哔咔漫画

Donna Summer has certainly earned her 鈥淨ueen of Disco鈥� nickname: four No. 1 pop hits; 10 other Top 10 pop songs; 15 No. 1 dance hits; five Grammy Awards; and more than 130 million in worldwide sales over a 35-year career.

But she has also gained royalty status in an area that may surprise casual fans: songwriting.

鈥淧erhaps because my voice is so strong, people think of me as a singer,鈥� said Summer, who will perform at the Anderson Center at 8 p.m. Aug. 31. 鈥淭he (songwriting) almost becomes irrelevant to them. It doesn鈥檛 for me.鈥�

Summer has written or co-written more than two dozen of her hit singles, along with scores of other tunes on her albums. Those songs, which include She Works Hard for the Money, Bad Girls, On the Radio, Love to Love You Baby, Dim All the Lights, Heaven Knows and This Time I Know It鈥檚 For Real, have enabled Summer to prosper as a pop-music icon years after former contemporaries have faded away.

Summer even has a No. 1 country single on her songwriting r茅sum茅. In 1980, Dolly Parton took Starting Over Again a song written by Summer and husband Bruce Sudano about an older couple going through a divorce, to the top of the country charts and the pop 40. Starting Over Again became a hit again in 1996 when country star Reba McEntire covered it.

鈥淢y songwriting does at times get overlooked or overshadowed,鈥� Summer said, adding that she is not thought of a 鈥渟inger-songwriter.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檇 like to change that in the future. It鈥檚 really important for people to understand that the songs are coming out of me.鈥�

For Summer, the songwriting process begins with a color, feeling or words that draw inspiration. She then prefers to take that inspiration 鈥渢otally away from everything鈥� in a studio with microphone and headset.

鈥淪ometimes you write and it鈥檚 just like writer鈥檚 block,鈥� she said. 鈥淥ther times 鈥�  it鈥檚 falling through you. You can鈥檛 get it done fast enough and you don鈥檛 want interruptions. You know it鈥檚 pure. I try to get to that pure place 鈥� whatever the music is and whatever I鈥檓 feeling are in alignment and I can get it out before it gets polluted.鈥�

Summer pointed to two songs that she is especially proud of 鈥� and neither is a hit record. The first is an unreleased song written with producer Michael Omartian called No Ordinary Love Song. The second, on Summer鈥檚 1979 double album Bad Girls, is called There Will Always Be a You, a love song to Sudano. It is one of several ballads on the album that showed Summer鈥檚 skills extended beyond dance numbers.

鈥淭hat was my favorite song I ever wrote,鈥� she said. 鈥淎t the time, I thought it was the most poetic song I had written. It鈥檚 not necessarily a hit song. It鈥檚 for listeners 鈥� people who will get deeper into the album. Anyone who knows me and really likes the music is going to know that song is special to me.鈥�

When it comes to the stage, Summer said there is one song she never tires of performing 鈥� and it鈥檚 one she did not write: Last Dance. Performed by Summer in the 1978 film Thank God It鈥檚 Friday, the Paul Jabara-written song earned an Academy Award and serves as the crescendo of Summer鈥檚 live shows.

鈥淭here is something in that number,鈥� she said, 鈥淭here are moments of what it feels like to be onstage - the way I envisioned it and the way I want to feel it - that come together in that song. It is me and the audience.鈥�

When Summer comes to the Anderson Center, the audience can expect a mix of songs ranging from standards to newer material from Summer鈥檚 2008 Crayons CD to 鈥渁 lot of the hits,鈥� she said. (For tickets, call 777-ARTS or go to . Inside reserved tickets are $68.50; lawn seating is $32.50.)

But Summer also emphasized that the crowd is often the key to her concerts and used an analogy that may have some fans humming one of her No. 1 songs, MacArthur Park.

鈥淭he audience has to bring some fun with them 鈥� bring some energy,鈥� she said. 鈥淚f you look at us as a cake, we are the mix: we鈥檙e in the bowl waiting. The energy comes from the audience: they are the blender. They whip it up.

鈥淓ven though you are there to make them happy, it鈥檚 that energy that sends you to the moon. If you can get ahold of that, you鈥檒l go to places you never imagine. It鈥檚 an exciting experience. I love making people happy.鈥�

Summer鈥檚 career continues to evolve: Next up is a new dance single, To Paris With Love (just released on iTunes), followed by a new album. She also has started work on an all-standards album.

鈥淚f you鈥檙e an artist, you can鈥檛 paint with the same color every time,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou have to paint with other colors or else you鈥檙e not balanced. So I will be moving on.鈥�

Standards, which Summer has always performed live and on albums, also provide a connection to one of her musical inspirations.

鈥淚 always looked up to Judy Garland,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 would see her in the spotlight and people would adore her. She knew how to work the moment.

鈥淭hat is the kind of artist I want to be. I want to be someone who can take you there 鈥� wherever that is 鈥� and drop you off. At the end, you鈥檒l say, 鈥極h no, the show is over?鈥� It went by so fast because you were so consumed and so a part of what was going on that you want to come back for more. That to me is a great performer.鈥�

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A family affair

A family get-together at Donna Summer鈥檚 house is sure to feature everyone contributing to the beat.

鈥淢y whole family is musical,鈥� Summer said.

Bruce Sudano, Summer鈥檚 husband, is a singer-songwriter who has been a member of the groups Alive and Kicking (best known for the 1970 hit Tighter and Tighter) and Brooklyn Dreams (which collaborated with Summer on her 1978 hit Heaven Knows.) Daughter Mimi plays the guitar and piano; daughter Brooklyn (an actress who starred in the ABC comedy My Wife and Kids) plays guitar and sings; and youngest daughter Amanda and husband Abner Ramirez make up the pop-soul duo Johnnyswim.

But one member of the family is especially standing out these days, Summer said.

鈥淢y granddaughter is writing like an accomplished 40-year-old,鈥� Summer said of 12-year-old Vienna Dohler. 鈥淲e all sit around saying 鈥榃hat can I steal from her? I like that lick.鈥欌��

Vienna sings, plays piano and is writing entire songs, Summer said.

鈥淪he is gifted,鈥� Summer said. 鈥淪he has a great voice 鈥� a little Joni Mitchell-ish.鈥�

Summer admitted that her own powerful voice often takes a back seat when the music takes over.

鈥淲e listen to the younger kids,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 hardly ever sing when they鈥檙e around. They鈥檒l get up and run out of the room and say 鈥極h, mom!鈥� because my voice is so noisy.

鈥淚鈥檓 like, 鈥楬ello! I paid your tuition to school with this!鈥� Summer said with a laugh.