Donna Summer transitioned today at the age of 63. Anyone writing on Donna Summer today upon hearing of her death will give their various  ’Testament’ through the written word. Writing’s will be in great length, some short to the point, basic, to reflective by what they lived and others will be too beside themselves to go into detail but do enough to show respect. There is no judgement to how one will reflect, we all are responsible for our own truths.  Truly today’s news of Donna Summer’s passing has been one for many people going back down Memory Lane.  Come take a trip with me and my MEMORY LANE. 

The Queen of Disco, The Queen of Love will be remembered for TOP HITS too numerous to name but I shall name some. How could I not? Some standouts; ‘Love To Love You Baby’, ‘Last Dance’, ‘Hot Stuff’, ‘Bad Girls’, ‘I Feel Love’, ‘MacArthur Park Suite’, ‘Dim All The Lights’, ‘On The Radio’,  ’She Works Hard For The Money’, ‘Dinner With Gershwin’and more. When you look at the whole discography of Donna Summer from the very first album, she is more than a Disco Music singer but yes she is Disco. Songs on the B-Side level for Donna Summer are gems.  I call them brilliant hidden gems.

I love B-Sides

The Reminisce 

I was watching the classic coming of age movie FOXES recently. I love that movie so much I did a tribute show on my online talk show GV1021. In the 70′s and 80′s the vibe just was different from where it is now. Technology didn’t rule and that is no disrespect.  Technology advancements have it’s place, it helps many of us reach audiences through the written word like never before.  Through times before it did rule, Here’s what ruled; Age of Innocence, Age of Decadence, Summer Of Love, Age Of Cinema Break-Through movies, Age of Equality For Women, Age of Sexual Freedom, Age of Music, Age of Disco. In the movie Foxes you can hear the song On The Radio by Donna Summer.  The song starts off so bittersweet and ends with feelings of joy and expectancy -timeless music on the movie soundtrack and in the movie. 

Truly in her prime til the end Donna Summer was celebrated. True to my investigative journalist roots, I would do a perusal to see what she was doing career-wise like  I would do on other artist of the heyday. Active even in the most behind the scene ways was Donna Summer, loved it! As a 70′s baby, coming of age in the 80′s I never regret the decade I was born.  I witnessed and lived some moments of the 70′s and 80′s, so many generations after me, speak of in awe. Sure every generation will hail their decades but to live to see how things evolved on a level  of this magnitude is beyond compare.

The 70′s and the 80′s those were the times when you didn’t have the kind of access to celebs we all have today.  In those days without refute artist of various genres were known as SUPERSTARS. Hollywood handlers kept tabs on how much access were given.  When comparing the ‘then’ with the ‘now’, less access is better.  While technology bringing all of us closer to celebs of today, the appeal is different. The mystique is far few and in between. It is truly a loss of sorts to the way it was to the way it is now. Donna Summer was and is Superstar Status.  Her legacy remained in tact for the times she came on the scene til her transition. Though some may say different, Superstar… LaDonna.

The Reminisce 

As a Southern and Southern Lady, my family was well traveled. Entire summers and some holidays were spent in Philly and New York. Then there was Detroit, Saginaw, Chicago and DC. As we all can trace through generations, many family members headed up North from the South for jobs and such. Family connection was strong for many people. It was no big thing being invited up North by family and family being invited down South- opening our southern homes to northern apartments and northern homes for each other. Those up North would be greatful there was someone down south to bring ‘mama’ up north. Most times ‘mama’ wasn’t coming alone on the train or otherwise. Yes ‘mama’ would be accompanied. Family was ready to see new born babies, cousins, nieces, nephews and more. Request for southern dishes to be brought up north, along with home-made wine and more happened. 

Along with these things, I got to see Studio 54, hear stories of family who worked on Broadway getting in the famous 54, enjoying Coney Island bump cars with disco music blaring. It was well known East Coast North would get the latest dances, latest music before others.  Not all the time but most times. I was able to get in on the latest and bring what I experienced, back South after summer was over. Belle Isle was the place to be in the summer in Detroit too. Philly was also great times. I can just imagine San Francisco being a place of magic for many people, Venice Beach, Miami, more place, stateside, internationally listening to the sounds of Donna Summer. It was good to travel. Through many road trips, you could count on the radio stations, the disc jockeys  playing a Donna Summer hit. Even today, on a road trip, you can find a disc jockey somewhere giving good vibes of Disco Music. Sirius/XM now has the Studio 54 channel.  I am sure they are playing tribute to Donna Summer. Friday nights at home under a Southern Sky with family back in the day putting on the vinyl turning up the music of Donna Summer as we did ‘The Hustle’ dance were fun times. Great times, great memories. 

Excellent Read Of Growing Up In The 70′s

Upon hearing of Summers transition, I thought back to my childhood, to teenage years like so many others. Reading the comments around the web, truly Donna Summer was a part of so many people’s memories.  Music, is a very powerful thing that moves people of all backgrounds.  The album ‘Bad Girls’ was a view. The album upon unfolding told the story through pictures of ‘Women Of The Night’. As little girls my cousins and I would be on the bed watching older cousins and aunties get ready for a Skate Disco Party.  They’d paint our nails, put lipstick on us to keep us happy and we’d be singing to the top of our lungs ♫ ‘Toot Toot ah… Beep Beep’. I know I am not alone with these memories in a similar fashion.  We were careful with the albums because albums like this were prize possessions. 

The Reminisce 

Walkman’s were tuned as skates were being laced as I became older to join Friday Night Skate Parties. Headbands were position right, leg warmers of all colors worn, hoops of all styles worn, tretons/converse/dr scholl’s wooden clog sandals/candies wooden sandal heels  were the thing to wear before changing into the skates, ‘dippity do’ was the GO TO HAIR PRODUCT applied to finish the look – always trying to act older than what you were. Cousins stayed close, making sure all was on the up and up. Skate, disco roll, bounce, Donna Summer music was on and others to groove the night away. 

There was always that one older guy who was your crush. He’s take to the DISCO SKATE FLOOR who could do anything with those skates. Knowing you were crushing along with the other teenagers, he’s grabbed your hand to go around the rink a few times, twirl you and let you go. He was off to skate with the older girls as butterflies, nothing but butterflies left for the 11, to 12, to 13 year old to his 18, 22, to 25.  The handsome crush would skate over to his girlfriend or his own crushes, as you were   left to go home to dreams of the night. The Age of Innocence. The Age of Disco.

It never fails and I would not want it to, hearing the countless stories of people who disco-ed the night away at various clubs in the 70′s and 80′s.  People dressed to the nines, fashion ruled on the dance floor and the moves on the dance floor was so fluid.  Glimpses of what was through documentaries, movies could not even compare to the actual moments were Friday Nights and Saturday Nights were made for DISCO NIGHTS. With the disco ball rolling, lights everywhere, uninhibited vibes stirring, these moments won’t be duplicated again. Bittersweet it is speaking upon these things and knowing Donna Summer has flown away beyond the sky.  

Excellent Read of Donna Summer >

The Outro 

The Grammy Award Winning, Music Hall of Famer, Wife, Mother, Bostonian said she’s been ‘Queen’ for decades. Interviewed in later years, Donna Summer wanted to be called ‘Empress’. With an illustrious career in music, the stage, music that moved a generation, a music career that inspired generations, reaching International Superstar Status, being among other Superstars leaving their impact upon the world, yes truly Donna Summer shall be called Empress of Disco, Empress of Dance and Empress of Love. Compared to other genres of music, Disco music the arrangements can make one feel there’s a magical place just beyond their reach.

Disco music truly fans the flames for fantasy driven moments, ultra romance, smoldering passionate times. No matter how fantasy feeling Disco Music makes one feels, it set the scene for real moments with unforgettable times attached to happen. Though Disco music may not be in popular demand as times changed, the Disco Ball maintained it’s presence even to this day. The Disco Ball still turns, the lights dim at the close of an evening, from reunions of family, reunions of  school days, various themed house parties, fashion shows. There is a song that truly remains the Star at the end of an evening announcing the last call for alcohol along with the last song played for the evening. A song that brings two people together, a song that can cheer up the most heartbroken person… it plays, it is timeless, as the person who sings. Those who will, shall take to the floor  as the dj releases the sounds for THE LAST DANCE. A song wonderfully recorded by Donna Summer. Timeless… just as the woman herself, Empress, Donna Summer. 

once you select the disco ball, travel to what once was…

you’ve been deja vu’d,

BEBE