@famousobits: Donna Summer died of lung cancer in 2012, more than a decade after the September 11th attacks. Her family says the two events were connected. She grew up in Boston, the fifth of seven children, singing in church because that was the only place big enough for her voice. At 18 she auditioned for the Broadway production of “Hair.” She didn’t get the part, but when the show moved to Europe, they called her back. She took it, moved to Munich, and didn’t come home for years. In Germany she met a producer named Giorgio Moroder. Together they made the song “I Feel Love.” Brian Eno called David Bowie from the studio when he heard it. Bowie said the future had just arrived. That record started her reign as the Queen of Disco. She had four number one singles in thirteen months, something no woman had ever done. The clubs, the lights, the era — she was the center of all of it. She kept her cancer diagnosis out of the public eye entirely. When she died in May 2012 at 63, most of the world had no idea she had been sick. Her family said she believed that inhaling the toxic dust and debris from the collapsed towers had caused her cancer. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the following year. #donnasummer #queenofdisco #onthisday #911 #celebritydeaths​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Famous Obituaries

Open In TikTok:

Region: US

Sunday 17 May 2026 18:06:09 GMT