Donna Summer, the original disco diva, died yesterday from cancer. She was only 63. I bopped to her tunes during the decadent days of my misspent youth. For me, she was much cooler than the likes of Diana Ross. “Love to Love You Baby” launched Donna Summer’s international career. It was a track designed to court controversy with lots of orgasmic moans and groans to get the knickers of the moral minority in a collective twist. The BBC refused to play it, a sure fire way to empty the shelves. After a string of massive worldwide hits, Donna Summer committed career suicide by allegedly claiming that AIDS was divine retribution, a faux pas of epic proportions given that dancing queens represented the bedrock of her fan base. At the time, AIDS stalked the gay community like the grim reaper. I was one of the lucky ones. Many of my contemporaries were not. It was no surprise that Donna Summer’s career nosedived. Her belated denial of the allegation did nothing to stem the tide and she withdrew from the spotlight to lick her wounds. After a couple of years waiting in the wings, all was forgiven and Miss Summer stepped back in the light with a successful comeback and some classy jingles.
Perking the Pansies 
It’s a sad day indeed. I always loved listening to her albums.
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She was a star of the first order.
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When I was at university in the late 70s I got an evening job at Cassidy’s bar/restaurant in B’ham. As a newbie, the majority gay staff were all very nice to me and I have a lasting memory of starting each evening before the restaurant opened with a rousing staff dance to “I Feel Love”. (The evening always finished with a “Ring my Bell” finale.) Happy days. RIP DS
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Amen to that….
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She was a great entertainer! Although, I couldn’t go as far as calling her more cool than Diana Ross. Talkin’ bout bad bad girls, uh huh! Sad how religion changed her personal views.
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I understand she became a born again Christian which must have turned her head a little!
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I could never get On the Radio (woh-oh) or Last Dance out of my head after hearing them on the dance floor or radio…
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Slightly bad hair day going on there – but will never forget MacArthur Park, the tune of my first broken heart!
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I had no idea she said that crazy thing about AIDS. She was a mass of strange contradictions. I remember dancing to her stuff too. Sooo glad the disco era is over!
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No, I didn’t know about her AIDS comment either. Not very smart. Thanks for posting this song – I had forgotten this one. (I loved the disco era – I was very fit as I went to the disco at least three nights a week at one time – maybe because the DJ was my boyfriend at the time and I wanted to keep an eye on him!!)
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Those DJs could be a flaky lot!
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And I picked the flakiest….
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