The Queen of Disco is gone: Donna Summer

But I quickly want to say that she really isn't gone as long as we remember her and listen to her music. Something the world will do forever!

I was completely startled this morning when I came into work to learn that Donna Summer had passed away...and that she died of cancer. Why does it seem like that decease is taking so many good people from us?! So very sad.

Immediately I went to YouTube and watched her performance of 'Last Dance', her Grammy and Oscar winning song from "Thank God It's Friday".

She was one of the icons I grew up listening to in the 70's disco era. And she managed to break out of what could have been a career stopping moment when the dance craze ended, re-inventing herself into an 80's pop diva. Even as music changed drastically with the onslaught of grunge in the 90's, Donna remained a strong staple in dance clubs, coming full circle to the electronica genre of the past decade.

It amazes me that I never owned one of her albums or hit songs!! Mainly because they played so much on the radio at the time. Realizing this void, I went to the iTunes Music Store and downloaded 'The Journey: The Very Best of Donna Summer' which includes not only all of her incredible hits, but even a few EP versions I always wanted.

Here is her 1978 hit 'Last Dance' in that scene from "TGIF", wrapped in a bit of a montage showcasing her amazing career. Goodbye, sweet and sexy Donna!