7 ... after being worked to death--nearly dying," says Summer. To save gerself, she returned to God. "I believed in God my whole career, my whole life, since I was a little girl," she says. "God in that sense wasn`t new." What was new was her commitent. "I had no alternative. God was the only door. Otherwise it was death." She feels the reasons behind the breakdown are "personal and nobody`s business," saying only, "There were certain events in my life that were painful to me." In her relationship with God, she found new purpose. "To love and not to hate. To be what I`m supposed to be. Everybody, in some way, needs that center. However they perceive it, whatever it is to them. They need to have that balance, because when you look around and see what`s going on, it`s terrifying out there!" she seems to exude a set of values--love, compassion, charity--that are more closely associated with Christ than with today`s fundamentalist Christians.

Much was made of donna Summer becoming a "born-again Christian." At that time, the popular perception of what it meant to be a born-again was changing dramatically.

For much of the late `70s and into the `80s, our do-gooding president Jimmy Carter represented, for most Americans, the quintessential born-again Christian. After the election of Ronald Reagan, the religious right attempted, somewhat successfully, to convert Christian fundamentalism from a grassroots religious movement into a potent political force. as a result of that, says Summer, "I think there are a lot of misconceptions about Christians."

Donna herself may have been a victim of one such misconception. When asked about statements she reportedly made that could be construed as homophobic, Donna sights wearily with resignation, almost exasperation. These are old allegations she feels she has spoken to many times before, she says. "I don`t know what to say about that at this point. it was over 12 years ago. at this point it`s not even news." She believes that by further discussing the nonevent, she extends its life. But understanding the sensitivity of the issue, she good-naturedly and unequivocally denies the story. "I never said anything like that in the first place--nopthing like that ever came out my mouth." she further recalls, It was really devastating to me as a human being to feel that people were saying things about me that were so far from the truth. it was painful sometimes." Reflectively, Summer points out, "I have lived with rumors my whole career. People said i was a transvestite--hello!" In 1977, when a rumor surfaced in the press, she said, "You can`t trace a rumor and you can`t kill a lie."

Today, as a mother of three, Summer is less concerned with what others say about her. she believes people can best be judged by their actions. Donna utilizes her time and her talent doing good works, among them, a benefit for Gay Men`s Health Crisis in 1998 that raised $400,000. More recently, she performed at a concert for Nebraska AIDS Project. An accomplished painter who bemoans the lack of time she has to devote to her visual arts, Summer melds the modernist styles of Modigliani and Picasso.

Using vibrant colours and bold brushstrokes, her ethernal figures offer a compelling look into her heart. Her work is currently touring Japan as part of an "Artist for Art" charity exhibit.

Whatever happened to the stratospheric career of Donna Summer remains a music industry mystery. "People like variety," she says. "It`s just a human nature and taste; you don`t sit around eating ice cream every night." By the early 1980s, disco had also become almost a caricature of itself ( remember "Disco Duck"? ). New wave became hip, and because of the movie Urban Cowboy, country became cool. Donna`s departure from her signature sound may have also disappointed her fans. In 1982, Laura Branigan singing "Gloria" sounded more like Donna Summer than Donna Summer did. And as formidable as Geffen Records was to become, being with a new label without an established promotions department may have contributed to Summer`s waning popularity. Whatever the reasons, the disco craze ebbed and the queen of disco faded with it.

In talking now about her life and her career, Summer speaks with a wisdom gleaned not from the descent to an orbit of a lesser star. "Money isn`t more important to me than people," she says. She recounts a story about her granddaughter Vienna hearing on of her new song. "One one of the high notes, she lifted up her arms and opened her mouth like she was singing. Only 2 years old and she already has the drama down." Laughing proudly, Donna describes Vienna as "a diva in training." Summer now lives in Nashville with her husband of almost 20 years, Bruce Sudano. Without prompting, she firmly states, "My career is what I do for a living. my family and my friends and the... 8

"Dreamer" 1999

Using vibrant colours and bold brushstrokes, Summer melds the modernist styles of Modigliani and Picasso.