Donna Summer Died of Lung Cancer, Was Non-Smoker

USMagazine, Friday, May 18, 2012, 3:01pm (PDT)

She may have been the Queen of Disco, but Donna Summer wasn't one to light up a cigarette.

On Friday, one day after the Grammy-winning singer's death at age 63, her family confirmed to Us Weekly that she succumbed to lung cancer, as was rumored. But, defying common misconceptions about the disease, her loved ones explain that the "Last Dance" singer's cancer "was not related to smoking."

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"Ms. Summer was a non-smoker," the new family statement says of the chart-topping "Last Dance" crooner. "Obviously, numerous factors can be attributed to the cause of cancer in general, but any details regarding the diagnosis and subsequent treatment of Ms. Summer's case remain between her family and team of doctors."

Summer is survived by husband of 32 years Bruce Sudano, their daughters Brooklyn, 31, and Amanda, 29, plus Mimi, her eldest daughter from her first husband, actor Helmut Sommer.

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A private memorial will be held for Summer in Nashville, Tenn. -- where the star moved in the mid-1990s -- Wednesday May 30.

"While we grieve her passing, we are at peace celebrating her extraordinary life and her continued legacy," the family said in an earlier Thursday statement.

This article originally appeared on Usmagazine.com: Donna Summer Died of Lung Cancer, Was Non-Smoker