‘Glorious disco Goddess,’ Adam Lambert tweets about late disco icon, alongside remembrances from Robyn, Kylie Minogue and more. By Jocelyn Vena Donna Summer Photo: Getty Images While Donna Summer was the Queen of Disco, performers and entertainers from all genres reacted to the news of her death Thursday (May 17) with great sadness, noting how much she had impacted the music world as a whole before she died from cancer at age 63 . Music mogul and onetime Summer producer Quincy Jones, who worked with the singer during her Donna Summer era, remembered her on Twitter : ”Rest in Peace dear Donna Summer. Your voice was the heartbeat and soundtrack of a decade.” Frequent Summer collaborator, producer and musician Nile Rodgers, remembered his pal, writing , ”This may help you understand why i’m still crying. So much love and RESPECT for Donna Summer RIP.” RIP Donna Summers!!!!!!!!!😔. You were truly a game changer!!! — Mary J. Blige (@maryjblige) May 17, 2012 R&B diva Mary J. Blige paid homage to her soul sister on Twitter, posting , “RIP Donna Summers!!!!!!!!! You were truly a game changer!!!” Former Destiny’s Child singer Michelle Williams was also floored by the unexpected and tragic passing of the dance-floor icon. “Shocked and saddened at the news of Donna Summer passing away! “she wrote . “Wow!” Her fellow DC sister, Kelly Rowland, added , “Donna Summer. Icon! Legend! Her voice! Her spirit! Rest In peace, you truly inspired me! I love you!” Rihanna seemed so surprised by the news, she simply tweeted , “Donna Summer??” For photos of Donna Summer through the years, click here. “Donna Summer RIP I FEEL LOVE FOR YOU,” Swedish pop princess Robyn tweeted . Mirroring that sentiment, Adam Lambert wrote , “RIP Donna Summer. glorious disco Goddess.” British pop songstress Kylie Minogue, whose own flashy, dance-heavy career can be traced back to Summer’s influence, wrote , “One of my earliest musical inspirations, RIP Donna Summer #BadGirlsForEver.” Beyonc
‘She definitely is one of those iconic people when it comes down to the dance scene,’ Flo tells MTV News of late disco singer. By Kara Warner, with additional reporting by Rob Markman Donna Summer Photo: Getty Images The surprised, sincere and heartfelt reactions continue to roll in as the news of Disco Queen Donna Summer’s untimely passing Thursday (May 17) spreads far and wide. Summer influenced the music industry as a whole, but her influence is especially felt in today’s electronic dance music — which includes current club-anthem king Flo Rida. “I was just looking at something with her months ago,” the “Wild Ones” singer told MTV News. “Today, when I got a text message [about her passing], I thought, ‘Wow, she passed away.’ She definitely is one of those iconic people when it comes down to the dance scene and all that. My condolences go out to all her family. She definitely influenced what I do.” Speaking to Summer’s genre-bending influence, house-music forefather Frankie Knuckles called her unforgettable hit “I Feel Love” one of the most commercial electronic pieces of music ever written. “Today you can hear its influence on all popular Dance music, House, Techno, Trance,” he told MTV News in a statement. “She was deemed ‘The Queen Of Disco.’ She’s been sampled and ideas of her songs have crept into today’s popular dance music by everybody. Her association with [legendary record producer] Giorgio Moroder set the tone for what Dance Music is all about.” “Donna Summer RIP I FEEL LOVE FOR YOU,” Swedish dance-pop princess Robyn tweeted , adding a link to a Summer performance of “I Feel Love.” The reception of Summer’s iconic 1977 anthem essentially revolutionized music, not to mention the rest of her chart-toppers that would soon follow. “One day in Berlin, [Brian] Eno came running in and said, ‘I have heard the sound of the future,’ ” David Bowie famously wrote in the liner notes to Sound and Vision. “He puts on ‘I Feel Love,’ by Donna Summer. … He said, ‘This is it, look no further. This single is going to change the sound of club music for the next 15 years.’ Which was more or less right.” Share your condolences for Donna Summer’s friends, family and fans in the comments or on Facebook . Related Videos Donna Summer: 1948 – 2012 Related Photos Donna Summer: The Queen Of Disco Related Artists Donna Summer Flo Rida
‘Her songs are so iconic that people use them as shorthand,’ expert tells MTV News about late singer’s tunes being all over pop culture. By Kara Warner Donna Summer Photo: Fotos International/Getty Images The news of Donna Summer’s untimely passing Thursday (May 17) weighed heavily on all those who knew and loved the undisputed Queen of Disco. Despite the fact that “disco fever” lived and basically died in the 1970s, Summer’s music continues to live on. Her many unforgettable hits like “Last Dance,” “Love to Love You Baby” and “She Works Hard for the Money” transcended genres and left an indelible mark on all pop culture , from the music charts to television and film. A quick perusal of Summer’s eclectic IMDb page demonstrates the fact that her music is the go-to for filmmakers and show-runners looking for that perfect dance number in their TV show or film. “Her songs are so iconic that people use them as shorthand either to convey disco or those songs lend themselves to montage-type stuff,” Entertainment Weekly music editor Leah Greenblatt told MTV News. ” ‘She Works Hard for the Money’ is always used for when a lady is going about her business. Songs like ‘Love to Love You’ and ‘I Feel Love’ are almost like a ‘bow-chicka-bow-wow,’ in that they always convey sex, whether that’s in an ironic way or in a real way.” Two relatively recent comedic examples include the memorable love scene/orgy in “Zoolander” set to “Love to Love You” and Cameron Diaz’s group dance number in “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle,” set to “Last Dance.” “A lot of her songs were almost cinematic in the way that their lyrics and music were arranged,” Greenblatt said of the repeated use of Summer’s songs for television and film. “A lot of [scenes] can go out or end on ‘Last Dance.’ ‘She Works Hard for the Money’ is all about when a woman has to go out and earn in a movie; it’s the perfect music cue. And when someone is having a threesome with a Sherpa [like in ‘Zoolander’], her music was so great for that.” Greenblatt went on to say that Summer’s songs will continue to provide the soundtrack to key moments in our lives. For photos of Donna Summer through the years, click here. “There was a time when disco was really derided and dismissed, but it would be really hard to find a person over 25 or 30 who doesn’t have these songs as part of their DNA. Whether or not you liked disco, it’s really hard to deny her voice and her talent,” she said. “Her music stands out because she was such a great singer and because a lot of her songs were about emotions too. You can really feel in her voice that she means it. “Also, how many artists have music that has been featured on ‘Sex and the City,’ ‘Parks and Recreation’ and in ‘Frost/Nixon’?” Greenblatt added. “For whatever reason, comedians love to use her too. There’s the campy tributes but also a sincere love for her. And anytime anyone takes their clothes off [in TV or film], someone has got to play ‘Hot Stuff.’ ” Share your condolences for Donna Summer’s friends, family and fans in the comments or on Facebook . Related Videos Donna Summer: 1948 – 2012 Related Photos Donna Summer: The Queen Of Disco Related Artists Donna Summer
Mixtape Daily introduces newcomer, who hooks up with Yo Gotti and DJ Scream on her latest, Girl, Interrupted . By Rob Markman Sadie Hawkins Photo: MTV News Firestarter: Sadie Hawkins It’s no secret that rap has been a male-dominated sport, but you can’t forget the ladies. Of course, Nicki Minaj is the most recognizable, and Iggy Azalea and Azealia Banks are both making waves. Well, it’s time to add another name to that growing list of femme fatales: Sadie Hawkins. If the name sounds familiar, Hawkins borrows her moniker from a 1930s comic-strip character. And, school children often attend Sadie Hawkins-themed dances, where traditional roles are reversed and the girls ask out the boys. The name is particularly fitting for an artist who rhymes with a ferocity typically associated with male rappers. Sadie started out as a model, and during one of her photo shoots, an onlooker suggested she try her hand at music. “He was like, ‘Are you a rapper?’ And I was like, ‘Nah,’ ” she told Mixtape Daily . “He was like, ‘Yeah, you look like a boss chick. Your name should be ‘Sadie Hawkins.’ ” As a child, she always admired hip-hop’s top female spitters. “Growing up, some of the female MCs that I grew up on — like Lil’ Kim, Foxy Brown, Salt-n-Pepa, MC Lyte, Missy, Eve — seeing them out there, and they doing it, and they actually made it happen, it could give you [a feeling like] ‘Yeah, OK, I can do this too,’ ” she shared. Sadie pays homage to the queens on “Microphone Checka,” a track on her DJ Scream-hosted, Angelina Jolie-inspired Girl, Interrupted mixtape . Hawkins spits over a 1980s-style instrumental while name-dropping some of her favorite back-in-the-day rappers. On “Cocky,” the lyrical newcomer partners with Yo Gotti, proving that she can hold her own against one of the game’s most-respected MCs, and on “Ms. Money,” she delivers a catchy make-it-rain ode that’s ripe for radio. Sadie Hawkins shows tons of promise: More than just a pretty face, the rookie spitter makes music to back it up. For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines .
‘I wanted to do the right thing by all of them,’ Ryan Murphy tells Vulture. By Fallon Prinzivalli, with additional reporting by Christina Garibaldi “Glee” Photo: Adam Rose/ FOX Twitter is a blessing that affords celebrities the ability to communicate with fans and update on their projects. But it can also be a curse when it sparks unwanted rumors — as “Glee” star Amber Riley found out the hard way. Gleeks thought the actress wasn’t returning to the show next fall when Riley tweeted , “Just closed a chapter in my life, the only thing I’ve known day in and day out for three years. I’m going to miss the whole Glee family, seeing them everyday!” When the show’s creator Ryan Murphy spoke to Vulture , he dispelled the gossip. “A lot of people have been writing Dianna [Agron] off the show, Amber’s off the show — they’re not off the show,” he said. “I think Amber was talking about that bittersweet feeling of, ‘I’ll never be in the choir room with that exact group of people.’ … She’s excited about where her character is going. They all are. I wanted to do the right thing by all of them.” MTV News caught up with Agron before the news broke that her character was returning. The actress told us that while she’s interested in the future of Quinn, she likes the story line to be a surprise. “It’s so funny, because I do write, and there was part of me that was like, ‘Oh, I know these characters inside and out. What if they gave me a shot to sit in the writer’s room and toy away with that?’ But at the same time, it’s like, ‘I don’t want to have any say in that.’ I love the surprise element of it.” While fans need not worry about the fate of Lea Michele, Cory Monteith or Chris Colfer following reports that the show will track Rachel, Finn and Kurt’s New York adventures , it’s hard not to wonder what’s in store for the glee-club seniors as they graduate on the season finale. With Quinn (Agron) off to Yale and Puck (Mark Salling) headed to California to expand his pool-cleaning business, some characters could get tossed to the side. But Murphy said that he told the actors if they wanted to stay on the show, he had a place for them — including Matthew Morrison’s Will Schuester and Jane Lynch’s Coach Sue Sylvester. “They’re all coming back,” he said. “Anyone who is a regular is coming back. Everyone said yes.” But he does clarify that they may not come back for the long haul. “It doesn’t mean everyone will be doing 22 episodes, but everyone wants to stay in our family and our world,'” he revealed. “I wanted to make sure those actors know that if they want to have a home, they have a home. If they want to explore new and different things while also having a home, that is also an option.” “Glee” returns to Fox this fall, moving from Tuesday to Thursday nights, and is set to begin season four with a second Britney Spears tribute episode .
The late Beastie Boy’s legacy is remembered in resolution that celebrates his life, music and love for New York City. By James Montgomery Adam Yauch Photo: Bertrand Guay/ Getty Images Adam Yauch was, in almost every sense of the term, a true New Yorker — born in Brooklyn, raised on the music of the Village and the Lower East Side, representing the eclectic energy and vibrant multiculturalism of NYC itself through his films and social causes — so it’s fitting that, earlier this week, the New York State Senate passed a resolution honoring the late Beastie Boy’s achievements. The resolution — officially known as J4637 — was written by State Senator Daniel Squadron (who represents the district of Brooklyn Heights, where Yauch was born) and celebrates Yauch’s many accomplishments and contributions, including raising the profile of New York City in a time when many thought its best days were behind it, noting: “The Beastie Boys became well-known in the innovative music scene in Manhattan’s East Village and Lower East Side with a sound and a style all their own … [they] exemplified New York through a period in which grassroots creativity and a community of iconoclastic artists helped redefine and rejuvenate a city on the ropes, with iconic imagery from Brooklyn to Ludlow Street.” Squadron also paid tribute to Yauch’s activism, including his Milarepa Fund (which raised awareness of the abuses in Tibet) and his Oscilloscope Laboratories, which produced films like the Yauch-directed “Gunnin’ For That #1 Spot,” about high-school basketball prospects competing in a tournament at Harlem’s historic Rucker Park. J4637 also works in a nod to the Beastie’s 1994 hit “Sure Shot” (“The music and message of the Beastie Boys evolved over the years, but they can’t, they don’t, they won’t stop changing the face of hip-hop, of music and of our culture”) and allowed the Senate to “pause in its deliberations” to remember Yauch, “a man of colossal talent and charisma.” “Adam Yauch is survived by his wife, Dechen Wengdu, and their daughter Losel,” the resolution concludes. “He will be missed by his family, his fans and all who knew him; his dedication to his music, his activism and his heritage leaves an indelible legacy of inspiration for all other artists.” Related Videos Adam Yauch: Remembering A Beastie Boy Related Photos The Beastie Boys’ Adam ‘MCA’ Yauch: A Life In Photos
‘Love to Love You Baby’ singer dies on Thursday (May 17) after long battle with cancer. By Gil Kaufman Donna Summer Photo: Fotos International/Getty Images Donna Summer, the powerhouse singer known as the “Queen of Disco,” died on Thursday (May 17) in Florida after a battle with cancer, according to TMZ . The five-time Grammy winner who set dance floors ablaze in the 1970s with such anthems as “Last Dance,” Hot Stuff” and her most iconic hit, “I Feel Love,” was 63-years-old. In a genre that was filled with many one-hit wonders and fly-by-night studio acts that were unable to keep the disco inferno stoked after scoring hits, Summer was a lifer, consistently charting even after the dance craze faded in the late 1970’s. For photos of Donna Summer through the years, click here. Unlike many of her contemporaries, Summer set herself apart with strong vocals backed by her songwriting skills, as well as some creative luck in hooking up with producers/songwriters Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte. The pair helped her pumped out hit-after-hit and provided her with a sensual, almost ethereal sound on tracks such as “I Feel Love,” which seduced both on and off the dance floor. Born LaDonna Adrian Gaines on December 31, 1948 in Boston, Massachusetts to a butcher father and schoolteacher mother, Summer showed promise as a singer from an early age. She made her public debut at age 10 at her church when the scheduled singer didn’t show up and she filled in. After appearing in a number of musicals and plays in high school and singing with the psychedelic rock band The Crow, she joined the cast of German production of the musical “Hair” in 1967 at age 18. She stayed in Munich after the show’s run ended and recorded her debut solo album there in 1974, Lady of the Night . Though it spawned a hit overseas with “The Hostage,” she didn’t crack the U.S. market until a year later with the song that would make her an international superstar, the seductive disco anthem, “Love to Love You Baby.” The tune she created with Moroder and Bellotte was a #2 hit in the U.S. and landed her an American record deal with the it label of the era, Casablanca Records. The 17-minute club remix of the single, which featured such real-sounding ecstatic moans that some radio stations refused to play it, became a huge hit and set a new standard for sophisticated arrangements in a genre often marked by cheesy sounding instrumentation and lazy songwriting. She released two albums in 1976, A Love Trilogy , which featured the nearly 18-minute epic “Try Me (I Know We Can Make It Work),” and the winter/spring/summer/autumn-themed Four Seasons of Love . In a singles genre where the song as the thing, Summer continued to put out consistently artistic albums, including 1977’s I Remember Yesterday , which featured the song that would secure Summer’s place at the top of the disco diva pecking order, “I Feel Love.” That hypnotizing song was also the first one recorded with a backing track made up entirely of synthesized sounds. This being the era of excess, her second 1977 album, Once Upon A Time , was another concept disc, this one retelling the Cinderella story in the disco era on tracks like “Once Upon a Time,” “Fairy Tale High,” “Working the Midnight Shift” and “Queen for a Day.” She transitioned into acting in 1978 in the disco comedy “Thank God It’s Friday,” which earned her a Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal for the hit “Last Dance.” By 1979’s two-album Bad Girls she was indisputably a star, logging six weeks at #1 and scoring hits with the sexy “Bad Girls” and more rock-oriented “Hot Stuff.” When Summer released a double-album greatest hits disc later that year she became the first artists to ever score three #1 albums in a row with double-disc releases. She went on to score hits with a Barbra Streisand duet and moved over to the then-new Geffen Records, where her success began to wane a bit. By 1983, she’d moved past the disco sound and into a synth-heavy R&B/new wave sound with the female empowerment anthem “She Works Hard For the Money.” That song, though, would effectively mark the end of her hit-making days. Summer continued to release albums through the late 1980’s, but was never again able to capture her disco peak. In fact, by the end of the decade she spoke out against the “sinful” nature of her disco hits and turned her back on her earlier material and focused on painting. After a 17-year break, she released her first studio album of original material, Crayons , in 2008. Related Photos Donna Summer: The Queen Of Disco Related Artists Donna Summer
‘Love to Love You Baby’ singer dies on Thursday (May 17) after long battle with cancer. By Gil Kaufman Donna Summer Photo: Fotos International/Getty Images Donna Summer, the powerhouse singer known as the “Queen of Disco,” died on Thursday (May 17) in Florida after a battle with cancer, according to TMZ . The five-time Grammy winner who set dance floors ablaze in the 1970s with such anthems as “Last Dance,” Hot Stuff” and her most iconic hit, “I Feel Love,” was 63-years-old. In a genre that was filled with many one-hit wonders and fly-by-night studio acts that were unable to keep the disco inferno stoked after scoring hits, Summer was a lifer, consistently charting even after the dance craze faded in the late 1970’s. For photos of Donna Summer through the years, click here. Unlike many of her contemporaries, Summer set herself apart with strong vocals backed by her songwriting skills, as well as some creative luck in hooking up with producers/songwriters Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte. The pair helped her pumped out hit-after-hit and provided her with a sensual, almost ethereal sound on tracks such as “I Feel Love,” which seduced both on and off the dance floor. Born LaDonna Adrian Gaines on December 31, 1948 in Boston, Massachusetts to a butcher father and schoolteacher mother, Summer showed promise as a singer from an early age. She made her public debut at age 10 at her church when the scheduled singer didn’t show up and she filled in. After appearing in a number of musicals and plays in high school and singing with the psychedelic rock band The Crow, she joined the cast of German production of the musical “Hair” in 1967 at age 18. She stayed in Munich after the show’s run ended and recorded her debut solo album there in 1974, Lady of the Night . Though it spawned a hit overseas with “The Hostage,” she didn’t crack the U.S. market until a year later with the song that would make her an international superstar, the seductive disco anthem, “Love to Love You Baby.” The tune she created with Moroder and Bellotte was a #2 hit in the U.S. and landed her an American record deal with the it label of the era, Casablanca Records. The 17-minute club remix of the single, which featured such real-sounding ecstatic moans that some radio stations refused to play it, became a huge hit and set a new standard for sophisticated arrangements in a genre often marked by cheesy sounding instrumentation and lazy songwriting. She released two albums in 1976, A Love Trilogy , which featured the nearly 18-minute epic “Try Me (I Know We Can Make It Work),” and the winter/spring/summer/autumn-themed Four Seasons of Love . In a singles genre where the song as the thing, Summer continued to put out consistently artistic albums, including 1977’s I Remember Yesterday , which featured the song that would secure Summer’s place at the top of the disco diva pecking order, “I Feel Love.” That hypnotizing song was also the first one recorded with a backing track made up entirely of synthesized sounds. This being the era of excess, her second 1977 album, Once Upon A Time , was another concept disc, this one retelling the Cinderella story in the disco era on tracks like “Once Upon a Time,” “Fairy Tale High,” “Working the Midnight Shift” and “Queen for a Day.” She transitioned into acting in 1978 in the disco comedy “Thank God It’s Friday,” which earned her a Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal for the hit “Last Dance.” By 1979’s two-album Bad Girls she was indisputably a star, logging six weeks at #1 and scoring hits with the sexy “Bad Girls” and more rock-oriented “Hot Stuff.” When Summer released a double-album greatest hits disc later that year she became the first artists to ever score three #1 albums in a row with double-disc releases. She went on to score hits with a Barbra Streisand duet and moved over to the then-new Geffen Records, where her success began to wane a bit. By 1983, she’d moved past the disco sound and into a synth-heavy R&B/new wave sound with the female empowerment anthem “She Works Hard For the Money.” That song, though, would effectively mark the end of her hit-making days. Summer continued to release albums through the late 1980’s, but was never again able to capture her disco peak. In fact, by the end of the decade she spoke out against the “sinful” nature of her disco hits and turned her back on her earlier material and focused on painting. After a 17-year break, she released her first studio album of original material, Crayons , in 2008. Related Photos Donna Summer: The Queen Of Disco Related Artists Donna Summer
‘Everyone knows Tyga’s the next hot thing,’ Sean says of his Cash Money family member. By Natasha Chandel, with reporting by Jocelyn Vena Jay Sean Photo: MTV News Jay Sean knows how to keep it in the family. The Cash Money family, that is. He has worked with its heavy hitters Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj and can now add Tyga to his roster of A-list collabos. The labelmates have teamed up for the seductively titled track “Sex 101” off Jay’s latest studio album, Worth It All. “One of the first things I noticed when I joined Cash Money was that they don’t work with just anyone, they really don’t,” the pop crooner told MTV News, expressing gratitude for the support he has received from his extended family. Before Nicki Minaj catapulted to stardom, she jumped on his song “2012,” as Wayne did with “Down,” the club banger that broke the U.K. artist into the U.S. market. It seems it was that communal energy that drew Jay Sean to Cash Money in the first place. “That family thing — working with people, talking to people, doing business with people that they can only vibe with is just how they operate,” he explained. “That’s why Baby [Cash Money co-founder Bryan Williams] will call me every other day just to check up on me and see how I’m doing.” Although he doesn’t want to be defined by his collaborations, working with Tyga was a natural fit for Jay. “Tyga’s the next to blow from Young Money. Everyone knows Tyga’s the next hot thing.” So it didn’t take much for him to hit up his longtime supporter and friend to appear on “Sex 101.” “I realized from an early stage how dope he was as an MC,” Jay said about the “Rack City” rapper. The R&B single is featured on Jay’s mixtape The Mistress and will be reproduced and reworked as a single and video off his forthcoming album, Worth It All . Jay Sean’s newest single, “I’m All Yours” featuring Pitbull is set for release on May 29th. Related Artists Jay Sean Tyga
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