Donna Summer
1948–2012
Boston
Donna Summer grew up in Boston as LaDonna Gaines and began singing in church. Her musical path later took her to Europe, where she performed in theater and made recordings. Working with producers and other musicians, she helped shape the sound of disco and electronic dance music in the 1970s. Songs such as I Feel Love combined her voice with new studio technology. Summer also recorded music that crossed into rock, soul, and pop. Her career shows how local musical beginnings can grow through travel, collaboration, and experiments with unfamiliar sounds.
You can use your device’s reading tools or read with a partner.
Find a detail. Build an idea.
- What did this person or group do? Point to a detail in the reading.
- How can making art, teaching, or caring for others change a community?
- What would you like to find out next? Which kind of source could help?
“Donna Summer mattered because ___. A detail that supports my idea is ___.”
Grades 6–8: dig deeper
How can new recording technology change the kinds of music that performers and audiences imagine?
Follow the evidence.
This short reading is an original classroom summary. Open the source with your teacher to check details and learn more.
Read the source: bpl.org ↗Ask: Who made this source? What can it tell us? What might it leave out?