Donna Summer: The Influence Lives On

With the recent passing of Donna Summer, I felt compelled to immediately post a tribute to the singer. However, I didn’t want to be too premature for the sake of getting something into the blogosphere. I felt that I wanted to think about the contribution Donna made to Pop music—and the influence she had on future (female) Pop-music icons.

Coined the “Queen of Disco,” Donna’s career went far beyond the 1970’s. I always thought bestowing such a definitive title on someone is an honor, yet a potentially limiting one. When most people think of Disco and Donna Summer, they may tend to think of that type of dance music that was popular back in the day and once it oversaturated the culture, it and Donna faded away. But it didn’t; it became “club music” or “dance music.” And thankfully, she didn’t disappear. Why? Because she was too good, too talented, too distinct of a voice to stay muffled behind the locked doors of Studio 54. Donna was a strong Pop presence in the ‘80s (The Wanderer; She Works Hard For The Money; This Time I Know It’s For Real; and much more) and ‘90s (VH1’s Live and More Encore; a dance version of Andrea Bocelli’s Con Te Partiro).

During the ‘00s, Pop-music icons, such as Kylie Minogue, Beyonce and Madonna, sampled bits of Donna’s songs into their concert tours and singles. In 2002, Kylie’s Fever: Live in Manchester featured a mashup of her song, Light Years with Donna’s I Feel Love, the bass-synth-heavy, yet ethereal Giorgio Moroder/Peter Bellotte classic. In 2004, Beyonce sampled a part of Love to Love You Baby into her song, Naughty Girl. In 2006 on her Confessions tour, Madonna slid a section of I Feel Love into the opening song, Future Lovers. Donna’s music was simply too influential to be relegated to the “bargain bin.”

Donna will certainly be one of those Pop-music icons whose voice and work will be remembered and enjoyed in a variety of different arenas. Whether it’s on Dance- or Soul-radio formats; played at just the right time during a wedding reception when everybody’s on the dance floor; or before heading out on a Saturday night, she will always be a reliable “go-to.” Her passing reminds us that we’re here for a certain unknown amount of time and how important it is to find what we love to do and, most importantly, do it and share it, so others can enjoy it too. Donna used her time very well.

Donna: I Feel Love—the original; the big hair; the glittery halter dress; the “Robot” moves; a marriage of the lowest bass with the highest vocal.

Madonna: Seamless integration. Upper-crust equestrian refinement meets downtown underground subtext. She uses parts of I Feel Love and combines them perfectly with choreography and stage-prop movement. (Note: change video quality up to 360p.)

Donna: Last Dance—still full of that distinct voice even recently. (Note: Also change video quality to 360p or higher for better quality.) BSo