Entertainment
The posthumous song “Run” was recorded in 2008 during the creation of Summer’s last studio album.
Boston’s late disco queen, Donna Summer, has been honored with the posthumous release of a song she recorded 17 years ago.
Songwriter Tony Gad released Summer’s single “Run” on Friday as part of his “Piano Diaries — Original Series.” The song was recorded in 2008 as part of the late singer’s final studio album, “Crayons,” but it was never released.
Gad, whose songs include John Legend’s “All Of Me,” Beyoncé’s “If I Were A Boy,” and Fergie’s “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” worked with Summer on “Crayons.” Gad co-wrote several songs for the project, including “Fame (The Game),” which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Dance chart.
Dubbed the “Queen of Disco,” Summer was born in Dorchester and grew up in the Mission Hill neighborhood before embarking on her renowned music career. She was well-known for hits like “Hot Stuff” and “She Works Hard For The Money.” Summer died in May 2012 at the age of 63 after a battle with lung cancer.
Gad reflected on his friendship with Summer, saying, “Donna came to my studio in New York and we hit it off on the first day. She was such a warm, wonderful soul and gave me a chance at the time when I was still the new kid on the block. I remember one session where I recorded her on a song we had just written. She sang it once. I asked, ‘Can you sing it again?’ She asked, ‘Why, wasn’t it perfect?’ I was so used to recording an artist five, 10 times on every vocal part, but I had to admit that her first performance was pretty much perfect. At the time I was working with Beyonce on my song “If I Were A Boy,” and the vocal-performance skills of the young Beyoncé were much like Donna’s, fierce and so in tune with her vocals, a true superstar.”
“Run” is now available on all streaming platforms.
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