Donna Summer The disco queen whose music has reverberated through gay bars since the 1970s, Donna Summer, has died in Florida following a battle with cancer. The five-time Grammy winner known for the likes of “Last Dance” and “Hot Stuff” was 63. During the disco era, Summer was the only artist to have three consecutive double-LPs hit No. 1, "Live and More," "Bad Girls" and "On the Radio." She was also the first female artist with four No. 1 singles in a 13-month period, according to the Rock Hall of Fame, where she was a nominee this year. Summer was also embroiled in controversy in the 1980s, when the born-again Christian was accused of saying AIDS ‘was a punishment from God for the immoral lifestyle of homosexuals’. She denied making the comment, and, in a letter to the AIDS campaign group ACT UP in 1989, she said that it was "a terrible misunderstanding. I was unknowingly protected by those around me from the bad press and hate letters... If I have caused you pain, forgive me."
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Friday, 18th May 2012 - 10:51am