The Donna Summer Special | |
---|---|
Written by | Rod Warren Ernest Chambers |
Directed by | Don Mischer |
Starring | Donna Summer Pat Ast Robert Guillaume Debralee Scott Mimi Sommer Twiggy |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
Production | |
Executive producer | Susan Munao |
Producer | Ernest Chambers |
Running time | 60 minutes |
Production company | Casablanca Records and Filmworks |
Original release | |
Network | ABC |
Release | January 27, 1980 |
The Donna Summer Special is a 1980 musical television special starring singer Donna Summer. [1]
A variety television special that showcased the musical talents of singer and actress Donna Summer.
Donna Adrian Gaines, known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the "Queen of Disco", while her music gained a global following.
Kimberley Dawn Locke is an American singer-songwriter and television personality. She has recorded in the dance and pop genres, and has targeted the adult contemporary radio format. She was the cohost of the daytime talk show, Dr. and the Diva.
Donna McKechnie is an American musical theater dancer, singer, actress, and choreographer. She is known for her professional and personal relationship with choreographer Michael Bennett, with whom she collaborated on her most noted role, the character of Cassie in the musical A Chorus Line. She earned the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for this performance in 1976. She is also known for playing Amanda Harris/Olivia Corey on the gothic soap opera Dark Shadows from 1969 to 1970.
"MacArthur Park" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Webb that was recorded first by Irish actor and singer Richard Harris in 1968. Harris's version peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number four on the UK Singles Chart. "MacArthur Park" was subsequently covered by numerous artists, including a 1970 Grammy-winning version by country music singer Waylon Jennings and a number one Billboard Hot 100 disco arrangement by Donna Summer in 1978. Webb won the 1969 Grammy Award for Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) for the Richard Harris version.
Hans Hugo Harold Faltermeyer is a German musician, composer and record producer.
Donna and Joseph McCaul, also known as The McCauls, are a brother and sister musical duo who represented Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 in Ukraine. They were not pre-qualified for the final, due to Ireland's result from the 2004 contest, which meant they took part in the semi-final on 19 May 2005.
Donna Murphy is an American actress, best known for her work in musical theater. A five-time Tony Award nominee, she has twice won the Tony for Best Actress in a Musical: for her role as Fosca in Passion (1994–1995) and as Anna Leonowens in The King and I (1996–1997). She was also nominated for her roles as Ruth Sherwood in Wonderful Town (2003), Lotte Lenya in LoveMusik (2007), and Bubbie/Raisel in The People in the Picture (2011).
Domenica Rita Adriana Bertè, known professionally as Mia Martini, was an Italian singer, songwriter and musician. She is considered, by many experts, one of the most important and expressive female voices of Italian music, characterised by her interpretative intensity and her soulful performance.
Natalie Casey is a British actress, presenter, narrator and singer. She portrayed Carol Groves in the television show Hollyoaks (1996–2000) and Donna Henshaw in Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps (2001–2011).
"Could It Be Magic" is a song written by Adrienne Anderson and composed by American singer-songwriter Barry Manilow, inspired by Frédéric Chopin's Prelude in C minor, Opus 28, Number 20.
Paul Frederick Jabara, was an American actor, singer, and songwriter. He was born to a Lebanese family in Brooklyn, New York. He wrote Donna Summer's Oscar-winning "Last Dance" from Thank God It's Friday (1978), as well as "No More Tears ", Summer's international hit duet with Barbra Streisand. He also co-wrote the Weather Girls' iconic hit "It's Raining Men" with Paul Shaffer.
She Works Hard for the Money is the eleventh studio album by American singer Donna Summer, released on June 13, 1983, by Mercury Records. It was her most successful studio album of the decade, peaking at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 and its title track became one of the biggest hits of her career and her biggest hit of the decade, peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Brooklyn Dreams were an American singing group of the late 1970s, mixing R&B harmonies with contemporary dance/disco music and best known for a number of collaborations with singer Donna Summer. The band consisted of Joe "Bean" Esposito, Eddie Hokenson and Bruce Sudano. Esposito provided lead vocals for the band and played guitar, while Sudano played keyboards and Hokenson played drums and occasionally sang lead vocals.
"I Remember Yesterday" is a song by American singer and songwriter Donna Summer released from her very successful 1977 album. Upon its release as a single it became a hit in Europe, reaching #14 in the UK and #20 in the Netherlands. The album also contained a reprise of the track.
"I Love You" is a song by American singer and songwriter Donna Summer from her sixth studio album Once Upon a Time (1977). It peaked at number 10 on the UK Singles Chart and reached number 37 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1977. The song also peaked at 29, 10, and 24 in Canada, Norway, and Spain respectively.
"She Works Hard for the Money" is a song by American singer Donna Summer and the title track from her eleventh studio album of the same name (1983). The song was written by Michael Omartian and Summer, and produced by the former. It was released as the lead single on May 10, 1983 from the album by Mercury Records. It became a hit for Summer, reaching number one for a three-week stay atop the Billboard R&B singles chart, number three on the Billboard Hot 100, and number three on the Billboard Dance Club Play chart. The single ended up as Billboard's 15th-best performing song of 1983. In addition, Summer earned a nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 1984 Grammy Awards, where she performed the song live as the opening for the ceremony.
The Bobby Vinton Show was a Canadian musical variety television series produced for the CTV Television Network between 1975 and 1978, with a total of 52 episodes broadcast. Featuring Bobby Vinton, a best-selling popular music singer since the early 1960s, the series mixed comedy skits with musical interludes. Appearing on the series as a regular was comedian Billy Van. The series often satirized Vinton's Polish heritage, and its theme song was an "umpah band" rendition of his 1974 song "My Melody of Love". The series was created by Chris Bearde and packaged by Chuck Barris. The shows always commenced with a large woman named Monique dancing the guest out to the stage.
"Stamp Your Feet" is a song by American singer Donna Summer. It was released on April 15, 2008 by Sony Burgundy as the second single from her 2008 album Crayons. The song was written by Summer, Danielle Brisebois, and Greg Kurstin, who also produced the track.
Pure Donna is the sixth studio album by Filipino singer Donna Cruz, released in the Philippines in 1997 by Viva Records. It was certified platinum a week after it was released, and was certified three-times platinum. The album release coincided with the celebration of Cruz's twentieth birthday.
Ariana DeBose is an American actress, dancer and singer. She has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Golden Globe Award, in addition to nominations for a Tony Award and a Primetime Emmy Award. In 2022, Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world.