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.