Love to Love You: Donna Summer is a profound and succinct documentary digging into the glamorous life of the late disco queen Donna Summer. The latest film project tells of the ups and downs, the victorious moments, and the harrowing childhood trauma Summer carried around even as she conquered the music world.
Who Was Donna Summer?
Hit songs like Love to Love You Baby, Hot Stuff and Last Dance” were some of the unique sounds that Summer created to cement her place as one of the pivotal stars in the music industry. Born Donna Adrian Gaines, the late Donna Summer became a mainstream act in the 1970s during the disco era.
Per Biography, Summer was born in 1948, the third child of seven children. The young Summer grew up in her hometown of Boston, Massachusetts, and discovered her musical talents in church. After graduating high school, Summer left for New York City, where she began her journey through one of the most defining periods of her life.
Love to Love You, Donna Summer zeroes in on this defining period in her life when Summer made music and stole millions of hearts. Co-directed by her daughter Brooklyn Sudano and Roger Ross Williams, the eye-opening documentary lets old and newer generation fans in on Summer’s prowess and elements of her private life plagued with personal struggles. Here’s a look through some profound facts and details behind Donna Summer’s appealing aura and the facade of an enchanting spotlight life.
1. A Focus On Her Personal Life
The documentary, which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival earlier in the year, takes a personal approach to demystifying Summer’s life outside fame. Rather than focus on interviews and pieces from fellow music stars and industry executives, many of the interviews were gleaned from Summer’s family and friends. The project also introduced a first-person perspective letting Summer tell her story. Some of the visual details included home videos, behind-the-scene moments, tour footage
2. ‘Love To Love You, Baby’ Was Not Meant To Be A Song
When Summer Made Love To Love You, Baby, she was not thinking of it in terms of music. She revealed that it was created as “a concept for someone else to write lyrics to.” The smashing single features Summer’s sonorous voice as a sexy template. She described it as a “role.”
3. Summer First Gained Fame In Germany
The Could It Be Magic singer’s foray into the entertainment industry started when she starred in the 1967 musical Hair. She proved to be quite versatile by mastering the art performed in German and learning the language. In one part of the documentary, she said, “Being in Germany gave me license to be myself.” She also became a model and met her first husband, Hemuth Sommers. Summer took his surname during marriage and switched it to its American version.
4. Her Music Career Started In A Rock Band
Summer’s music career took off in the 1970s, but as a teenager, she was known as LaDonna Gaines, and she played in a rock band. She was a member of the rock group the Crow and would often send from home to play with her hand members to play in Boston clubs.
5. Donna Summer Had An Ultra-private Life
Despite introducing the world to her music, Summer maintained a private life away from the public eye. The Queen of Disco was quite secretive such that her kids felt it. On Love to Love You, Donna Summer, the singer’s daughter Amanda Sudano Ramirez revealed that she and her siblings were never allowed into her room. They even discovered her most famous track on their own.
6. She Dealt With Past Childhood Trauma
Summer built her love for music in church as a child, but her good memories of the church were tainted when she faced sexual abuse. She revealed that she was molested by a minister in the church. One of her siblings reaffirmed her claim that the minister “did the devil’s work better than most.”
7. She Struggled With Her Christian Faith
Due to her traumatic experience, Donna Summer struggled with her faith as a Christian. She started as a deeply spiritual child but had an inner war as an adult. However, she would later take on the path of spirituality when she became a born-again Christian.
8. She Once Attempted Suicide
Summer’s career began to peak in the mid to late 1970s, but her struggles did not ebb. After her marriage ended with Sommer, the singer was exhausted and needed a break. She once tried to end it all in New York when she jumped from a hotel window. Summer’s leg got stuck in the curtains as she took a leap, and while she struggled, one of the housekeepers spotted her.
9. She Struggled With Fame And Image
While she continued to gain fame, the No More Tears singer struggled to merge her status and her persona. In one archival interview, Donna said, “I didn’t dream about fame; I dreamed about singing. I didn’t know how to deal with the attention.” She recalled approaching her stage performances as an actress.
10. Donna Summer Aspired To Be A Filmmaker
The Disco legend wanted to explore beyond the music world, setting her eyes on filmmaking. Summer purchased a movie camera and filmed most of her clips from tours. She had a video studio at home and studied to become a director. Donna Summer passed away on May 17, 2023, after battling lung cancer. She was 63. Love to Love You, Donna Summer is available on HBO and HBO Max.
