Tributes as Donna Summer dies at 63

18 May 2012, 7:14 pm   -   Source: AAP

A host of celebrities including Australian singer Tina Arena have expressed sorrow at the death of disco legend Donna Summer, aged 63.

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Disco queen Donna Summer, whose pulsing anthems such as Last Dance, Love to Love You Baby and Bad Girls became the soundtrack for a glittery age of sex, drugs, dance and flashy clothes, has died. She was 63.

Her family released a statement, saying Summer died on Thursday morning and that they "are at peace celebrating her extraordinary life and her continued legacy."

"Words truly can't express how much we appreciate your prayers and love for our family at this sensitive time," the statement read. She had been living in Englewood, Florida, with her husband Bruce Sudano.

In Hollywood, flowers were placed on Summer's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, across the street from the world-famous Grauman's Chinese Theatre.

ETonline.com claims Summer was diagnosed with lung cancer in July, 2011 and that only her husband, Brooklyn Dreams singer Sudano, and her three children were aware of her illness.

Summer came to prominence just as disco was burgeoning, and came to define the era with a string of number one hits and her beauty queen looks.

Disco became as much defined by her sultry, sexual vocals - her bedroom moans and sighs - as the relentless, pulsing rhythms of the music itself.

Love to Love You Baby, with its erotic moans, was her first hit and one of the most scandalous songs of the polyester-and-platform-heel era.

In 1979 Summer tried her hand at acting in the forgettable disco movie Thank God It's Friday.

Although her performance as singer Nicole Sims failed to land her any more roles, her performance of Last Dance won an Oscar for Best Song.

Unlike some other stars of disco who faded as the music became less popular, Summer was able to grow beyond it and later segued to a pop-rock sound. She had one of her biggest hits in the 1980s with She Works Hard For The Money.

Even as disco went out of fashion she remained a fixture in dance clubs, endlessly sampled and remixed into contemporary dance hits.

Australian singer Tina Arena met Summer in 1999 and so impressed the singer she was asked to perform with her at a concert in New York.

The pair took on Summer's hit with Barbra Streisand, No More Tears (Enough is Enough) which was released on Summer's album Live & More Encore and also televised on US music channel VH-1.

Arena issued a statement on Friday expressing her shock at the singer's death.

"I, along with many others, grew up listening to her music and admiring her vocal quality, along with great songwriting skills which were never properly recognised," Arena wrote.

Streisand said she was shocked.

"She was so vital the last time I saw her a few months ago. I loved doing the duet with her. She had an amazing voice and was so talented. It's so sad."

US President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama said their thoughts and prayers were with Summer's family and fans.

They praised the singer's voice as unforgettable and said the music industry had lost a legend.

Summer, real name LaDonna Adrian Gaines, was born in 1948 in Boston. She was raised on gospel music and became the soloist in her church choir by age 10.

Love to Love You Baby was her US chart debut and the first of 19 number one dance hits between 1975 and 2008 - second only to Madonna.

During the disco era she burned up the charts: She 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 number one singles in a 13-month period, according to the Rock Hall of Fame, where she was a nominee this year.

She was never comfortable with the Disco Queen label.

Musically, she began to change in 1979 with Hot Stuff, which had a tough, rock'n'roll beat.

Her diverse sound helped her earn Grammy Awards in the dance, rock, R&B and inspirational categories.

Summer released her last album, Crayons, in 2008. It was her first full studio album in 17 years.

She also performed on American Idol that year with its top female contestants.

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