donna summer

Beyonce is the latest diva to pay tribute to the late great Donna Summer. The disco diva passed away on May 16 after a battle with lung cancer. While Beyonce is a modern day pop queen, her music is certainly influenced by Summer’s and both ladies are considered voices of their respective generations.

When Donna Summer passed away at 63 on Thursday (May 17), the world was reminded — in the most tragic way — of the Disco Queen’s legacy. As a result, her album and song sales shot up the charts. In Summer’s case, her posthumous sales are even more impressive than some other artists’, because her songs are only available in certain formats.

Donna Summer passed away a little over 24 hours ago, and already, some sensational stories surrounding her death are popping up. It’s being reported that the ‘Last Dance’ singer and queen of disco believed she contracted lung cancer from inhaling the toxic air that hovered over New York City in the wake of the 9/11 tragedy.

Donna Summer‘s family issued a formal statement about her death from cancer yesterday at the age of 63, thanking fans for their prayers and remembering the disco icon’s accomplishments.

According to TMZ, disco legend Donna Summer passed away this morning at her home in Florida. The singer, 63, was battling cancer, although she kept the extent of her illness quiet. TMZ reports that they were told Donna was in fact focusing on finishing up another album at the time of her passing.