The family did not disclose the cause of death. She had been living in Englewood, Fla., with her husband Bruce Sudano.

“Words truly can’t express how much we appreciate your prayers and love for our family at this sensitive time,” the statement said.

Summer came to prominence just as disco was burgeoning, and came to define the era with a string of No. 1 hits and her luxurious hair and glossy, open lips.

Disco became as much defined by her sultry, sexual vocals — her bedroom moans and sighs — as the relentless, pulsing rhythms of the music itself.

Elton John said in a statement that Summer was more than the Queen of Disco.

“Her records sound as good today as they ever did. That she has never been inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame is a total disgrace especially when I see the second-rate talent that has been inducted,” he said. “She is a great friend to me and to the Elton John AIDS Foundation and I will miss her greatly.”

“Love to Love You Baby,” with its erotic moans, was Summer’s first hit and one of the most scandalous songs of the polyester-and-platform-heel era. The song was later sampled by LL Cool J, Timbaland and Beyonce, who interpolated the hit for her jam “Naughty Girl.”

Unlike some other stars of disco who faded as the music became less popular, Summer was able to grow beyond it and later segued to a pop-rock sound. She had one of her biggest hits in the 1980s with “She Works Hard for the Money,” which became another anthem, this time for women’s rights.

Soon after, Summer became a born-again Christian and faced controversy when she was accused of making anti-gay comments in relation to the AIDS epidemic. Summer denied making the comments, but was the target of a boycott.

Religion played an important role in her life in later years, said Michael Levine, who briefly worked as her publicist.

“She was very committed to God, spirituality and religion. Her passion in her life, besides music, was God, spirituality and religion. She held a bible study class at her home every week,” he said.

Summer, real name LaDonna Adrian Gaines, was born in 1948 in Boston. She was raised on gospel music and became the soloist in her church choir by age 10.

“There was no question I would be a singer, I just always knew. I had credit in my neighborhood, people would lend me money and tell me to pay it back when I got famous,” Summer said in a 1989 interview with The Associated Press.

“Love to Love You Baby,” released in 1975, was her U.S. chart debut and the first of 19 No. 1 dance hits between 1975 and 2008 — second only to Madonna.

The song was a breakthrough hit for Summer and for disco — a legend of studio ecstasy and the genre’s ultimate sexual anthem.

Summer came up with the idea of the song and first recorded it as a demo in 1975, on the condition that another singer perform it commercially. But Casablanca Records president Neil Bogart liked the track so much that he suggested to producer Giorgio Morodor they re-record it, and make it longer — what would come to be known as a “disco disc.”

Summer had reservations about the lyrics — “Do it to me again and again” — but imagined herself as a movie star playing a part. So she agreed to sing, lying down on the studio floor, in darkness, and letting her imagination take over. Solo and multitracked, she whispered, she groaned, she crooned. Drums, bass, strings and keyboards answered her cries. She simulated climax so many times that the BBC kept count: 23, in 17 minutes.

Through the rest of the disco era she burned up the charts: She was the only artist to have three consecutive double-LPs hit No. 1, “Live and More,” ”Bad Girls” and “On the Radio.” She was also the first female artist with four No. 1 singles in a 13-month period, according to the Rock Hall of Fame, where she was a nominee this year but was passed over.

She was never comfortable with the “Disco Queen” label. Musically, she began to change in 1979 with “Hot Stuff,” which had a tough, rock ‘n’ roll beat. Her diverse sound helped her earn Grammy Awards in the dance, rock, R&B and inspirational categories.

Summer said grew up on rock ‘n’ roll and later covered the Bruce Springsteen song “Protection.”

“I like the Moody Blues, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones as well as Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, the Supremes and Temptations,” she said. “I didn’t know many white kids who didn’t know the Supremes; I don’t know many black kids who don’t know the Moody Blues.”

Warwick said in a statement that she was sad to lose a great performer and “dear friend.”

“My heart goes out to her husband and her children,” Warwick said. “Prayers will be said to keep them strong.”

Musician Nile Rodgers tweeted: “For the last half hour or so I’ve been lying in my bed crying and stunned. Donna Summer RIP.”

Summer released her last album, “Crayons,” in 2008. It was her first full studio album in 17 years. She also performed on “American Idol” that year with its top female contestants.

Even as disco went out of fashion, she remained a fixture in dance clubs, endlessly sampled and remixed. Her music has also been sampled by the Pussycat Dolls and rapper Nas.

In a sign of her continued relevance, the Broadway musical “Priscilla Queen of the Desert, The Musical,” features two versions of Summer songs with “Hot Stuff” and “MacArthur Park.”

“It’s a tragedy to lose an icon at such a young age,” actor and singer Nick Adams, who plays Adam in the show, said in an email.

Mr. Sprauve is charged with assisting another with retaining the benefits of criminal conduct, and has pleaded not guilty.

According to court records, the 38 year-old is part of a drug trafficking ring that came to light in 2011. It is alleged that he transported the undisclosed amount of money which was then flown out by a private aircraft YV436T bound for Venezuela.

On Sunday, August 7, 2011 at 6:55 a.m. a small white vehicle pulled up at the Terrance B Lettsome International airport and the accused in the driver’s seat was seen reversing from the departure to the arrival area where he allegedly met Linda Todman-Huggins, a Customs Officer who has since been sentenced to two years for bribery and assisting another with retaining the benefits of criminal conduct.

CCT footage shows him removing a suitcase from the passenger’s side and giving it to Mrs. Todman-Huggins, and from the back of the vehicle, another suitcase was taken and the defendant carried it to the arrival area where Customs is located.

While in the Customs area, it is alleged that the two suitcases were handed over to a male person identified as a ground staff who took the suitcases to the privately owned aircraft at 7:23 a.m. which left the Territory.

The Crown contends that possibly $2M were in the suitcases.

Sprauve is on $70,000 bail.

Here for a month, he brings a wealth of international Volleyball experience and whilst never progressing to National levels as a player he has spent the last several years coaching First Division teams in Italy. Previously to that, he worked with many clubs in his native Argentina and this will be his third international assignment.

In the short space of time, he has had to work with both the male and female squads and de Fulvio has set up dynamic work outs and practice sessions that are designed to increase fitness levels and give the players an understanding of the game strategy he wishes to implement.

Coach de Sulvio is confident from what he has seen that the VI will progress when the Volleyball World Championships Qualifiers take place here from June 7.

“I prefer dynamic, intense sessions but also varied,” he commented. “One day might be physicals and another skill work, but we also do a lot of repetitions to make sure the teams are well prepared for the Tournament. Everything, physical or skill, has an element of a game situation.”

He admitted that he doesn’t know much about the likely opposition the VI will face, but his understanding is that most of them are at a higher level than the VI at the moment.

“The level here is medium,” he said, due to the population, pool of players available and the competition. “The male team has caught my attention. They have a lot of height and a lot of potential. The women are a little slower but are also learning fast.”

De Fulvio will be looking to maximize skill sets and work on a few fundamentals as well as adding his own style and experiences from the international circuit.

“Utilizing new techniques and a style of play I am confident of progression to round 2 of the Tournament. My philosophy for the team is to play rapido, quick, easy ball all the time. Basically to simplify what we sometimes make difficult, using height and speed of the players to attack the opposition’s weaknesses.”

With the help of some of the local Spanish speaking players and coaches, but more importantly through the universal communication of the game itself, he doesn’t foresee any problems with getting his point across during games and hopes some of the local coaches will come out and that they can share ideas and thoughts on how to develop the game in the Territory and continue the improvements being made by the BVIAVA locally.

The Tournament itself has pitted the BVI Men in a pool alongside St Kitts, Dominica and Montserrat whilst the women face St Maarten, Dominica and Antigua.

Three teams from each of the men’s and women’s will progress to round 2 of the World Championships, which will also be staged in the Caribbean.

“The penalties are not striking terror or fear to the people committing crimes, prisoners at the prison get better food than some of the free and innocent people in Tortola,” said the caller who noted that those who commit crimes should not be living a reasonable life while in punishment.

Host of the show, Doug Wheatley said there are a lot of problems in the prison system and from time to time there are cell phones found on the compound.

“Prisoners are living the life… the only thing that the prison prohibits is freedom of movement.”

He also agreed that the prison is not a scary place for criminals who do not seem to mind spending a couple of months there as it seems to strike no fear in them.

He suggested that government makes the penalties more severe and also agreed that inmates at the prison are too relaxed and “this should not be.”

“When a person got to jail they should not come out the same way they went in, they should come out more positive minded and ready to be a contributor to society and their own life,” said Wheatley.

Talk show host, Douglas Wheatley.

Mr. Wheatley stated that persons aren’t scared to go to prison because the prison offers a steady meal plan and other ‘goodies’. He added that the prisoners are relaxing in prison, when they should go out and clean up the communities.

“It is not healthy for the prisoners to be sitting around.”

Rehabilitation Centres and alternative punishments for minor crime
Addressing the issue of prison overcrowd, Wheatley is recommending criminals with minor charges be sent to rehabilitation centers or given community service.

Wheatley stated that the Government should find ways to decrease its prison population and find other ways of helping and correcting the people of the VI.

“Majority of the individuals in prison are dealing with minor cannabis cases, if a person is caught with a very small amount of marijuana, why should they serve time in prison?” He added that some people use cannabis for personal use.

He said the Law Reform Commission Committee have in the past dealt with an alternative law on alternative sentencing, meaning that not everything has to go through the court, and sending everybody to prison. He suggested that this be revisited and applied more often.

In another example he stated that, “When a person is sent to prison for child support another way should be executed to deal with this matter rather than sentencing the individual to time in prison.”

“I applied for retirement near the end of my 25th year which will be in September 2012, and I am still awaiting confirmation on that.”

He stated that he was very happy and pleased with the things done at the Elmore Stoutt High School Annual Spring Concert of May 12, 2012, but he had a bit of concern within himself, knowing that he is not officially retired and not sure of the outcome.

Assistant Principal Selwood, whose passion is to educate people, has been in the education system for the past 25 years.

Mr. Selwood at the Elmore Stoutt High School Annual Spring Concert accepting a trombone from Andre Braithwaite, the school’s band director. Photo: VINO

Straight out of high school, the talented musician was given a scholarship to study music at the Vandercook College of Music in Chicago, United States of America, where he attended from 1983-1987. “I was very appreciative of that because it gave me an opportunity to attain my degree in music.”

He taught music for 18 years at the ESHS before being promoted to Assistant Principal where he is responsible for the disciplinary department.

Mr. Selwood stated that the most important and memorable times he had in his career is to see people who he taught, achieve their goals and achieve great things.

“I have had many students who have gone on to be teachers, received MD’s and PHD’s and taking on very prominent roles in society and that’s the greatest joy.”

Mr. Selwood told this news site that through his teachings, he tries to encourage persons to approach life in a manner that is constructive.

He said in his life there is always room for improvement, and he has tried to improve himself as he progresses through life and to do his best.

“As we live and we learn we try to improve ourselves as we go along and go through life.”

He stated that every challenge in his life gave him inspiration to change and improve. He added that he motivates and encourages his students to do their best and to achieve their goals through discipline.

“Discipline is the key to developing a person and when discipline is displayed in everything they do, they would be able to achieve everything they would like to achieve in life.”

Mr. Selwood stated that if his retirement is granted he has no set plans, than to spend time with his family. “My retirement is in the hands of the Lord and whatever the Lord sees fit for me do to.”

“Somebody goes on vacation in a Government office, nobody else can assist until he or she returns, but if that person dies and don’t come back to work that work goes down the drain because nobody knows nothing about it. It’s annoying, and it’s disrespect to the people of this Territory who want information,” he told listeners.

According to the outspoken host, a few months ago he went to the Magistrate’s Court to get information on the number of men and women taken to court for child support. Up to now, he said he has not received the information, despite following the necessary procedure of making a formal written request.

“I met someone working there on the streets recently and she gave me some story…am still waiting on the information. I think they are just not doing their jobs,” he charged.

He also lamented that he was looking for a breakdown on the 93 children born to expatriates for 2010, but to date that data is unavailable.

Meanwhile, one of his guests Attorney Mary Lou-Creque, pointed to the fact there is the Development Planning Unit (DPU) that is supposed to have all that information, which should be processed, analysed and shared with the public.

In addition to that, calls to ascertain information on Mr.Wilson’s contract, to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour, under which the airport project falls, proved futile up to publication time.

The announcement of the Trinidadian’s employment was made public by Minister for Natural Resources and Labour Dr. Kedrick Pickering at the recent House of Assembly sitting.

“This Ministry is committed in moving forward with the airport’s expansion project without delay and as such it has engaged the services of Winston Wilson to be the Project Manager. He will begin on May 14, 2012, and will immediately begin in the preparation of tender documents as well as assisting the Ministry with the logistics and coordination efforts necessary to get the project of this magnitude off to a good start,” Hon. Pickering had told HOA members.

Wilson was also the Project Manager during the 2004 airport expansion after the principal group Phillip Holtzman withdrew due to bankruptcy. He was also the Public Works Director and Project Manager of the East End Sewerage project under the National Democratic Party (NDP) during its 2003-2007 tenure.

According to Dr. Pickering, as the project gets underway, Wilson’s duties will include, and not limited to ensuring contractors fulfil their contractual obligations; supervise contractors to make sure they are in compliance with the works needed to be carried out within the contract’s time frame; verify all measurement and quantity calculations; produce accurate and timely reports on the management and status of the projects and provide a running cost report of all funds made available to the project.

Mr. Grant explained that while installing the pipes last evening, they discovered an old road under the existing road that prevented them from installing the pumping main. Works are expected to continue today to install the temporary pumping main.

The temporary pumping main will be installed in the man hole in the vicinity of the Roundabout, which will allow the sewerage to bypass the partially collapsed pipe and go into the Road Town pumping station.

“This would mean we no longer need to rely on that pipe,” he had explained yesterday May 16.

The Road Town sewerage station. Photo: VINO

He assured this news site that the traffic would have been back to normal today May 17, 2012, and added that they will be working from the side of the road.

Asked whether businesses in the area will be affected with the down time of the temporary pump, Mr. Grant explained that the partially collapsed line was from the northern line while most of the businesses are connected to the southern line which is in working condition.

Several weeks ago, using cameras, the department noticed that their eleven feet sewage line on the northern line was old and vulnerable and was then placed on their top priority list for things needed to be taken care of by the department.

Grant disclosed that the department will seek to buy a designed pump that is expected to be ready in another couple of weeks. According to Mr. Grant, the new pump is expected to be much bigger in size and will adequately handle the sewerage flow.

In the meantime, the temporary work will cost the Department between $5,000 and $10,000.

In evaluating the damage as he toured the facility, Minister Skelton told the Department of Information and Public Relations that the apartment would be renovated to include an emergency exit and a smoke detection system which would help to ensure the safety of health personnel stationed there.

The Project Office in the Ministry of Health and Social Development will oversee the repair work and renovations which are anticipated to be completed within three months.

During his site visit Minister Skelton also toured the Emile Dunlop Community Centre, the public cemetery and the dumpsite.

He was accompanied by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Social Development, Mrs. Petrona Davies, Finance and Planning Officer in the Ministry of Health and Social Development, Mr. Anthony McMaster and Acting Chief Executive Officer in the BVI Health Services Authority, Dr. Ronald Georges.

Last Friday, the health minister accompanied by Territorial At Large Member, Honourable Archibald Christian, Permanent Secretary Mrs. Davies and former Director of Civil Aviation, Mr. Milton Creque, visited Jost Van Dyke.

During that visit, the delegation discussed the construction of a helipad to provide medical evacuation services and improve the delivery of health services on the island. They also met with Nurse Derek Sweeney of the Jost Van Dyke Community Clinic and Burial Grounds Manager for Jost Van Dyke, Mr. Alfredo Chinnery and visited the dumpsite.

Plans are underway for Minister Skelton to also meet with the Virgin Gorda health and social services staff.

The Ministry of Health and Social Development endeavours to provide leadership that promotes health, social well-being and a safe environment.

His lawyer Patricia Archibald-Bowers disclosed to the court that on numerous attempts to contact the defendant, he failed to keep any appointments made. She then stated that she is withdrawing from the case.

Crown Counsel Jude Hanley told Magistrate Richards that evidence from the complainant and the statement he gave to the police is present and she is eager to for the case to be dealt with as soon as possible, being that it stems all the way from 2010.

Magistrate Richards instructed Mr. Gabriel to collect the papers with information on his case and discuss them with his family members before making any harsh decisions.

Ms. Richards said she is giving Mr. Gabriel enough time to get everything in order so that his decisions may be the right one.

His case was adjourned until July 12, 2012.