• Billboard Pro
  • Subscribe
  • Charts Weekly
    • Hot 100
    • Billboard 200
    • Billboard Global 200
    • Billboard Global Excl. US
    • Artist 100
    • All Weekly Charts
    Year-End
    • Year-End Hot 100 Songs
    • Year-End Billboard 200 Albums
    • 2020 Year-End Boxscore
    • Google's Top Hummed Songs 2020
    • All Year-End Charts
    Decade-End
    • Decade-End Top Artists
    • Decade-End Top Artists - Interactive
    • Decade-End Hot 100 Songs
    • Decade-End Billboard 200 Albums
    • All Decade-End Charts
    Bandsintown X Billboard
    • Buzzing Livestream Artists
    • Rising Livestream Artists
    • Top Livestream Artists
  • News Genres
    • Pop
    • Hip-Hop/R&B
    • Dance
    • Country
    • Latin
    • Rock
    • K-Pop
    Topics
    • Year In Music 2019
    • Pride
    • Podcasts
    • International
    • All News
  • Video Video Series
    • Billboard News
    • Live Videos
    • Quizzed
    • How It Went Down
    • Emerging Artists: You Should Know
    • My Billboard Moment
    • All Videos
  • Photos
  • Pro Industry News
    • Legal and Management
    • Executive Turntable
    • Touring
    • Record Labels
    • Streaming
    • Tech
    • Publishing
    • Radio
    • All Industry News
    Pro Tools
    • Insights
    • Deep Dive
    • - Songs For Sale
    • - Music On TV: What Works Now
    • Close Calls
    • Chart Search
    • Boxscore
    • Billboard Bulletin
    • Artist index
    • Song Index
    Pro Charts
    • Pop Songs
    • Hot R&B / Hip-Hop Songs
    • Hot Country Songs
    • Songwriters & Producers
    • View All Pro Charts
  • Newsletters

Billboard Pro

  • Subscribe
  • Sign In

Follow Billboard

About Billboard

  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • AdChoices

© 2021 Billboard Media, LLC. All rights reserved. BILLBOARD is a registered trademark of Billboard IP Holdings, LLC

  • Charts Weekly
    • Hot 100
    • Billboard 200
    • Billboard Global 200
    • Billboard Global Excl. US
    • Artist 100
    • All Weekly Charts
    Year-End
    • Year-End Hot 100 Songs
    • Year-End Billboard 200 Albums
    • 2020 Year-End Boxscore
    • Google's Top Hummed Songs 2020
    • All Year-End Charts
    Decade-End
    • Decade-End Top Artists
    • Decade-End Top Artists - Interactive
    • Decade-End Hot 100 Songs
    • Decade-End Billboard 200 Albums
    • All Decade-End Charts
    Bandsintown X Billboard
    • Buzzing Livestream Artists
    • Rising Livestream Artists
    • Top Livestream Artists
  • News Genres
    • Pop
    • Hip-Hop/R&B
    • Dance
    • Country
    • Latin
    • Rock
    • K-Pop
    Topics
    • Year In Music 2019
    • Pride
    • Podcasts
    • International
    • All News
  • Video Video Series
    • Billboard News
    • Live Videos
    • Quizzed
    • How It Went Down
    • Emerging Artists: You Should Know
    • My Billboard Moment
    • All Videos
  • Photos
  • Pro Industry News
    • Legal and Management
    • Executive Turntable
    • Touring
    • Record Labels
    • Streaming
    • Tech
    • Publishing
    • Radio
    • All Industry News
    Pro Tools
    • Insights
    • Deep Dive
    • - Songs For Sale
    • - Music On TV: What Works Now
    • Close Calls
    • Chart Search
    • Boxscore
    • Billboard Bulletin
    • Artist index
    • Song Index
    Pro Charts
    • Pop Songs
    • Hot R&B / Hip-Hop Songs
    • Hot Country Songs
    • Songwriters & Producers
    • View All Pro Charts
  • Newsletters
    • Billboard Pro
    • Subscribe
Three Sixty
Top Artists
View All
Top Charts
Hot 100 Songs
Billboard 200
View All
Top Videos
Jungkook's Dyed Hair Theory, Drake's Feature on 'Talk to Me' & More News | Billboard News
Drake Assists Drakeo The Ruler on 'Talk to Me' | Billboard News
View All
Top Articles
Celeste Is All Class With Orchestral Performance of ‘Hear My Voice’ on ‘Colbert’: Watch
Post Malone Covers Hootie and the Blowfish For Pokémon's 25th Anniversary
View All
Watch Now

Donna Summer: Her Life and Career in Photos

By Billboard Staff
5/17/2012
  • Copied to clipboard
1 / 15
Item 1 of 15

2119329-donna-summer-1970-2-obit-617-409

Donna Summer, 1970.
By Billboard Staff
5/17/2012
  • Copied to clipboard
Artist Mentioned

Donna Summer

2 / 15
Item 2 of 15

2119359-donna-summer-1970-obit-617-409

Donna Summer, 1976.
3 / 15
Item 3 of 15

2119379-donna-summer-1977-obit-617-409

"Queen of Disco" Donna Summer gets a lift from body builder, future movie star and politician Arnold Schwarzenegger at her home in April 1977 in Los Angeles, California.
4 / 15
Item 4 of 15

2119369-donna-summer-1979-obit-617-409

Queen of Disco Donna Summer performs onstage in circa 1979.
5 / 15
Item 5 of 15

2119299-donna-summer-1979-2-obit-617-409

"Queen of Disco" Donna Summer performs onstage with the vocal group "Brooklyn Dreams" which consisted of Joe Esposito, Eddie Hokenson and Bruce Sudano, on February 20, 1979 in Los Angeles, California.
6 / 15
Item 6 of 15

2119319-donna-summer-1980-obit-617-409

"Queen of Disco" Donna Summer poses holding her American Music Award trophy which she won for "Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist" on January 18, 1980 in Los Angeles, California.
7 / 15
Item 7 of 15

2119309-donna-summer-1980-2-obit-617-409

Editorial #85471328 01 Jan 1980 Stars At The Billboard Music Awards CIRCA 1980:"Queen of Disco" Donna Summer poses for a portrait with singers Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr. of the R&B vocal group "5th Dimension" at the 'Billboard Number 1 Music Awards' in circa 1980.
8 / 15
Item 8 of 15

2119339-donna-summer-1987-obit-617-409

Donna Summer performing, 1987.
9 / 15
Item 9 of 15

2119289-donna-summer-1999-obit-617-409

Donna Summer in Concert LA Donna Summer during Donna Summer in Concert at Universal Amphitheatre at Universal Amphitheatre in Universal City, California, United States.
10 / 15
Item 10 of 15

2119279-donna-summer-2003-obit-617-409

The Fifth Annual White Tie & Tiara Ball to Benefit the Elton John Aids Foundation in Association with Chopard - Dinner Barry Manilow with Donna Summer and Sir Elton John Barry Manilow wore the black and white diamond watch from the Elton John watch collection by Chopard, Donna Summer chose a beautiful diamond set from Haute Joaillerie collection by Chopard.
11 / 15
Item 11 of 15

2119269-donna-summer-2003-2-obit-617-409

Bette Midler's New York Restoration Project's Sixth Annual "Hulaween" Donna Summer and Bette Midler during Bette Midler's New York Restoration Project's Sixth Annual "Hulaween" at Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City, New York, United States.
12 / 15
Item 12 of 15

2119389-donna-summer-2005-obit-617-409

Joss Stone (R) and Donna Summer perform onstage during rehearsals for the VH1 Save The Music Foundation benefit concert at the Beacon Theater April 10, 2005 in New York City.
13 / 15
Item 13 of 15

2119349-donna-summer-2008-obit-617-409

Donna Summer performs at the Sinatra theater on February 16, 2008 in Sunrise, Florida.
14 / 15
Item 14 of 15

2119259-donna-summer-2011-obit-617-409

Singer Donna Summer performs during the David Foster and Friends concert at the Mandalay Bay Events Center October 1, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
15 / 15
Item 15 of 15

2119059-donna-summer-obit-617-409

DONNA SUMMER
December 31, 1948 - May 17, 2012 (Age 63)
The "Queen of Disco" and one of the most successful recording artists of the 1970s and 1980s.
By Billboard Staff
5/17/2012
  • Copied to clipboard

Watch Now

Videos

Drake Assists Drakeo The Ruler on 'Talk to Me' | Billboard News

18 hours ago

Follow Billboard

The Daily

A daily briefing on what matters in the music industry

  • Subscribe
  • Billboard Events
  • Shop
  • Contact Us
  • Careers
  • FAQ
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Sitemap
  • Media Kit
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • AdChoices
  • California Privacy Rights

© 2021 Billboard Media, LLC. All rights reserved. BILLBOARD is a registered trademark of Billboard IP Holdings, LLC