Question 1

True or false: Donna Summer's real name was LaDonna Adrian Gaines, and she was born in Detroit.

Accepted Answer

False. Her birth name is correct, but she was born in Boston, Massachusetts, not Detroit.

Question 2

True or false: Donna Summer won the first Grammy ever awarded for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.

Accepted Answer

False. The first Grammy in that category went to Aretha Franklin for 'Respect' in 1968. Donna Summer won it in 1979 for 'Last Dance', but not the first.

Question 3

True or false: Donna Summer was a classically trained pianist before becoming the Queen of Disco.

Accepted Answer

False. She was a singer, not a classically trained pianist. She sang in church and performed in musicals like Hair before her disco career.

Question 4

True or false: Donna Summer recorded a duet with Michael Jackson titled 'State of Independence'.

Accepted Answer

False. The song is by Donna Summer and features an ensemble of backing vocalists, not a duet with Michael Jackson.

Question 5

True or false: Donna Summer was the first female artist to have three consecutive number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100.

Accepted Answer

False. Whitney Houston achieved this feat in 1986. Donna Summer had four number-one singles overall, but never three consecutively.

Question 6

True or false: Donna Summer's album 'Bad Girls' was originally intended as a rock record.

Accepted Answer

False. It was always a disco/funk album; the rock influence came from her later work with producer David Foster.

Question 7

True or false: Donna Summer won the Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for the song 'Last Dance'.

Accepted Answer

True. She won this Grammy in 1979; 'Last Dance' also earned an Academy Award for Best Original Song from 'Thank God It's Friday'.

Question 8

True or false: Donna Summer's song 'I Feel Love' was the first fully synthesised pop hit to top the charts.

Accepted Answer

True. Produced by Giorgio Moroder, it featured an entirely synthesized backing track using a Moog synthesizer, including the drum sounds, and was a pioneering electronic dance music hit. It reached number one in the UK in 1977.

Donna Summer Trivia Questions