Donna Summer (Born LaDonna Gaines)
December 31, 1948 – May 17, 2012
Donna Summer was a world-renowned American R&B singer who hit her stride during the disco era. Unlike many of her contemporaries, Summer, with her mezzo-soprano vocal range, needed very little studio trickery for her vocals. Coming of age in Boston during the early ’60s, Summer spent countless hours listening to records by and imitating the likes of the Supremes and Martha & the Vandellas. By then she had already been singing in church gospel groups. As the ’60s rolled on, Summer discovered the powerhouse vocals of Janis Joplin, who, along with the early girl groups, influenced her own singing. Upon hearing Joplin sing on her Big Brother and the Holding Company records, she decided that’s what she wanted to do, so she joined her first band as lead singer, the psychedelic rock outfit, Crow. That brought her to New York City where she focused on Broadway. Her first role of significance was in the European company of Hair!. In 1975, Summer cut her first record, “Love To Love You Baby,” which although banned by most American radio stations due to its raw sexuality, became an instant smash in Europe. From there it was a deal with Neil Bogart’s Casablanca Records who began pumping an extended version of the song to underground discos and Summer’s massive gay following was born. She went on to release several albums that helped define the disco era and became the first artist to have three consecutive #1 albums that were two-record sets. During the ’80s, Summer broke away from disco by adding a more rock sound to her records, and even though she had tracks on the soundtracks for the blockbuster films, Flashdance and Fast Times at Ridgemont High, the decade was not terribly kind to her. She continued to make records well into the 2000s – some faring better than others, but for the most part were very well received. Throughout her career, Summer was recognized with five Grammy awards (17 nominations), three multi-platinum albums, 11 gold albums, an NAACP Image Award, and six American Music Awards. Her songs have been covered (or sampled) by Sheena Easton, David Guetta, Madonna, Whitney Houston, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, and many more. Donna Summer passed away after a long struggle with cancer on May 17, 2012. She was 63.
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Jimmy Ellis is best remembered the lead singer for the popular disco group, the Trammps. Formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1972, the R&B outfit first flirted with success with their unlikely cover of “Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart,” a song originally made famous by 
Don Cornelius was the creator, writer, producer, and host of the extremely influential American dance program, Soul Train. Launched in October of 1961 after Cornelius noticed a void of nationally broadcast television shows that catered to the African-American audience, Soul Train ran until March of 2006. Cornelius hosted the program from its inception until 1993. Soul Train has been praised for influencing countless African-American kids while bringing black music into the white neighborhoods. Over the years, the show featured lip-synched performances by everyone from 
Ronnie Smith was a trumpet player and songwriter who is perhaps best remembered as an original member of one of the disco era’s biggest and most enduring bands, KC & the Sunshine Band. Thanks to contributions from Smith, the group created the blueprint for the upbeat and horn-driven “Miami sound” that acts like the Miami Sound Machine and Gloria Estefan would later follow. A dynamic performer on stage, Smith was often the horn section’s focal point and choreographed its funky dance moves. Prior to his tenure in the Sunshine Band, Smith formed the Ocean Liner Band who backed R&B great, Betty Wright, and played on countless recordings released by the legendary Miami label, TK Records. He also wrote “Spank,” which became a big disco hit by Jimmie “Bo” Horne in 1978. That same year, Smith released his one an only album, Party Freaks (Come On) as Ron Louis Smith. In 2004, he was attacked during a car-jacking that left him in a coma and hospitalized ever since. An arrest was never made. Ronnie Smith ultimately died of his injuries on January 21, 2012. He was 59.
Andrea True was an adult film actress who scored a massive disco hit with her 1976 record, “More, More, More.” Born in Nashville, Tennessee, True moved to New York City after high school to chase her dreams of being an actress. She succeeded in landing some minor roles, but when times got tough, True made the move into adult movies. She quickly became one of the industry’s biggest stars and appeared in over 60 hardcore films throughout the ’70s and mid ’80s. In 1976, True recorded “More, More, More” and the Andrea True Connection was born. The song quickly became a hit at US and European discos and True found herself performing the track on music countdown shows on television. The record ultimately reached the Top 5 on the US and UK singles charts. And her next two singles, “N.Y. You Got Me Dancing” and “”What’s Your Name, What’s Your Number,” did moderately well as well. In 1980 however, True released a more punk leaning album, War Machine, to very little interest. She attempted a porn comeback during the early ’80s, but found it difficult to compete with so many younger starlets coming into the field. Due to throat issues, True retired from the entertainment business save for a few adult film documentary appearances during the early 2000s. Andrea True was 68 when she passed away on November 7, 2011. Cause of death was not immediately released.
