In 1975, Boston native Donna Summer released her single, “Love to Love You Baby,” a sexy disco tune featuring shimmering strings and a funky bassline that would become a global smash. Fifty years later, her hometown will celebrate Summer’s artistry and the lasting impact of her work with its 11th Donna Summer Disco Party on City Hall Plaza.
“She makes Boston proud,” said Amy Yandle, director of special events for the City of Boston. Yandle and Boston’s special events team conceived the Donna Summer Disco Party in 2014 as a way to recognize the local legend in a fun, unique way. What started as a relatively small event at the Seaport now attracts thousands of people to the City Hall Plaza each year. And many come ready to roller skate.
“Oh, there’s lots of fancy roller skating outfits and tricks. There’s folks in their disco suits, a nice polyester suit with a big collar,” Yandle said. “It is a sight, and it is so much fun.”
Summer’s additional hits include “Hot Stuff,” “Bad Girls” and “She Works Hard For The Money,” among many others. “Love To Love You Baby” was also named one of the 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Although Summer’s influence was hard to gauge in the disco era, her legacy is present in other genres like electronica, house, and contemporary hip-hop and R&B music, said Angelika Beener, award-winning journalist, DJ, and producer. In her 2022 album “Renaissance”, Beyonce samples Summer’s groundbreaking song, “I Feel Love,” in the closing track, “Summer Renaissance.” Beener said although the word is often overused in today’s lexicon, “icon” is the correct descriptor for Summer.
“She is so much more than the queen of disco,” Beener said. “This woman was a force. She sold over 150 million records. She has six Grammys. She’s the first woman to win a Grammy in the rock category. She’s an Oscar winner. She’s one of the first, if not the first, Black women to be on MTV. And so she is iconic.”
The 2025 Donna Summer Dance Party takes place on Boston’s City Hall Plaza on June 27 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. The event, organized with support from several members of Summer’s family, is free and open to the public. Click here for more information.
Guests
- Amy Yandle, director of special events for the City of Boston
- Angelika Beener, award-winning journalist, DJ, producer, and host of the WBGO podcast, “Milestones: Celebrating the Culture”
