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Friday, May 18, 2012

Cher On Donna Summer: She Was Exquisite!

Cher and Donna Summer in 1979Fellow icon of the 1970's Cher has said a few words about the late "Queen of Disco" Donna Summer.

Singer-actress Cher opened up on social networking site Twitter about the recent death of five-time Grammy Award-winner Donna Summer. "So sad", said the 'Moonstruck' actress, "One of the GREAT voices of our time!"

Cher continued, as she recalled Summer's Academy Award-winning hit 'Last Dance' being played at legendary nightclub Studio 54, "I remember 'Last Dance' ended my nights at Studio 54! By that song, I was drenched! Hair too!"

Cher replied to one Twitter user who asked if she had ever met the disco songstress, answering "Oh God yes! She was exquisite!"

As is the case with many of the greats of her generation, Cher has some close connections with Donna Summer - in this case, most of the connections come with Cher's short stint with disco music in the very late 1970's.

In fact, hours ago, one website - 'examiner.com' - published an article titled, "Disco Queen Donna Summer: The Black Cher?". An exerpt reads, "Donna Summer could have been labeled as the black Cher for their common ability to wow a crowd in the 70's and 80's with music that ebbed and flowed with the times."

Cher and Donna Summer in 1979Summer once recalled - as read in her in her 2003 autobiography 'Ordinary Girl' - that when she began working on her seventh studio album 'Bad Girls' (which would be released in 1979), she presented some of the album's demos to record executive Neil Bogart, who proposed that Cher be given the album to record - Cher had just signed to his Casablanca Records and he was adamant on getting her back into the music charts - she hadn't had a real hit since 1974.

Summer wisely refused, wanting the album, that she had largely written anyway, for herself - and the album became the biggest studio album of her career, spawning massive hits 'Hot Stuff', 'Dim All The Lights' and the title track.

The "Queen of Disco" stated in 'Ordinary Girls', "Cher's a very nice person and a talented singer - but that album was mine!"

Cher instead recorded and released her 1979 Gold-certified album 'Take Me Home', spawning her own disco hits - the US top ten gold-certified title track and the moderate hit 'Wasn't It Good'.

Popular singer - and sometimes actor - Justin Timberlake not-too-long-ago signed on to star as Neal Bogart in an upcoming biopic of the record executive, titled 'Spinning Gold'. Summer will undoubtedly be portrayed in the film - and maybe Cher will too.

Rest in peace Donna Summer.

3 comments:

  1. Thank you, Cher! I've seen you three times in concert, and Donna Summer once. What a beautiful tribute!!!

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  2. Cher:

    This is one of the most touching tributes given to Donna Summer. I a huge admirer of both of you! Donna really touched my heart..deeply as have you!

    Thanks!

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  3. Thank you Cher that's a really touching tribute and acknowledgment of your former co worker and musical peer. I always admired you and now more after reading this and by the way I think Suspect and Burlesque should have gotten the accolades as did Moonstruck

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