James Hoag - Legends of Rock & Roll: Donna Summer

By

James Hoag

~~~

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Copyright 2016 by James Hoag

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Legends of Rock & Roll Donna SummerCopyright 2016 James Hoag.

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No parts of this book may be reproduced inany form or by any electronic or mechanical means includinginformation storage and retrieval systems without writtenpermission from the publisher. The only exception is for areviewer. A reviewer may quote brief passages in a review.

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Have you seen themovie The Martian starring Matt Damon? He is stranded on Mars and the onlymusic he has available is disco music from the Seventies. At theend of the film, he says to his Commanding Officer, You haveterrible taste in music. Now, the line is meant to be funny, but alot of people hate disco, so why am I writing a book about DonnaSummer, the Queen of Disco? Because I love disco. Always have,always will. Hopefully, since youre reading about Donna Summer,you do, too. Disco was king in the Seventies, and I loved everyminute of it.

Donna Summer was known as the Queen of Disco.She didnt have her first Top 40 hit until 1975, but her careergoes back much further than that. She was performing when she wasnineteen, in 1967. It seemed she came out of nowhere and hit themusic scene with a bang. However, like most performers, she took afew years to get started. Yet once she had her first hit, she wasoff and running.

One thing that impresses me about DonnaSummer: she is a truly good person. When you think of rock-and-rolland the typical rock performer, you might think of sex, drugs, andall the rest of that scene. Well, if youre expecting a lot of dirtin the Donna Summer story, you will be disappointed. She is and, asfar as I can tell, always has been a God-loving person who neverdid drugs or drank too much. Of course, she was not perfect. Sheslipped a few times and has faults like anyone else. I have triednot to be too critical of her. And yet, her story is interesting.She came from a humble background and rose to be a giant in themusic industry.

Born in 1948, Donna died of lung cancer in2012. It was certainly a tragedy for the music world and for all ofus listeners. During her 63 years, she produced some of the mostdanceable, fun to listen to music ever produced.

Presenting Donna Summer, the Queen ofDisco.

It probably would not surprise you to knowthat Donna Summer is not her real name; at least, it is not the onewith which she was born. Donna was born LaDonna Adrian Gaines onDecember 31, 1948 in Boston, Massachusetts. Her father was AndrewGaines, and her mother was Mary Ellen Davis. Andrew fought in WorldWar II. After coming home, he bummed around at different jobs untilhe met Mary. They married in the late Forties and started theirfamily.

Donna was the third of four children born tothe Gaines family. An older daughter, Jeanette, came first,followed by a son, Ricky. Then Donna was born followed by heryounger sister, Amy. The Gaines were raising four children in theearly Fifties and sometimes it was hard to put food on the table.Donna says they never went hungry though. Dad loved to fish andwhen the food ran out, he would go fishing, many times bringinghome enough fish to feed the family for a week.

Her father was the son of a Preacher and soreligion was a strong part of her early upbringing. However, unlikeso many other people, Donna held on to her beliefs right until theday she died. She says she realized there really was a God when shewas five years old and that feeling never went away.

Donna and her family lived in the projects inBoston until she was about six years old. One day when Donna wascoming home from school, someone shot her in the face with a pelletgun, just missing her eye. She says that the family was scared andvery upset. It was at about this time that the family decided tomove to a safer place. Im not sure if that sole incident motivatedthe move, but Im sure it helped them make the decision.

They moved to a Victorian house just outsideBrookline, Massachusetts, only about five miles southwest ofBoston. The move got them out of the city and into a much saferenvironment. The whole family moved to Brookline. An aunt and uncleoccupied the first floor of the house with their children, Donnaand her family were on the second floor, and a grandma and twocousins lived on the third floor. It was kind of a family commune.They loved it. Neighborhood kids were always welcome, and many cameand stayed the night. The family was happy and safe.

In 1956, when Donna was about six, shestarted singing. At first, it was just for church. She soonrealized just how much fun it was to sing and so she practiced andpracticed. It was not something her mother had to enforce. Donnaloved it and spent many hours singing and practicing her diaphragmcontrol. She would lie on the bed and hold her breath as long asshe could. Starting by being able to hold it for about fifteenseconds, she worked at it until she could hold her breath for overa minute. This strengthened her diaphragm and gave her betterbreath control.

One of the defining moments of her youngerlife was when one day, she and her brother went to the communitypool to swim. When I read this story, I wondered about segregationin those days. Black people were usually not allowed in the samepools as white people. This was the early Fifties after all. Itturns out this was a black pool back in Boston which was really notthat far away. Her brother dared her to walk across the bottom ofthe pool and to jump up and down to get air. She couldnt refuse adare, so she started. At once, she realized that at 48 tall, shecouldnt jump high enough to get her head above water. She soonrealized that she was drowning.

Donna says she passed out for a few momentsand when she regained her senses, she was walking along the bottomof the pool and everything was fine. She knew that God was watchingover her and everything would be all right. Just then, her brotherjumped in to save her, but she knew that it was God that actuallysaved her from drowning. This incident affected the rest of herlife.

There was always music in the home. As theFifties progressed, her father brought home records by such peopleas Dinah Washington and Brook Benton. Donna would sing along withthe records until she knew every word. Time passed and soon it wasthe Sixties. Donna was singing along with the records of ElvisPresley and the Supremes.

The moment when she knew she could sing for aliving, when she knew she was good and not just someone who singsalong with records, happened at her church. The soloist for thechoir was sick, and they needed a new one. Donnas mothervolunteered her for the job. A little apprehensive, she stepped upin front of the church and sang out. She was as strong as she hadever been. She sang the song I Found the Answer, I Learned toPray, and they could hear her in the last pew in the church. Andthis was before they had microphones.

When the song was over, her mother and hersisters were crying. As she stepped away from the choir, she saysshe heard a voice in her head say, Youre going to be famous. Godwas, once again, with her. How could she fail?