"I don't think that I can take it,
'Cause it took so long to bake it.
And I'll never have that recipe again!
Oh No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
---"MacArthur Park"
Girls, imagine my shock yesterday. I had returned to the office from my lunch hour, was hanging up my coat, when my coworker says to me, with complete incredulity, "Donna Summer." When I asked what he meant, he said, "She's dead!"
The world stopped for a second, and in a flash an era was gone!!!! Darlings, if you were gay during the 70's and 80's, chances are you danced to Donna in a bar or club at some point in your life. I loved her version of "MacArthur Park," but my two dancing favorites were "Bad Girls" and "Hot Stuff." When Donna sang those, we all wanted to be "Bad Girls," and we all felt like we were "Hot Stuff"! And she taught us how to find it!!!!
And if you were not gay, well, you could not turn on a radio at this time without at least hearing one of these, or other Summer classics.. Donna was inescapable.
So, it was a shock to hear she had danced that "Last Dance," after a battle with cancer, few of us (not I, darlings!!!!!) knew about. It was even as much of a shock to hear that she had been 63!!!! The Diva Of Disco????? She was ageless!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Who could forget her brief "Born Again" period, when the community that made her, turned against her????? But Donna was smart about the biz; she realized where the money came from, and she recanted. Chalk it up to bad influences, like the Dickensian undigested bit of beef! At least, she made amends!!!! Unlike Anita Bryant!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Darlings, there is going to be a lot of remembering and a lot of dancing this weekend, in tribute to Donna! Maybe the Film Forum will even show a retro screening of "Thank God It's Friday"!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Donna's passing clearly marks a permanent end to the Disco Era! But she will live on in music and memories!!!!!!!!!!!!
Don't you be some Sad Girls!!!!!!!!!!! Donna wouldn't want that!!!!!!!!!!
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