Donna Summer: She could sing anything, anywhere, with anyone, at any time.

[JUN 25] Happy Sunday and Happy Pride Day for those cities that had their celebrations today. :-)  Let's start off with some I Feel Love. It is (of course!) one of Gay Times' 60 most important Gay anthems. And MixMag is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the song (God, that makes me feel old!  lol) with a special feature about the track.  Then on July 3, BBC Radio 2 is airing a special, "The Summer Of I Feel Love", at 10 PM.

[JUN 25] If you need a short break from I Feel Love, check out the  playlist created for Billboard's 30 Days Of Pride Initiative by Jake Shears of Scissor Sisters.  Obviously he's a fan because he included Lucky and that's a pretty deep cut for a casual listener to come up with.  ;-)

[JUN 25] On to Donna Summer Day in Boston. As you know the annual Roller Disco party was held Friday and it looks like a  good time was had by all.  The evening  featured a message from Bruce and a live performance by none other than the Real Diva herself, Mary Gaines Bernard. The performance was broadcast on Facebook live by fan Nick Petrone (and a few others as well).  You can also catch a little of soundcheck on Instagram.

[JUN 25] Speaking of Bruce, he's posted another live performance from his couch on Facebook. And then on Instagram, he's posted a couple of poems and a photo of the really beautiful place he's hanging out in today.

[JUN 25] Johnnyswim fans - the pair are still on tour until November. (Then they will probably just take a nap and hit the road again.  LOL)  I got to see them last night in Westhampton for the first time in awhile and I have to say that a Johnnyswim show is NOT to be missed if you can possibly help it.  You guys already know the music is good,  but the energy of a live show just adds so much more. The pair have obvious chemistry with each other and with the audience. They try to make it like one big family get together and that really works. And the last encore was both sweet and funny. They did a sweet song at the end that was the perfect closing number and then at the end of the song they started to improvise and got really silly.  And of course they brought out little Joaquin at the end. He's got the bowing and blowing kisses to the audience thing down pat.  :-)

[JUN 25] OK I think that brings us to YouTube. I've been seeing a lot of rainbow pics on my Facebook feed lately, so that's kind of put me in the mood for this one. Then we have Be Myself Again live,  Don't Cry For Me Argentina, Smile live, and then we'll go uptempo with a little Fame.

[JUN 18] Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there! Let's start off with Donna's Instagram. If you haven't seen it in awhile, go check it out. They have been posting lots of interesting pictures and usually in a very creative way. It works better if you actually just look at her page as a whole instead of just seeing the individual posts as they come up in your feed.

[JUN 18] Reminder: This coming Friday (June 3) is the Donna Summer Roller Disco Party in Boston. The event takes place at City Hall Plaza from 6 PM to 10 PM. The event is free and will feature lots of tunes spun by DJ Roy Barboza, a performance by Mary Gaines Bernard, and appearances  by Omega Red and any other family members what happen to drop in. Don't have skates? Don't worry. They have free skate rentals on a first come first served basis.

[JUN 18] Johnnyswim fans - the pair are on tour from now until November with something like 2 billion dates lined up. (I might be exaggerating just a tiny bit, but there really are a lot of dates scheduled.  :-) ) Most of the dates are USA/Canada but there is a block in September for parts of Europe. Find a date neat you and grab some tickets! Personally, I am excited because they are FINALLY playing near me on a night that I don't have to work. Westhampton here I come!  :-) And just a heads up - Johnnyswim is filming a video for First Try at their show tonight, so we can probably expect to see that fairly soon.   :-)

[JUN 18] Bruce Sudano fans: check out this review of 21st Century World. Then head over to Facebook and catch his performance "live on the couch" of When Cinderella Dies. Then go see Bruce's Instagram for more on When Cinderella Dies and other things.  :-)

[JUN 18] That brings us to YouTube. In honor of the Roller Disco Party Friday, let's run some clips from the previous parties.  This is a long one from last year - stay with it to the end to see the family onstage. Here's another from last year with a message from Mimi (she phoned in to the party). Then we have one from 2015 with Rainere Martin (Legends In Concert)  performing as Donna, and Omega Red performing Angel at the 2014 party. And then just for fun - here is the diva herself on The Queen Is Back (live in Brooklyn.)

[JUN 11] Happy Sunday all! Let's start off with this announcement from Donna's official Facebook page.

"Hey everyone, a few things...

Yes we absolutely intend to release rare recordings & video footage, coffee table books, strawberry jam, balloons & birthday cakes etc etc so please stay patient. Managing an estate properly is something that takes time & strategy. We want a lasting legacy, one that honors Donna.
Brooklyn is currently in prep & pre production for what will be an amazing documentary... & we're also in the final stages of prep for the opening of a show on Broadway that's been in the works for a couple of years. If we're being honest, the Broadway show has eaten a significant chunk of our time & energy (it's gonna be bananas though).

But these things take time. Oh & donnasummer.com will soon have "official" merchandise ... (more information on that coming soon).

In any event, please understand, these things are not easily accomplished. We know that images of Donna might get a bit tiring (not so sure how that's possible ) but lets be honest, for the most part that's why social platforms exist.

Oh & one last thing, we promise we have seen the "It's Donna Day" video messages... so at this point maybe we're all good in that department.

Signing off for now. Please know that we are Blessed by you all & absolutely appreciate your love & support. We really do!"

[JUN 11] In other things to look forward to, Dan Fogelberg's website has announced that the all-star tribute CD to Dan will be out for Thanksgiving (the end of November).  As you may remember, Donna recorded Neverland for that project, so now we should FINALLY get to hear it!

[JUN 11] Bruce Sudano fans - if you aren't following him on Instagram, you should be. He's been posting a series of video clips where he talks about - well whatever he wants. The clips there are about his early days and about the new album. And since it's Instagram, all the clips are short, so you can check them out at work without your boss catching on.  ;-)  You can also see Bruce on Facebook performing  from his livingroom.  This week he posted a song called True Believer.

[JUN 11] For you fans of the Sudano girls - as you know, Amanda is on perpetual tour as half of Johnnyswim, and Brooklyn is celebrating the success of her series Taken (and hopefully gearing up for season 2!) In addition, the sisters teamed up for a promotion for Panthere de Cartier. The first video from that promotion is out now and you can see it on YouTube. (You won't see the Sudano ladies until about 40 seconds in.) You might just recognize the music that they use in the ad too.  ;-)

[JUN 11] I think that brings us to YouTube. It's Tony night here, so let's check out some theatrical Donna. First up, her cover of Don't Rain On My Parade  (from Funny Girl). Then we have Don't Cry For Me Argentina (from Evita), a brief 2009 clip of Aquarius/Wasserman (from Hair/Haare),  My Life and Begin Again (from Ordinary Girl which Donna hoped to bring to Broadway),  I Will Live For Love (from another musical Donna was working on), an audio clip (that sounds like it's been speeded up a little)  of O segne Gott mein Seel (from Godspell) , Someone To Watch Over Me (from Ok Kay and Crazy For You), The Impossible Dream (from Man Of La Mancha) and a Soundcloud clip of No Ordinary Love Song (from Ordinary Girl).

[JUN 4] I feel like I should start off by saying something to the people of London in light of yesterday's attacks. But instead I think I want to speak to the perpetrators. Yo - whoever you think you are...  what did you hope to accomplish by attacking London? Read a history book - Hitler found out that you absolutely cannon break London's spirit. So pack it in already, you will not win.

[JUN 4] Moving on to the land of fun things - it's a new month, so it's time for a new Summer Fever Pick. This month we have a case of Mistaken Identity.  :-)

[JUN 4] Bruce Sudano fans - check out his Instagram. He's posted a couple of videos recently that are worth checking out.  :-) He's also posted a new song on Facebook and a performance of Your World Now on YouTube.

[JUN 4] Bruce was on Kick Out The Jams with Dave Marsh on SiriusXM's Spectrum this morning. the show reairs Tuesday at 12 AM (eastern). And you can read a new interview with him on PennyBlackMusic.com.

[JUN 4] I think that brings us to YouTube. In honor of the new Summer Fever pick, lets do some Mistaken Identity tracks. First up is Work That Magic from UK TV,  Heaven's Just A Whisper Away from Showtime At The Apollo, liveandmore's fan videos for Get Ethnic and Fred Astaire, and Friends Unknown from the Walk Of Fame ceremony.

[MAY 29] Happy Monday all! It's Memorial Day weekend here in the USA which is the traditional start of the summer season here - a time for barbeques, beach parties, etc. But more importantly it is also a time to remember all the military personnel who have given their lives in the line of duty. So to all the families of the fallen, I would like to say thank you for your sacrifice.  In a perfect world, that sacrifice would be unnecessary. :-(

[MAY 29] Before I get started, my condolences to the people of Manchester in the wake of the terrorist attack at the Ariana Grande concert. A terrorist attack is always a terrible thing, but somehow it seems even worse when so many of the victims were young people.  I would also like to congratulate the people of Manchester for the way they came together to help the people at the concert - taxis that gave people free rides home, hotels that put people up, etc. Seeing good people come together in the face of an evil act always gives me hope for the human race.

[MAY 29] I'm not sure where I want to start today.  Lots of good stuff to talk about this week!  :-) Let's go with Mary's concert last night. The whole thing wasn't streamed live, but there are a number of clips available on Mary's Facebook page - including her version of Sand On My Feet!  :-)  Then Nancy Stewart-Franczak posted a couple of clips including My Life, and  Friends Unknown (you MUST listen to Mary's intro to the song!) Oh and sorry, those videos are sideways. If you happen to be friends with Steven Bott ( I know he's friends with  quite a few Donna fans), he's got some videos too but they are restricted to those who are friends with him.  And then there is one video (so far) on YouTube featuring Nick Petrone in a duet with Mary on Heaven Knows.  :-) It looked like one heck of a fun night and I wish I could have been there in person! For those of you who will be in Boston for the big roller disco party on June 23 - Mary will be performing there too. :-)

[MAY 29] Moving on to The Donna Summer Musical - we have some new info. It is officially a revised version of the Ordinary Girl musical Donna was working on - forever it seems.  According to Bruce, they were having trouble selling a musical with all original songs, so they had to rework it to include Donna's hits. So they are telling Donna's story with a bunch of famous songs and "a few obscure ones."

[MAY 29] Speaking of Bruce, the Daily Times has an interview with him that mainly focuses on his adjustment to life after Donna. Then check out this review of Bruce's show at the Cutting Room and this review of 21st Century World. After that, you can go to Facebook to check out live performance videos for Coney Island Days and It Ain't Cool.

[MAY 29] ClassicPopMag.com has an article about SAW and why there was no follow up album with Donna.

[MAY 29] I think that brings us to YouTube.  Let's celebrate the start of summer.  So we have Spring Affair/Summer Fever live in concert, Sand On My Feet live, and Hot Stuff live. Then in honor of Memorial Day we have The Star Spangled Banner,  God Bless America, and Amazing Grace.

[MAY 29] And finally - thank all of you who supported my MS Walk last weekend! I have little goodies to send all of you and those are sitting here on my desk just waiting for me to mail them. I'll get them out Wednesday or Thursday, so keep your eyes out for my bright colored envelopes after that.  :-) You guys are AWESOME!

[MAY 26] BREAKING NEWS! Mary's concert in Florida on Sunday will be streamed on Facebook live!  The time is 7 PM Eastern so you have until then to rearrange your furniture so you can dance in front of your computer.  :-) On a sort of related side note - I probably won't do the regular weekly update until Monday

[MAY 21] Happy Sunday all! Well, I made a promise about my MS Walk. I was holding some tracks hostage until I received some donations.  :-) Here is the next track - A Different Road live in 1999.  :-) I also have a few little goodies to mail to my donors - I'll get to that later in the week.  :-)

[MAY 21] And speaking of tracks - I grabbed Mary Gaines Bernard's interview on the radio from the other day. You can catch that on my Soundcloud too.  In the interview, Mary talks a little about her upcoming concert in DelRay Beach on May 28. Here's her tip - if you are going, wear comfortable shoes. You WILL be dancing!  :-)

[MAY 21] On to Donna! First up. Noisey.vice.com has posted a guide to getting into Donna's music. THere is nothing new there for us diehards, but it is an excellent resource for someone who is new to Donna. The article includes several playlists - each showcasing a different aspect of Donna's catalog: disco, Euro, R&B, spiritual, rock 'n' roll...

[MAY 21] Pitchfork.com has posted its list of the best 200 songs of the 70s. It's a pretty eclectic list with lots of great songs, and some info about each song (which makes it so much better than just a straight list.) I Feel Love comes in at #4.

[MAY 21] The Hamilton Spectator posted a new interview with Bruce Sudano where talks about Donna and this anniversary of her passing.

[MAY 21] I think that brings us to YouTube. Let's show Donna with her family this week. Let's start with Donna and her parents being interviewed, then we have a compilation featuring Donna with her sisters Mary and Dara, Donna and Bruce unplugged on the Regis and Kathie Lee Show, Donna with Bruce and the rest of the Brooklyn Dreams on a medley of Motown hits,  Donna with Mimi on State Of Independence, a video by our friend Suecall Hall for the live performance of Part Of Your World featuring Brooklyn and Amanda, and Vienna Dohler performing Be Myself Again.

[MAY 18] Radio alert for Mary Gaines Bernard fans - she will be on WBZT radio at 9:30 AM (eastern) to promote her upcoming show.  :-) The station does stream on the internet, so catch it if you can.  :-)

[MAY 14] Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there!  OK - as you all know - May 17 marks 5 years since we lost Donna. Can you believe it's really been that long? I think to honor her legacy on that day we should play her tunes (of course!), request them on your local radio stations, and then perform some random act of kindness. I think she'd like that.  And whatever else you do - remember to celebrate,  live laugh and love.  After all, that was her last request of us.  :-)

[MAY 14] As you all know, Donna Summer: The Musical is set to open at the La Jolla  Playhouse in California in November and then hopefully it will hit Broadway in 2018. Joe.My.God has an article about the show to whet your appetites for it.  :-) TV3.ie and Broadwayworld.com have also picked up the story.

[MAY 14] If you are in DelRay Beach, Florida (or will be at the end of the month), Go see Mary Gaines Bernard perform a tribute concert to her sister, Donna on May 28. And if you follow Mary on Facebook you just might find out about a special limited opportunity for fans.  ;-)

[MAY 14]That brings us to YouTube. Let's start off with The Queen Is Back (because who doesn't love to hear Donna reference her own history in song?), then there is Sand On My Feet, (she doesn't say it but it has to be about Bruce),  Be Myself Again (probably one of Donna's most personal songs ever), Friends Unknown (Donna's tribute to us), fans singing Last Dance to Donna, Bruce's speech at the Rock Hall Of Fame ceremony, and finally a fan video by our own Sue Casehall for I'm A Rainbow to memorialize Donna.

[MAY 14] Saturday is my big (sleep) Walk for MS and I will be once again rocking my Donna-gear instead of my team gear.  :-) We raised about $900 so far, but there is still time to donate if you want to.  :-)

[MAY 7] Happy Sunday all! The main news this week is that Bruce's new album, 21st Century World is finally out in its entirety.  :-) You can grab a copy at Amazon, iTunes, or your other favorite music seller. To celebrate, Bruce posted a video on Facebook of him performing Coney Island Days live from his couch. (Ahhh, technology - making working from home possible for so many different careers.  :-) )

[MAY 7] Brooklyn Sudano fans - check out her interview teasing the season finale of Taken. (That aired on Monday, but if you missed it you can catch it on demand. Spoiler alert: stuff happened!  LOL And yes there is a bit of a cliffhanger ending.)

[MAY 7] In the land of Disco deserves more respect than it gets, PBS posted an article saying just that.  And they included 5 songs to prove the point. I'm guessing that none of you will be surprised to learn that I Feel Love is the first one.  :-)

[MAY 7] I think that brings us to YouTube. First up is one of Donna's very last performances - it's On The Radio from October 2011. And now I think we need to balance that by going back to the beginning. So we have Donna in Haare (skip ahead to 2:25), then we have Black Power from the German TV show 11 Uhr 20, The Hostage from Van Oekel's Discohoek, Lady Of The Night, also from Van Oekel's Discohoek, and finally the promo video for Love To Love You Baby.

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