Book: 'Ordinary Girl,' by Donna Summer
Oct. 22 -- Donna Summer was the queen of the disco scene in the '70s and early '80s — but when the spotlight dimmed, so did her spirit.
Summer writes about her amazing journey from singing in a Boston church to superstardom in Ordinary Girl.
The singer-songwriter is surprisingly candid when it comes to the tragedy that followed her success and the road to a spiritual rebirth.
Read an excerpt from Ordinary Girl.
Chapter Six:
Shortly before Christmas, Helmuth and I decided to try a trial separation, and I went to Anna's to get away from Helmuth and our apartment. This offered me an opportunity to hear other voices, human voices that, thankfully, were louder than the tormenting voices in my own head. Gunther would drop by on occasion to visit Anna's husband, his best friend. We were both at home in Anna's house, giving us the connection that would lead us soon to common ground. I had a sense we were fellow travelers, searching for each other. What a desperate duo we were, perfect for each other. At least, for the time being.Then it happened. One night, while I was there alone at Anna's with Mimi, having just put her to sleep, Gunther showed up unexpectedly and we started discussing our marital problems. He recognized my high level of anxiety and coerced me to take a couple of sips of wine. I fell prey to Gunther's illustrious seduction that night.
I knew in my heart and soul that I had crossed the uncrossable line. I recognized the demise of my own moral convictions, and it shook the very foundation of my emotional stability. What did God think of me now? I shuddered at the idea that my eternal options were narrowing. What would Helmuth think of me? I knew my life was transparent in God's eyes, but how could I continue to deceive Helmuth? Could I trust my husband to forgive me when I couldn't even forgive myself? Gunther, on the other hand, flourished because of my emotional turmoil and now wanted to possess me at any cost. He stepped up his pursuit of me to the point of what would be described today as stalking. This, oddly, enticed and excited me. I was drawn to his burning need as much as he was to me.
Shortly thereafter, I went to the town of Knokke, Belgium, on a singing engagement without Helmuth. Overcome by loneliness, I stupidly decided to pen a steamy love letter to Gunther. I disguised myself by signing the letter "Love, Paul." After reading the letter, Gunther placed it in his desk drawer, where it was found later that day by his wife. Believing that she had discovered that his secret life was the real reason for Gunther's abuse and the cause of their estrangement, she decided to take the letter with her to a local club and show it around. It just so happened that night to be the same club where Helmuth worked as the headwaiter.
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