The Women Nominees: Distinct Styles Define Love, Nyro, Summer

Grouping the three women 2011 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees together almost does them a disservice because they represent such distinctly different styles and eras -- but we're going to do it anyway.



Where Laura Nyro and Donna Summer staked a claim to solo artistry with white soul and disco respectively, Darlene Love spent most of her career singing mainly in the background but always with distinctive voice. After being "discovered" by Phil Spector in an all-girl group The Blossoms in the early 1960s, Love (with or without The Blossoms) can be found singing behind Elvis Presley, Johnny Rivers, Shelly Fabares, The Beach Boys, Tom Jones, Sam Cooke, and Dionne Warwick. But her greatest recognition came from singing lead on the Phil Spector-produced girl group hits "He's a Rebel" and "He's Sure the Boy I Love," both released under the name The Crystals, and on "Today I Met the Boy I'm Gonna Marry," where Love was credited as the solo artist. She is also known for "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" from 1963's A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector.



Where Love made it by supporting and singing songs penned by others, Laura Nyro carved her own niche by writing songs for herself. Her unique blend of white, woman, soul, jazz and blues with a little gospel thrown in defined a territory that few have entered since. And while she achieved critical success early and throughout her career, her recordings never attracted the attention they deserved. What they did attract, though, was other artists. So despite an outstanding recording and intermittent performing career Nyro is best known as a songwriter others have covered. Her own recorded versions of her songs are not as accessible as the pop interpretations, but her versions are the ones that stand alone. Still, Fifth Dimension's covers of "Wedding Bell Blues" and "Stoned Soul Picnic," Three Dog Night's "Eli's Coming," Barbra Streisand's "Stoney End," and Blood, Sweat & Tears "And When I Die" showcase her songwriting talents and did introduce Nyro to a wider set -- even if they didn't go out and buy her records. Never a comfortable performer, Nyro shunned the spotlight and toured rarely. She died of ovarian cancer in 1997 at age 49.



Unlike Nyro and Love who succeeded in near obscurity, Donna Summer was the pride and focal point of a musical movement. Born LaDonna Adrian Gaines, Summer was the face of disco -- "The Queen of Disco" -- virtually from the start of her success with producers Giorgio Moroder and Pete Belotte who helped craft some of disco's signature songs: "Love To Love Ya Baby" (eventually redone in a 17-minute version featuring Summer moaning over a middle instrumental), "Hot Stuff," and "Last Dance." Following a break with disco she recorded Bad Girls with its working girl slant and launched another hit with "She Works Hard for the Money." In later years Summer recorded more varied fare, even winning two Grammys for "Inspirational" recordings. In all she has been nominated for 12 Grammys and has won five.