who survived the end of the Studio 54 era and continued to produce chart-topping songs into the 1980s and beyond.
Among the genres that Summer branched into were new wave, with her 1980 album “The Wanderer”; swing on her poorly selling 1991 album “Mistaken Identity”; and gospel with her 1994 holiday album “Christmas Spirit.”
The singer is survived by her husband — singer and producer Bruce Sudano; their daughters, Brooklyn and Amanda; and Summer’s daughter, Mimi, from a previous marriage.
How Stuff
Last Dance