Donna Summer: The Diva's Back!

From ETOnline.com

DONNA SUMMER is still "Hot Stuff" as MARK STEINES discovered backstage at the Universal Ampihitheater.

Back in the '70s, DONNA SUMMER earned the title Disco Queen with chartbusters such as "Love to Love You Baby," "On the Radio" and "Last Dance." These days the music icon is still "Hot Stuff," as MARK STEINES discovered when he caught up with her backstage at the Universal Amphitheater. Donna was at the domed venue performing as part of her summer tour for her latest CD The Journey: The Very Best of Donna Summer.

"It is a different time," she admits. "I am older. The crowd is probably older, some of them. But I think it has a different vibe. It is almost emotional now for me and the audience. I think that now a lot of the songs are mixed with memories of their youth and are poignant and even sad, so when they come to the concert, the expression on people's faces is different."

Donna is different, too. There are certain songs from her heyday that she just doesn't want to sing anymore.

"'Love to Love You Baby' is one of those songs," she shares. "I didn't perform it for the last 20 years or so. Just recently, I felt it was okay again, so I have been doing a snippet of it. Not the way I used to do it, but it is a song that people know me as having sung in the beginning and people like to hear it." Continue Reading>>

Donna Summer Wallpaper

Here's a wallpaper (1024x768) of a photo still taken from Donna's performance of "Bad Girls" on The Donna Summer Special.

Donna Summer Mosaic Wallpaper

Here's a wallpaper (1024x768) of the Live & More Encore cover photo.

Donna Summer Mosaic Wallpaper

Here's a wallpaper (1024x768) of a mosaic photo of a still taken from the movie, Thank God It's Friday.

Donna Summer Proves Hot Stuff in RiverPlace Performance

By Dave Howell

Special to The Morning Call

Donna Summer opened Friday night with ''She Works Hard For The Money.'' And she did.

Summer went all out for her Musikfest RiverPlace show, with a band that included nine strings, three horns, two backup singers and her husband Bruce Sudano playing a silver grand piano at the top of the set. A superb light show and a rotating silver disco ball paid homage to the former disco queen's roots.

The 56-year-old Summer's voice has lost none of the power that the enthusiastic crowd remembered from her late-1970s hits. She looked resplendent, wearing three different gowns during the show.

Summer covered her biggest hits, including ''Last Dance,'' ''Hot Stuff,'' ''MacArthur Park,'' ''I Love You'' and ''No More Tears (Enough Is Enough),'' the latter as a duet with her sister Mary Bernard. Summer even did shorter versions of her early chartbusters ''Love To Love You Baby'' and ''I Feel Love.''

There were some unexpected features during the 90-minute show. Summer brought up five audience members to sing the background to ''On the Radio.'' Summer performed ''Natural Woman,'' George Gershwin's ''The Man I Love,'' Charlie Chaplin's ''Smile'' and the Moody Blues' ''Nights in White Satin.''

She spoke to the audience about many of her songs. After Summer explained it was a 25th anniversary present from her husband, Sudano moved to center stage to sing his ''Le Imagine Café.''

During the show, there were tongue-in-cheek references to being a diva, but Donna Summer proved that no one deserves the title more than she does.

Dave Howell is a freelance writer.

Donna Summer Wallpaper

Here's a wallpaper (1024x768) of a photo from the "Live & More" era.

The Endless Summer

Disco diva Donna Summer is "Hot Stuff" in Holmdel

Published in the Asbury Park Press 08/5/05

BY ED CONDRAN
CORRESPONDENT

DONNA SUMMER IN CONCERT
WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: PNC Bank Arts Center, Exit 116, Garden State Parkway, Holmdel
TICKETS: $20-$67.50
INFO: (732) 335-8698

During the mid- to late-1970s, disco reigned and so did Donna Summer. The charismatic singer was the disco queen.

But Summer also transcended the short-lived genre. Many of her hits, such as "I Feel Love" and "Love to Love You Baby," have a sleek, propulsive, orchestrated feel that screams "Eurodisco." "Bad Girls" and "Hot Stuff" were rock/disco fusion."

The songs are a lot deeper than some people might think," Summer said. "Sure, they were on the disco charts but there were a lot of different elements in those songs. I'm so proud of what enabled me to get where I am. The songs I sing are great songs."

Summer's hits have endured. Many of her tracks are still radio staples, and Summer once again will deliver the hits Saturday at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel.

"I still love to perform," Summer said. "That's something I have never gotten tired of doing. I get out there and just focus on the music, which is something I've always done."

While Summer was focusing on the music during her heyday, those on the business side took a little more than their share.

"I was robbed in terms of finances over the years by things that were taken that shouldn't have been," Summer said.

Summer doesn't look back in anger.

"I'm not bitter," Summer said. "I was with a company (Casablanca) that really started the dance movement. (Casablanca's President Neil Bogart) was very insightful. He taught me a lot. I learned stuff I'll never forget and I have a long career because of it."

Summer has survived some bad choices. A curious recording of "Protection," written by Bruce Springsteen, and some regrettable albums (1984's "Cats Without Claws" and 1991's "Mistaken Identity") could not stop the queen of disco.

"I've been very fortunate to last this long and still have so many fans," Summer said. "Everybody's career ebbs and flows. I feel like my career is going very well again. I'm incredibly thankful. I just love the fact that I can have the opportunity to get up there on a stage and there is an audience out there to hear me and the songs."