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One of the great stars of the disco era, Donna Summer, passed away this morning at her home in Key West, Florida. The singer was 63 and had been battling cancer.

A statement from Donna’s family reads:

After working as backing singer for the group Three Dog Night and touring with a stage production of Hair, Summer signed with the European label, Groovy Records, and released her first album “Lady of the Night” in 1974. Although not a big success, it did mark the start of her working relationship with producer Giorgio Moroder, with whom she would record the great hit “Love To Love You Baby” the following year.

“Love To Love You Baby” – Donna Summer

“Love To Love You Baby” reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and began a period of great chart success for Summer, including the hit singles “Could It Be Magic,” “Last Dance,” “I Feel Love,” “Hot Stuff,” “Bad Girls” and “MacArthur Park.” There were also hit albums, including “A Love Trilogy,” “Four Seasons of Love,” “I Remember Yesterday,” “Once Upon a Time,” and “Bad Girls”. The latter reached number one on the Billboard album chart in 1979, repeating the chart topping success of her 1978 live album “Live and More”.

“I Feel Love” – Donna Summer

The 1970s was undoubtedly Summer’s most commercially successful period, but she continued to have significant success in the 1980s after breaking away from her disco image, including the hit album “She Works Hard for the Money,” the title track of which reached number three on the Hot 100. She also continued to attract critical acclaim, with five Grammy Awards spanning the years 1979 to 1998.

Summer continued to perform until near the end, releasing her seventeenth and final studio album, “Crayons,” in 2008. This was her first album of original material since 1991’s “Mistaken Identity,” and would be her biggest chart success since “She Works Hard for the Money”.

In 2009, Summer performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in honour of President Obama.

A number of stars have already paid tribute to Summer:

Elton John – “Her records sound as good today as they ever did. That she has never been inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame is a total disgrace especially when I see the second-rate talent that has been inducted. She is a great friend to me and to the Elton John Aids Foundation and I will miss her greatly.”

Darlene Love – “I’m in complete shock! Didn’t know that Donna was battling lung cancer – She truly was ‘The Queen of Disco’! Rest in peace my darling! xo”

Nick Rhodes (Duran Duran) – “For me, there is no doubt that her song I Feel Love had a dramatic effect on modern music. it was certainly a key influence on my work with Duran Duran. Together with producer Giorgio Moroder, Donna pioneered the use of electronic sequencers in dance music. Today that sound that seems so familiar, but in 1977, it was a brave new frontier. It’s extremely rare that you hear one song that completely changes the way you perceive music, I Feel Love, achieved that.”

Dion DiMucci – “May the Lord embrace and keep you my dear friend. Peace in Heaven forever and ever., With great love, Dion.”

Dionne Warwick – “My heart goes out to her husband and her children. Prayers will be said to keep them strong.”