Donna Summer was born Donna Gaines on December 31, 1948, in Boston, Massachusetts. From the moment Donna learned to speak, she began singing. She’d sing all day around her house and especially at meal times. Donna’s debut came one glorious Sunday morning  in church, at the age of 10. The singer who was scheduled to sing did not show up, giving Donna the opportunity to sweep the congregation off their feet, and that she did. 

In 1974, Summer recorded her first solo album Lady of the Night while residing in Germany.  Although the album became a hit in Europe, it failed to put a dent on the American charts. The following year she co-wrote a seductive track called “Love to Love You Baby” for another artist. However, the producers liked her version so much they decided to give her the song. When the track was first released, it received a lot of ridicule for its sexual aspects of moaning. But this didn’t put a stop to anything, as the song still managed to make it to #2 on the US charts. From then on Donna’s career skyrocketed.  

By the late 1980’s, her career began to simmer down, achieving one top 10 hit of the decade. She then released another two albums in the 90’s, but they didn’t make much of an impact. Before passing, Donna mentioned that her greatest aspiration for life was to be loving. Although she might not have noticed she achieved it through her music.