RIP DONNA SUMMER AND ROBIN GIBB LEGENDS
FROM THE DISCO
ERA
FUN FACTS ABOUT DONNA SUMMER
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Legendary disco queen Donna Summer, who
passed away at the age of 63 on May 17 after a long battle with cancer, had
sold more than 130 million records worldwide. Some known and unknown
Some of the best-known hits of Donna
Summer are "Love To Love You Baby"(1975), "I Feel Love"
(1977), "Last Dance"(1978) and "Bad Girls"(1979).
Summers has recorded 17 studio albums throughout her career.
She has won five Grammy Awards between 1979 and 1998 and six American Music
Awards.
Summer was born LaDonna Adrian Gaines on December 31, 1948 in Boston,
Massachusetts.
Donna Summer was married to actor Helmuth Sommer from 1973 to 1975, and had one
child from the marriage, daughter Mimi Sommer. She then married musician Bruce
Sudano in 1980. She has two daughters with him, Brooklyn and Amanda.
She has played the role of Aunt Oona in the U.S. TV series, ‘Family Matters’.
She was also seen in the 1978 disco film ‘Thank God It`s Friday’.
She is the first artist to have scored three No. 1 double albums for 1978`s
"Live And More," 1979`s "Bad Girls" and 1980`s "Donna
Summer Greatest Hits/On The Radio," her spokesman said. Her record was
matched only later by The Beatles.
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Donna Summer with singer Prince Poppycock on America's Got Talent
Summer remained active for about five decades, releasing her 17th studio album, "Crayons," in 2008. The single, "To Paris With Love" in 2010, had reached No. 1 on the Billboard Dance Chart album in October 2010.
Summer was a born-again Christian. She has recorded songs such as "I Believe In Jesus" (1980) as part of her new-found faith.
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ROBIN GIBB BIOGRAPHY
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biography.com
Born on the Isle of Man, singer Robin
Gibb moved to Australia in 1958 with his family. He performed with his brothers
Barry and Maurice as the Bee Gees, scoring some
hits in Australia before moving to England in 1967. By the late 1970s, the Bee
Gees became one of the top pop acts in the world, riding the disco craze. Gibb
has pursued a solo career over the years, but never gained the same level of
success as the Bee Gees.
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| Robin Gibb with Bee Gees early days |
The force behind of some pop's most
legendary hits, Robin Gibb arrived in this world just 30 minutes ahead of his
twin brother, Maurice. The pair, along with their older brother, Barry, would
later become the dynamic trio known as the Bee Gees. Music was a
large part of their family life. Their father, a bandleader, encouraged the
boys' interest in performing from an early age.
In 1958, Gibb and his family emigrated
to Australia, and settled in Brisbane. There, he and his two brothers found
some success, hosting a weekly television show. They released their first
single in 1963, which reflected their trademark three-part harmony sound. Gibb
shared lead vocal duties with his brother Barry, and the trio was heavy
influenced by such English rock acts as the Beatles. Behind the
scenes, the brothers collaborated in writing most of the group's original songs.
In moving to England in 1967, Gibb's
career started to take off. The Bee Gees scored several hits, including the
psychedelic rock-flavored "New York Mining Disaster 1941." In 1969,
Gibb went solo briefly, releasing Robin's Reign that year. "Saved
by the Bell" proved to be his first hit on his own. Gibb later reunited
with his brothers and scored another hit with 1971's "How Can You Mend a
Broken Heart."
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| Bee Gees iconic video for Staying Alive |
After falling out of favor for a time, the Bee Gees became one of
the most popular groups of the 1970s. They worked with producer Arif Mardin,
developing more R&B and dance-oriented music. In 1975, the Bee Gees topped
the American charts with "Jive Talkin'" and more hits soon followed.
They contributed several songs to the hugely successful soundtrack Saturday
Night Fever (1977), a dramatic ode of sorts to the emerging disco music
scene. Songs included the ballad "How Deep Is Your Love" and infectious
dance tune "Stayin' Alive."
The Bee Gees continued to thrive,
topping the charts with the album Spirits Having Flown in 1979. It
featured their now-trademark mix of dance tracks and ballads, and sold roughly
35 million copies. As the 1980s began, however, the Bee Gees suffered a
backlash as the public lost interest in disco.
Around this time, Gibb worked on a
number of solo projects, including 1983's How Old Are You?. The album
featured "Juliet," a hit single in Europe. He also worked with other
artists as well, producing and writing for Jimmy Ruffin. With his brothers,
Gibb penned hit songs for Barbra Streisand, Dionne Warwick and Dolly Parton, among others.
Gibb teamed up with his brothers for a
few more Bee Gees albums, such as E.S.P. (1987) and One (1989),
but they never achieved the same level of success they experienced earlier.
Much maligned by critics over the years, the Bee Gees finally received some
recognition for their accomplishments in 1997, when they were inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
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| Bee Gees with Grammy |
After the death of his twin Maurice in
2003, Gibb retired the Bee Gees name. He
released the solo album Magnet that same year, and followed it up a few
years later with a holiday recording, My Favourite Christmas Carols.
Gibb has sometimes performed with his
brother Barry over the years, usually for charity events. As a prolific
songwriter, he has worked hard to make sure that artists receive the royalties
due for their work. Gibb has served as the president of International
Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC) since 2007.
Most recently, he has been working with
his son, RJ, on his classical composition. The pair wrote Titanic Requiem
to mark the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the luxury liner Titanic
in 1912. In addition to his music, Gibb is very active in charitable causes. He
sang vocals on a cover of the Bee Gees' "I've Gotta to Get a Message to
You" with the Soldiers to raise money for the Royal British Legion. He has
also been instrumental in attracting contributions for a special monument in
London called the Bomber Command Memorial for those who served in World War II.
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| Bee Gees with the CBEs from Queen's honours |
In recent years, Gibb has struggled
with some medical problems. He underwent emergency surgery in 2010 for a
blocked intestine. The following year, Gibb was hospitalized three times. He
was later diagnosed with colorectal cancer.
Gibb claimed to have beaten his
illness, telling the press in February 2012 that he had undergone chemotherapy
and have achieved "spectacular" results. But by late March, the
singer had returned to the hospital for intestinal surgery. Gibb had to cancel
a number of appearances, but he still hoped to make the April 10 premiere of Titanic
Requiem in London.
Sadly, Gibb could not make it the
concert because he came down with pneumonia. He slipped into a coma a few days
later. At a London hospital, Gibb has been surrounded by family, including his
second wife Dwina and their son Robin-John, or RJ. His two children from his
first marriage, Spencer and Melissa, have also been present. According to
several press reports, the family is "hoping and praying" that Gibb
"will pull through" this latest health crisis.
Later that month, Gibb regained
consciousness. "It is a testament to Robin's extraordinary courage, iron
will and deep reserves of physical strength that he has overcome quite
incredible odds to get where he is now," one of his doctors told the
press. Even with all of his determination, Gibb was not able to overcome his
illness. He died on May 20, 2012, in London after his long battle with cancer.
Gibb will be remembered for his soulful voice, his contributions to popular
music and his work on behalf of songwriters everywhere. Robin Gibb was 62.
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