News items from Donna Summer's official web site en Tue, 20 Jan 2009 20:05:00 -0600 http://www.donnasummer.com/?content=news Mon, 8 Dec 2008 21:40:00 -0600 http://www.donnasummer.com/?content=news
The show in Paris was wonderful, so good to be back in Europe and a pleasure to see so many familiar faces. I'm really looking forward to the upcoming show in Berlin and I'm trying to find some special little treats to build into the show to make it unique. It'll be my first opportunity to do my own personal show in Germany since I lived there over 30 years ago.

Oh by the way, over the last 3 months I've been honing my skills on the computer which is in and of itself pretty funny but in learning it I discovered a program and decided to be creative. At the urging of my family I'm going to make some of my personal hobby public. Hopefully they'll get better with age. Think of them as video demos. I hope they make you "smile"

Love, Donna]]> Thu, 16 Jul 2009 10:50:00 -0500 http://www.donnasummer.com/?content=news here to go to Masterbeat.com.]]> Wed, 19 Nov 2008 11:00:00 -0600 http://www.donnasummer.com/?content=news
How are you?
 
I hope you had a great exciting summer! I've just been resting up after a great tour and really missing being on the road. I want to thank all of my friends unknown, fans and acquaintances for coming out to support me this past summer season.
 
I hope you love the new album and are enjoying playing it and making new memories with my new songs.
I'd love to know which ones are your favorites and why.
 
After getting off the road, as most of you know, Bruce's dad passed away and also a dear friend. So I decided it would be a good time to take some downtime to be able to be there for him and to rest and recuperate from touring. I'm taking new dates in the near future and will keep you all posted.
 
PS.
Keep your eye out for Abner and Amanda's band Johnnyswim, Brooklyn on TV and in the movies, Maryellen's album
and of course finally, new Bruce music coming soon!
 
Stay positive, pray always and keep the faith.
 
I love you immeasurably,
 
Donna (the Empress Summer)]]> Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.donnasummer.com/?content=news
Please click here to vote for your favorite (which I'm assuming is Donna Summer!). Alternatively you can text #3 to 46833. The vote button is in the purple box on the bottom right hand side.]]> Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:20:00 -0500 http://www.donnasummer.com/?content=news
(New York, Sony BMG) Celebrating four decades of milestones, DONNA SUMMER adds another accomplishment to her list with the recent success of "Stamp Your Feet." "Stamp Your Feet" has risen to #1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Charts making it her 14th #1 single to top the club charts and her 20th #1 charting single across all charts. Only a few weeks ago Donna Summer's first single "I'm A Fire" from her new CD 'Crayons' topped the Billboard Hot Dance Chart marking Donna's first #1 hit in almost 10 years.

"Stamp Your Feet" was remixed by several remixers - Jason Nevins, Escape/Coluccio, Ranny, Granite & Sugarman and DiscoTech. The original version, co-written by Donna, Greg Kurstin and Danielle Brisebois is on Donna Summer's new CD "Crayons" which was released on May 20 2008 on Sony BMG Music Entertainment's Burgundy Records.

Donna Summer embarks the "Stamp Your Feet Summer Tour" starting on July 5th in Vienna, VA at the Filene Center at Wolf Trap.]]> Mon, 23 Jun 2008 09:10:00 -0500 http://www.donnasummer.com/?content=news BEST CHOREOGRAPHED VIDEO ENTRY WINS $5000

Legendary singer songwriter, DONNA SUMMER and OurStage.com invite you to enter the "Stamp Your Feet" dance routine contest.

"Stamp Your Feet" is the single from Donna Summer's brand new album "Crayons." The track has been burning up the dance floors at clubs and pumping up the crowds at stadiums...now's your turn to show the Queen of Dance, Donna Summer, how you shake it!

All cheerleading squads, dance troops and dance enthusiasts should choreograph a dance routine to "Stamp Your Feet" and upload the video onto www.OurStage.com/go/stampyourfeet.

Online votes from fans will determine the finalists. The winner will be chosen by Donna Summer and will win $5000.00!

Don't worry if you are not a professional. Everyone is invited to enter. All you need is a team of at least three dancers, a little rhythm, a lot of energy and the ability to Stamp Your Feet!

For full contest details go to: www.OurStage.com/go/stampyourfeet

]]> Mon, 2 Jun 2008 13:30:00 -0500 http://www.donnasummer.com/?content=news
Adding to her list of accomplishments is the recent success "I'm A Fire," the first single from "Crayons" which rose to #1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Charts making it her 13th #1 single to top the club charts and her 19th #1 charting single across all charts. Donna Summer is the only artist to have had a #1 charting dance hit in every decade since the 1970's. "I'm A Fire" was remixed by several remixers including Solitaire, Craig C, Rod Carillo, Redtop, Matty Soulflower and Baggi Begovic & Soul Conspiracy. The Rocasound original version is found on the full album.

Containing a potent mix of the up-tempo tunes and ballads, "Crayons" showcases incredible new material, all-cowritten by Donna (who wrote or co-wrote the majority of her hits of the 70's and 80's). Working with Donna were renowned writers and producers including: Greg Kurstin (Lily Allen, Pink), Danielle Brisebois (Natasha Bedingfield, New Radicals), JR Rotem (Sean Kingston, Rihanna), Toby Gad (Fergie, Natasha Bedingfield), Evan Bogart (co-writer of Rihanna's smash "SOS" and the son of legendary record executive, Casablanca Records founder and Donna's mentor, Neil Bogart), and Lester Mendez (Shakira, Santana).

Donna describes the background of the title "Crayons" and the aesthetic of the album as "a menagerie of colors and styles, with hints of different ethnic traditions and sounds. My dream is that when people hear the music it will remind them of their youth, their childhood and the joy and wonderment they felt exploring their first pack of Crayons."

Donna's long list of musical accomplishments include: 19 #1 Billboard singles, 12 Gold and Platinum singles, 5 Grammy Awards, 6 American Music Awards, 2 Double Platinum albums, 1 Platinum album, 8 Gold albums. Her song "Last Dance" won both Oscar and Golden Globe awards.]]> Mon, 2 Jun 2008 11:15:00 -0500 http://www.donnasummer.com/?content=news
Donna Summer's reign as the "Queen of Disco" may have begun in the 1970s -- more than 30 years ago -- but that doesn't mean she's slowed down in the 21st century.

Donna Summer performed at the Nokia Theater during the "American Idol" finale.

With a new album, "Crayons," just out, and a tour coming up, Summer has re-entered the limelight as if she'd never left.

The woman known for "Love to Love You Baby," "Bad Girls" and "She Works Hard for the Money" appeared on the finale of "American Idol" and performed some of her greatest hits with the show's leading female singers. She also did a short duet with third-place Syesha Mercado.

The "Queen of Disco," now 59, sat down with CNN to talk about her upcoming tour, her performance on "Idol" and her status as a "gwammy." The following is an edited version of the interview.

CNN: Let's start with "American Idol." ... How did all that come about?

Donna Summer: Well, you know, I did the show about two or three years ago, the year Fantasia won. And they've been asking me to come back. And so this year it worked out that my album was coming out and ... they wanted to, uh, have a lot of surprises in the last show and so [the producers called and asked], "Do you wanna do the show?" And I'm like HELLO! Of course! (laughs) [It has] like the most high viewership in the world! So I said I'd do it.

CNN: How much fun was that, to see ... [the contestants] singing your famous tunes?

Summer: Exciting! The first day we went to rehearsals, the kids were just starting to rehearse -- and I do say kids (laughs). ... They were doing such a beautiful job, I almost started crying because I felt like wow, what a legacy, my songs are passing to another generation. ... Made me kind of misty, actually. (laughs) [It] really did.

CNN: I was wondering ... how many times your songs have been sampled. ... Have you ever listened to [the radio] and said yeah, I own that tune?
Summer: Oh yeah, all the time. ... It's a wonderful compliment. ... If this is what people do nowadays, fine, just pay me my royalties, you know what I'm saying here?

CNN: Talk about "Crayons."

Summer: Well, let's start with the name, OK? "Crayons" is named "Crayons" primarily because when you were a little kid and you got your first box of crayons ... you open them up and there you go, you start scribbling on everything in sight. ... You're like a force to reckon with after you get your first crayon. ...

So the concept is, we're free when were little kids, were out of the box, we don't have any restrictions. And this album for me, is an out of the box album, I set no restrictions, except that no two songs could be the same. ...

I don't like to be categorized because I think that I am an instrument, and if you play me, I'll make whatever particular sound is supposed to come out for that color, and so, in the overall spectrum of things, I'm just trying to be true to my, what I feel my mission is.

CNN: I would imagine on your off days, you listen to all different types of music anyway.

Summer: I love music, period. Just music, all kinds of music. And I listen to everything, literally. Everything from Moroccan music to Indian music, to, I mean, I get the Bollywood soundtracks, I'm all over the board, I love music.

CNN: Are there any special collaborations that might surprise some of your fans?

Summer: I got to work with Ziggy Marley on the title track, "Crayons." He was in L.A. and I was in Florida, miles apart, but with today's technology, it made it possible for us to actually work together, and it's such an exciting thing.

CNN: The thing about your performances I love [is] you still have the enthusiasm of some new artist that's only been on the scene for like a year.

Summer: Well, I am new. ... The audience every night is new, and because they're new, I have to bring that newness every time to them, and I try also in the way I do my show to leave open spaces for the audience to be with me, and to feel that they're getting me as a person, and not just all production. ...
I use Judy Garland as my sort of visual mentor for this, because she was so "in here," that every moment. I mean, you couldn't tell what was going on behind her, because you couldn't see it, you could only see her.

CNN: Tell me about the tour.

Summer: It starts July the 5th, I think it is, in Vienna, Virginia. ... We will be out all summer.

CNN: Is it the North American tour?

Summer: Just North America, just the United States, and this is the first portion of the tour and uh, everything's new, new sets, new everything. And some little surprises in there.

CNN: You have obviously grown over the years and had a family. (She's been married to Bruce Sudano since 1980.) You have daughters, how are they doing?
Summer: My daughters are stunningly beautiful, they are gorgeous girls ... they all could be models, and they all have modeled. But, beyond all that, they're talented, and they're lovely ladies, and I am so honored to be their parent.

One of my daughters is an actress, she is on a new show called "The Revolution," I think it is, and it's on the Sci Fi channel. And Amanda, my baby daughter, she's in a band called Johnnyswim.

And my oldest daughter has three kids and I'm a "gwammy." I'm a gwammy, now! What do you think? (laughs) I mean I can't believe it, when I come home and the little one's going "Gwammy, gwammy."

CNN: I know it's been so long since you've been called the disco queen, but you know, I'm sure there are still people that come up to you off the street and say, "Oh, the Queen of Disco." How do you feel when you hear that?

Summer: Oh, I love it! It's great I'm the queen. Look, its nice to be the queen of something, darling

[http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Music/05/29/donna.summer/index.html]]]> Fri, 30 May 2008 17:30:00 -0500 http://www.donnasummer.com/?content=news GetBack.com!

On the release of her first record in 17-years, Crayons, share your favorite Donna Summer memories, see her Then & Now, watch videos for "She Works For The Money" and her newest single, "Stamp Your Feet," and revisit the biggest music and film hits of her legendary, 4-decade career.

GetBack.com is the only online pop culture destination and social community built around the music, movies, games, and events you love. GetBack brings you the best of the '60s, '70s, '80s and tells you what's happening now.

Visit today to create your own Yearbook page and collect your favorite music and movies, watch Retro Minute, listen to GetBack Radio, play your favorite arcade and Intellivision games, and connect with other Donna Summer fans.

Log on. Remember more. We're wakin' up the memories. Look forward to seeing you.]]> Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:00:00 -0500 http://www.donnasummer.com/?content=news Sat, 31 May 2008 10:50:00 -0500 http://www.donnasummer.com/?content=news Fri, 30 May 2008 12:30:00 -0500 http://www.donnasummer.com/?content=news