Watch Intimate Portrait online: Episode 16 Donna Summer

Donna Summer: Disco Diva Donna Summer was born in Boston on December 31, 1948. Her family lived in a dangerous part of the city; when she was a young girl, Summer was shot by a stray bullet that scarred her both physically and emotionally. At eight years old, she turned to music and the church choir to build up her self-esteem. By her teen years she was fronting the local band The Crow. In 1968, an RCA executive offered her group a record deal, but she left the band to perform the lead role in the German production of ""Hair."" Other musicals followed, and so did a marriage to her co-star, Helmut Sommer, in 1972. In 1974, she gave birth to daughter Mimi. The marriage was short-lived, and the suddenly single mom turned to singing studio backup vocals to pay the bills. In 1975, her collaboration on the hit disco song ""Love to Love You Baby"" transformed the shy woman into a sex symbol and international icon. But the grueling pace of touring left Summer despondent and suicidal. After being

click here to see where to watch or .