When Donna Summer died on Thursday of last week, I went scouting the Internet.

I was sure (positive!) the "Last Dance" singer had a country music connection.

A cursory Google search turned up nothing, and I convinced myself I must be thinking of Roberta Flack; her hit "First Time I Ever Saw Your Face" was covered by Johnny Cash on American IV (and began life, interestingly, as a Peggy Seeger folk ballad).

Anyway, it turns out my initial hunch was correct. In 1980, Dolly Parton released "Starting Over Again," written by none other than Donna Summer. The divorce song became a #1 hit for Parton, and it was later recorded by Reba McEntire in 1995.

Sadly, this weekend brought the death of another disco star from cancer, Bee Gees singer Robin Gibb. I didn't need Wikipedia to look up his country credentials.

Robin, along with brothers Maurice and Barry, penned the iconic Kenny Rogers and Parton duet  "Islands in the Stream" -- along with the majority of Rogers's Eyes That See In the Dark album. Indeed, many of the Bee Gees own songs were influenced by country music, notably the country-honker "The Lord" and the #1 country hit "Rest Your Love on Me."

Enjoy a pair of songs from both of these music greats:

• Watch Robin Gibb perform "Islands in the Stream"
• Listen to Dolly Parton sing "Starting Over Again"

Image courtesy of Joe Hal / Getty Images

In 1979, Willie Nelson wrote "On the Road Again" for the movie Honeysuckle Rose.

The subject matter of the song, life as a touring musician, came easy to Nelson.

Here's what he had to say about the tune in Joe Nick Patoski's biography Willie Nelson: An Epic Life:

It was a no-brainer, a slam dunk. It was the easiest song I ever wrote. I'd been doing it for years and years. I just hadn't written a song about it yet.

The tune became a #1 country hit in 1980, and continues to be one of Nelson's most popular songs.

• Listen to "On the Road Again"

Image courtesy of Columbia Records

Carrie Underwood keeps her grip on #1 this week, with her fourth album Blown Away.

Surprise, surprise.

For more, including who won the competition for the week's top country song, consult my rundown of the week's country music charts.

Image courtesy of Michael Loccisano / Getty Images

Willie Nelson, who celebrated his 79th birthday last April, released his new album Heroes on Tuesday.

Like latter-day efforts such as It Always Will Be and Moment of Forever, the new record is a star-studded affair, boasting guest appearances by Kris Kristofferson, Jamey Johnson, and, yes, Snoop Dogg. In fact, all three trade verses on the cremation-by-inhalation tune "Roll Me Up."

The Red Headed Stranger has never been afraid to hop across genres, and it's a trait that shows up on his covers of Pearl Jam's "Just Breathe" and Coldplay's "The Scientist."

How does his delivery of "I'm going back to the start" compare to Chris Martin's? You'll have to wait for my review of Heroes.

In the meantime check out my profile of Willie Nelson.

Image courtesy of Legacy Records