Donna Summer performs with Earth, Wind and Fire during the 13th annual Race to Erase MS gala in Century City, California on April 13, 2007. Summer died on May 17, 2012 at age 63 after a battle with cancer. – File photo by AFP

donna-summer-reut1_670

Donna Summer performs with Earth, Wind and Fire during the 13th annual Race to Erase MS gala in Century City, California on April 13, 2007. Summer died on May 17, 2012 at age 63 after a battle with cancer. – File photo by AFP

LOS ANGELES: Grammy-winning disco legend Donna Summer died Thursday after a battle with cancer, aged 63, her family said in a statement.

The singer, who shot to fame in the 1970s with hits including “Hot Stuff” and “Bad Girls,” before songs like “She Works Hard for the Money” in the 1980s, died in Florida, the TMZ celebrity news website said.

“Early this morning, we lost Donna Summer Sudano, a woman of many gifts, the greatest being her faith,” said the family statement.

“While we grieve her passing, we are at peace celebrating her extraordinary life and her continued legacy. Words truly can't express how much we appreciate your prayers and love for our family at this sensitive time.”

Summer had been battling breast cancer but she kept the illness “under wraps,” entertainment website TMZ.com reported.

Dubbed the ‘Queen of disco,’ Summer won the Grammy Award on five occasions for her hit singles during the 1970s and 1980s.

Opinion

Editorial

Budget presser
Updated 14 Jun, 2026

Budget presser

If the FBR falters, the government will find itself in hot water sooner rather than later.
Muharram precautions
14 Jun, 2026

Muharram precautions

WITH Muharram due to start next week, the authorities have already begun annual exercises to ensure that the ...
Blood bequests
14 Jun, 2026

Blood bequests

WORLD Blood Donor Day offers a moment of “gratitude, advocacy and renewed commitment” for thalassaemia patients...
Sustainable path?
Updated 13 Jun, 2026

Sustainable path?

The FY27 budget is the first clear signal that the government is ready to transition from stabilisation to growth.
Prioritising education
13 Jun, 2026

Prioritising education

THOUGH the improvement in the country’s literacy rate may be slight, as highlighted by the Economic Survey, it ...
Poverty’s rise
13 Jun, 2026

Poverty’s rise

AS attention turns to the government’s plans for the coming fiscal year, one set of figures deserves particular...