The timing couldn't be better. Less than a week after Donna Summer was posthumously named an inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the disco queen will be honored at Sunday's "VH1 Divas" show. And one of those paying tribute to her is none other than ultimate male diva, show host Adam Lambert, who said he's honored and excited to be tipping his frosted tips to a woman whose powerful, sensual vocals helped set the standard for disco greatness.
"Her music is great, her vocals [are] great ... I think she's become an icon and we will miss her very much," said Lambert of the singer best known for such dance floor classics as "I Feel Love," "Hot Stuff," "Last Dance" and "Bad Girls." Dubbed the "Queen of Disco," five-time Grammy winner Summer died in May at age 63 after a long battle with cancer.
"I think she's become an icon and we will miss her very much," said Lambert, who will share the stage with Kelly Rowland and Keri Hilson during the tribute segment. "Songs by Donna Summer are songs that are part of the experience here in America. We go to school dances and weddings and bar mitzvahs and it's always a Donna Summer song playing. We all know a Donna Summer song."
This year's "Divas" show will be the usual mix of up-and-coming stars and established big names, from Iggy Azalea, Paloma Faith, Melanie Fiona and Jordin Sparks, to Rowland, Metric, Pitbull, Ledisi, Hilson, Natasha Bedingfield, Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus, Kelly Clarkson, Bootsy Collins and Ciara.
In addition to Summer, the show will also pay homage to Whitney Houston. And Lambert won't just be giving props to Summer, he's also on tap to perform a Madonna song, which he's totally psyched about.
"I'm really excited about performing a Madonna song. I've been a proud Madonna fan for quite some time and have always really looked up to her as a show person, someone who knew how to put on a number," he told VH1 ahead of Sunday's live show. "She put costumes and theme and choreography and her videos have been really innovative and I really look up to her so it's going to be a real thrill to perform one of her songs but I'm not going to tell you which one."